Sports

2017 Northeast Range/Ely swim team at the pool in Babbitt. Bottom (l-r): Brooke Pasmick, Maarja Faltesek, Laura Pasmick, Shayla Zaverl, Kayla Mellesmoen, Morgan McClelland; Middle: Assistant Coach Kara Jean Baker, Aili Bee, Elizabeth Omerza, Abby Koivisto, Kelly Thompson, Alice Wolter, Tesla Humphreys, Head Coach Jason Limp; Top: Ava Sundell, Carena Debeltz, Lily Tedrick, Alli Kreckelberg, Cedar Ohlhauser, Evie Cavalier, Maggie Dammann, Assistant Coach Lynn Gulbrandson. Photo by Eric Sherman Images.

by Tom Coombe -

by Tom Coombe
Luke Olson felt better - and it showed.
Running at full strength, the Ely sophomore put together his best performance yet at exactly the right time: at last weekend’s state cross country meet.
Olson earned all-state recognition by taking 21st overall in the Class A competition at Northfield.
Olson’s performance was part of a big day at state for the Wolves, as sophomore James Schwinghamer took 47th in the boys race while senior Ryne Prigge closed out her prep career with a personal-best time and a 40th-place finish among Class A girls.
“Everybody was happy,” said Ely Head Coach Jayne Dusich. “It was a great day for us.”
At the Section 7A meet in late-October, Olson was sixth and qualified for state but was a bit under the weather.
Schwinghamer also punched a ticket to state at sections, but like Olson didn’t feel well and had an off day.

by Tom Coombe -

Northwoods passes its test - Grizzlies use aerial attack to end Wolves’ reign atop Section 7

Alumni games to tip off VCC hoops season

Watercraft inspections to benefit lakes with $93,000 in grants

Sections next for swim team - NRE are looking to advance relays, individuals to finals

Three Wolves aim higher - Prigge, Olson, Schwinghamer look to move up at state CC meet

Ironmen fall in state playoffs

PLUS Columnists and the North Country SAVER.

Just a few of the reasons more people subscribe to the Ely Echo! Published 52 weeks each year!

by Tom Coombe -

by Tom Coombe
The Ely Timberwolves won’t return to the state cross country meet as a team, but the program will be represented nonetheless when Minnesota’s elite prep runners gather next weekend.
Ryne Prigge, Luke Olson and James Schwinghamer all punched their individual tickets to state Thursday on a damp morning in Cloquet.
That’s where the Section 7A meet was held, and despite a fourth-place team showing by the Ely girls and a fifth for the boys, the Wolves still made their mark.
Prigge, a senior, made her last section meet her best.
She finished second only to Mesabi East’s Anna Hill a nd was the runner-up in a field of 108 competitors, finishing in 20:18.2.
“Ryne had a super-awesome race,” said Ely Head Coach Jayne Dusich. “She came up from 14th place to move up during the race and a fight to the end with three other girls.”

by Tom Coombe -

IN BABBITT - Members of the Northeast Range-Ely swim team hosted a meet on Tuesday afternoon against Virginia. Photo by Hailey Worth

by Tom Coombe -

by Tom Coombe
Northeast Range/Ely had five first-place finishes, including two by Brooke Pasmick, in a 56-38 loss at Eveleth-Gilbert.
The high school girls swimming team was very competitive with the host Golden Bears, as Pasmick’s second win of the Sept. 28 meet - which came in the 100 backstroke - pulled the Nighthawks to within four points.
Eveleth-Gilbert rebounded with one-two finishes in the meet’s final two events to secure the win.
Brooke Pasmick swam to victory in both the 100 backstroke (1:15.35) and the 100 freestyle (1:03.98), while her sister Laura topped the field in the 500 freestyle with a time of 7:07.60.
Kayla Mellesmoen (60 freestyle) and Kelly Thompson (200 freestyle) also picked up individual wins, while Maarja Faltesek (160 individual medley) and Tesla Humphreys (100 butterfly) came home with second-place finishes.
Amanda Carey had a hand in three firsts for the Golden Bears.
NRE scored points as follows:

by Tom Coombe -

The Mt. Iron-Buhl Rangers had too much speed, and the Ely Timberwolves had too little depth.

That combination resulted in a one-sided Homecoming night football game in Ely as visiting MIB, paced by quick junior Joe Buffetta, rolled to a 36-6 victory over the Wolves.

Buffetta had touchdown runs of 84 and 42 yards as the Rangers improved to 4-1 and handed Ely (3-2) its second straight defeat.

Ely, which has lost two straight games for the first time since 2011, was minus injured starters Blaise Lah and Josh Larson, further depleting an already-thin roster.

Four-year starting quarterback Carter Gaulke was moved to running back to fill in for Lah, while sophomore Bryce Longwell was inserted at quarterback. The makeshift Ely offense failed to break the MIB defense until the final quarter when Longwell scored on a one-yard plunge.