Sports

Dick, Nick, and Brad Olson all have a history with the MN State Swim Meet. Photo by Sarah Mattson

After 56 years, an Olson returned to the MN state swimming meet. Nick Olson, grandson of Dick and Phyllis Olson of Ely, swam at the 2018 MN State Swimming and Diving meet held at the University of Minnesota on March 2-3. Nick, a junior at Alexandria Area High School, swam the 200 and 500 yard freestyle along with the 200 medley relay and 4x100 freestyle relay. Dick also swam the 200 yard freestyle in a state meeting representing Ely Memorial High School in 1960, 1961, and 1962. Nick’s dad, Brad, was also a distance swimmer for EHS in 1983-1986. The Alexandria Cardinals finished fourth as a team in the Class A field. The 200 yard medley relay took second place and the 4x100 freestyle relay finished fourth.

The Vermilion Ironmen are living up to their nickname during a season-opening trip to Florida.
Injuries and absences have depleted the roster to just 11 available players for the community college baseball team, which lost four straight games to begin a seven-game swing through the Sunshine State.
Division II school Glen Oaks (Mich.) swept Division III VCC 13-4 and 5-0 in a Wednesday doubleheader at Auburndale, Fla. One day earlier, state contender Minnesota West roughed up the Ironmen 15-1 and 5-0 in a pair of games at the same location during the RussMatt Classic, a college baseball event that attracts more than 300 teams.
Vermilion’s pitching staff took a hit during the trip when it lost Connor Knettel, a freshman from Brainerd, to a wrist injury. The righthander was expected to start at least one game and work another in relief and the injury taxed an already-stretched VCC pitching staff.

FUTURE WOLVES - Ely’s elementary basketball program wrapped up last weekend with an annual hot dog feed sponsored by the Ely Hoop Club. Current Wolves posed with the elementary players.

IN THE 1000 POINT CLUB - Ely’s Shayla Zaverl scored her 1,000th point Feb. 22 at Babbitt, when the Timberwolves downed Northeast Range. The Ely senior also had a big night Wednesday, snaring 11 rebounds and dishing out seven assists as the high school girls basketball team beat Deer River 39-37 in the Section 7A playoffs.

by Tom Coombe -

The Ely Blue Line hosted the Pee Wee B Districts tournament this year. The home team took third place and has advanced to the Region Tournament held in Sauk Rapids, MN on March 2-4. Back Row: Coach Andrew Saarella, Jace Conaway, Wesley Sandy, Brecken Sandberg, Kaiden Zupancich, Kole Macho, Coach Luke Macho, Sam Leeson, Logan Loe. Middle Row: Jackson Hegman, Tommy Homer, Drew Marolt, Ty Walker, Luke Rice, Chase Anderson, Deegan Richards. Front Row: Ben Cavalier.

Ely will have soon have a seat at the table when decisions are made about one of the state’s largest baseball programs.
Tom Coombe, who has coached American Legion baseball the last two decades, has been appointed to the state board of directors for American Legion baseball.
Coombe, editor of the Ely Echo and athletic director at Ely High School, was appointed Eighth District Director earlier this month.
He will join the state board at its meetings Mar. 23 in the Twin Cities.
Coombe will join a board that serves as the rule-making body for American Legion baseball in Minnesota, which has over 350 teams at the Senior and Junior levels.
The board also oversees state and district tournaments and decides which communities in the state will host major Legion baseball events - including state tournaments.

by Tom Coombe -

by Tom Coombe
It wasn’t as dramatic as the first encounter, but the Ely Timberwolves completed a regular season sweep of Bagley with a workmanlike performance at the Ely Arena.
Senior Gage Merhar scored twice, the Timberwolves built a decisive advantage in shots on goal and hung on in the final period for a 4-2 high school victory over the Flyers.
Section rival North Shore dominated the host Wolves 10-3 in a rare afternoon matinee Tuesday, but Ely has one last chance for a victory on the home ice.
That comes this Tuesday (Feb. 13), when the Wolves host Moose Lake in a pre-playoff tuneup. The Senior Night finale starts at 6 p.m.
Ely, now 6-12, has surprised some observers by reaching a half-dozen victories this winter and has a chance for another against Moose Lake, which has already fallen twice to the Wolves this season.

ELY BOYS NORDIC SKI TEAM: (front) Ethan Hasz, Ben Gustafson, Elijah Olson, Chase Eilrich; second row: Paula Anderson, Nate Nettifee, Raif Olson, Jasper Johnston, James Schwinghamer, Ethan Bremner, Tyler Fish. Photo by Diane Dalberg.

by Tom Coombe -

ELY NORDIC GIRLS SKI TEAM: (front) Lindy Dalberg, Emma Terwilliger, Evelyn Bercher, Ryne Prigge, Laura Pasmick; second row: Paula Anderson, Brooke Pasmick, Kalyssa Eilrich, Ana Bercher, Julia Schwinghamer. Photo by Diane Dalberg.