DULUTH, Minn. – Forward Blake Biondi is having a breakout sophomore campaign for the UMD men’s hockey team. He’s among the top scorers for the bulldogs and a few weeks ago was named NCHC Forward of the Week. “I think consistency is just really big so that’s been obviously building a good structure at the beginning of the season helps…
DULUTH, Minn. – Following a year of craziness and an offseason full of change, fifth-year forward Rachel Anderson decided to return to the St. Scholastica women’s hockey team for her love of her team and the sport. “DIII, you do it for the love of the game. We are so close, we’ve been so close for so long. When freshmen…
DULUTH, Minn. – UMD men’s basketball graduate transfer Jacob Shields just loves everything about basketball. “This might be weird to people who don’t play basketball, but I just love the sound of the ball. Like coming down the court, I love the sound of the ball. I love the smell of the ball to be honest. And that might be…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Cheerleading wasn’t the first choice for Superior senior cheerleader Addy Ranta. “I didn’t make the volleyball team so it all started because I didn’t make that and I said well I guess I can try cheer,” Ranta said. Ranta, who also has a background in dance, has now been cheering since the winter season her freshman season…
DULUTH, Minn. – Family is the most important thing for St. Scholastica volleyball players Ashley Larson and Caitlin Schneeweis. “We call ourselves a big commune. We’re just one big family. Everyone’s invited, even if they come into the family,” Larson, a right side for the Saints, said. The cousins have been playing volleyball together since the sixth grade and went…
COOK, Minn. – North Woods running back TJ Chiabotti has always loved the game of football. “I like running it and hitting people,” Chiabotti said. And he’s been making his mark on the North Woods football team long before this record breaking season. “He’s been the guy for a very, very long time for us. Starting almost in sixth grade…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Growing up in the Twin Cities, Alexie Pryd decided she wanted to go far away for college. But after a year at Division II’s Wingate University in North Carolina, Pryd decided to return home. “I’m such a homebody. When I first went to school in North Carolina, I totally was homesick. The girls were great, the coach…
DULUTH, Minn. – If you’ve been to a Cloquet football, there’s a good chance you’ve heard the name “Turnbull”. If you listen to the starting lineups, you’ll hear it called three times for Reese, Alec and Will. “They’ve been certainly the base of any team that they’ve been on, in the youth level, and then in the middle school, and…
SUPERIOR, Wis. — The sky is the limit for senior Blake Perry of the UWS men’s soccer team as he continues to raise the standards for the yellowjackets. “The boys all love him, there’s no question who they’re trying to follow, he just sets a great example,” Joe Mooney, the UWS Head Coach said. He sets records too, on Friday,…
DULUTH, Minn. – It’s been quite the year for St. Scholastica senior John Schwinghamer. He qualified for the NCAA Skiing championships, then was All-UMAC in outdoor track and field in just his second season with the Saints. “I like how they all work together, they’re all endurance sports. I love to run but I’m better at skiing but I still…
PROCTOR, Minn. – Volleyball is in the Jauhola family’s blood. “She has 7 siblings and all of them have played volleyball, whether in the yard or as an organized sport. Her brothers went to state twice for volleyball and she has a little sister coming up,” Proctor volleyball head coach Trish Jauhola said. “It’s nice because they’re always here supporting…
DULUTH, Minn. – Victoria Thorson, Baamlak Haugen and Emilia McGiffert have all been playing soccer together for as long as they can remember. “Me, Emilia and Tori have been playing since we were little, we were playing on Gitch together and school soccer too and it’s been really fun. We’ve had chemistry,” Haugen said. They then played together at Duluth…
DULUTH, Minn. – UMD offensive lineman Brent Laing is the first to credit his teammates for his work ethic. “We have a great group of guys on the defense as well as fellow linemen and those defensive linemen push me ever day and honestly just make me a better player,” Laing said. UMD played its first game in nearly two…
CLOQUET, Minn. – Hermantown alum Tyler Watkins knew he wanted the chance to play junior hockey close to home. “For me, getting to stay close to my family, watching my sister grow up through high school and just being close to home and everything, staying close,” Watkins said. Watkins is one of eight Northland hockey players on the Wilderness this…
HERMANTOWN, Minn. – When senior guard Ava Asgaard first moved to Hermantown, she quickly gelled with the Hawks basketball team. “It’s been a good time. Coming in here, I wasn’t super good friends but basketball definitely brought us a strong bond and we’re like family now,” Asgaard said. “Ava came here in 10th grade and came from Michigan and I…
ESKO, Minn. – After star senior guard Trevor Spindler suffered a season-ending injury just a few games in to the 2019 season, the Esko boys basketball team turned to fellow senior guard Payton Wefel to step up. “He was a huge part of our team, being the guy we go to when we need a point and just that leader…
PROCTOR, Minn. – The story of this season’s proctor girls basketball team didn’t begin at the start of the season or even last year when they won their first section title in 17 years. You have to go back to elementary school for the six seniors on the team: Sam Pogatchnik, Taylor Bradley, Morgan Nylund, Sam Parendo, Katelyn Marunich and…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Wisconsin-Superior’s Vid Milenkovic is a long way from home. “I’m from Zurich, Switzerland and I got recruited for basketball. Eventually I moved to Serbia and I played high school basketball over there,” said Milenkovic. And basketball is in his blood as his father is a coach overseas. “There were days when I really didn’t want to go,…
HIBBING, Minn. – Wrestling is one of the world’s oldest sports and even though it has been done for thousands of years, Kya Rybachek is blazing a path of her own. Rybachek is one of the highest-ranked girl’s wrestlers in the nation and just placed first in the state amongst other girls at her weight class. Because girl’s wrestling is…
HERMANTOWN, Minn. – Part of Blake Biondi always knew that he would be a Minnesota Duluth Bulldog. “Obviously I’m from the area and my dad played there and I’ve been a fan my whole life. So I think for UMD it was just kind of a no-brainer and I was going no matter what,” Biondi said. Biondi committed to UMD…
DULUTH, Minn. – To say that UMD’s Hunter Shepard is a very competitive person would be an understatement. “That’s probably what I’ve made my career off of to this point. I think guys want to play in front of a guy that battles back there and the most important thing is winning. It’s not personal stats or shut-outs. Winning games…
CROMWELL, Minn. – When you go to a Cromwell-Wright girls basketball game, you’re bound to hear the name Hakamaki blasting through the gym. But seniors Taya and Shaily are just two of many Hakamakis who have worn the red and white colors. “Long line of Hakamakis have gone through. I’m kind of the baby, we’re getting there. We have one…
DULUTH, Minn. – Hockey is a family sport for Duluth Denfeld boys hockey forwards Cooper and Connor McClure. “Ever since we were little, our dad got us on skates around the age of three, and I think we always knew that hockey would be number one in our hearts,” Connor said. “They live next door to me so I’ve known…
DULUTH, Minn. – The UMD women’s basketball team is coming off of its 11th overall NCAA Tournament appearance is picking up right where they left off. But after graduating two big pieces last year, the Bulldogs have very young leadership this season. “We’ve got to keep getting better. We have young point guards and we’re still fairly youthful, which is…
DULUTH, Minn. – Back in March, the Duluth Marshall girls basketball team had their season end at the hands of Proctor in the Section 7AA title game. Nearly nine months later, that loss is still stuck in the minds of the Hilltoppers, even more so with senior guard Grace Kirk. “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had…
PROCTOR, Minn. – While many of the pieces have changed, senior defender Braelyn Sathers has been a consistent part of the Proctor Hermantown Mirage blue line this season. “She’s a tall girl, she takes up a lot of space just with her size and her stick and her positioning. Every game she’s been bringing it and she’s really doing a…
DULUTH, Minn. – Hermantown high school hockey is a program that will always stand out across the state of Minnesota. “It’s a hockey community. You see it all over the news in the state of Minnesota. Just growing up there and playing there, you always had a target on your back, teams would want to beat you being one of…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Eva Reinertsen is one of just four seniors on a very young Wisconsin-Superior women’s basketball team this season. “I think it’s surreal, it’s surreal for sure. I’ve been playing basketball for a little over a decade and it’s been such a big part of my life. It’s not over yet but it’s for sure a sense of…
CLOQUET, Minn. – The Minnesota Wilderness are currently made up of eight local players. But for Japenese forward Chikara Hanzawa, he’s in America for the first time ever. “It’s good, I like it so far,” Hanzawa said of Minnesota. Hanzawa first came to the U.S. to play with the Tri-City Storm of the USHL. After four games, he was traded to…
DULUTH, Minn. – Like many of her teammates, St. Scholastica women’s hockey senior defenseman Tessa Lowry grew up around hockey. Her dad Dave played 19 seasons in the NHL, and has spent time coaching in the Western Hockey League, and her two brothers, Adam and Joel, currently play in the NHL. “I honestly, growing up, didn’t really realize how cool…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Duluth Northern Stars girls hockey alum Cassie McClure always knew she wanted to stay close to home for college. “It’s been pretty surreal so far. It’s a dream come true playing so close to home and having so much support here from my teammates and coaches, and having my family so close, it’s just been awesome,” McClure…
DULUTH, Minn. – After a third straight Class A state championship game appearance, former North Woods guard Cade Goggleye committed to the University of Jamestown. But just a few months later, Goggleye had a change of heart. “So Jamestown starts a little earlier, it starts a week earlier than St. Scholastica does. So I was there for a week, and…
DULUTH, Minn. – When the st. Scholastica soccer teams take the field, any day could be a Friday. “Soccer was always big for me. Growing up, me and Morgan back when we were in elementary school, we had a little soccer field just outside our house with little hockey nets, not even soccer nets,” CSS men’s soccer midfielder Nolan Friday…
HERMANTOWN, Minn. – Hermantown basketball standout Peter Soumis committed over the summer to play college ball right here at the Univeristy of Minnesota Duluth. “I just wanted to stay home, stay close to the family, so that was a big thing. The coaches, the coaching staff, they’re all super nice and I could relate to them a lot with our…
DULUTH, Minn. – If you’ve been to a UMD volleyball game over the past few years, you probably heard Emily Torve’s name blast through the speakers. But this year, she’s got a new name, as she married former football standout Jason Balts over the summer. “We just met through athletes in action, which is a bible study on campus for…
DULUTH, Minn. – Amy “Hard Hands” Lemenager has always been a fighter. “My grandparents are always like, “OK so when are you going to be done fighting?” and I’ll always be like, “Just one more.” And of course after the one more, there’s always another. I just can’t stop,” said Lemenager. Growing up, Lemenager was a two–sport athlete. In high…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Senior midfielder Alex Hanson never really thought about playing high school soccer. “I started in about sixth grade. My parents got me in it. I played a lot in latchkey and stuff, and everybody said I was pretty good. I’m not super outgoing so they kind of forced me into it,” Hanson said. But since then, Hanson…
DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth East senior quarterback Caden Edwards has become the leader the Greyhounds need. “Caden’s an extremely gifted athlete and at quarterback he has all the tools, he’s big, he’s got a big arm,” Duluth East head coach Joe Hietala said. Through the first three weeks of the season, Edwards has completed 19 passes for 291 yards and…
CARLTON, Minn. – When Alaina Bennett first joined the Carlton volleyball team, she was one of three eighth graders to play on the varsity squad. “It was just crazy when you step on the court and you’re with seniors and juniors and you’re a little eighth grader. You listen to what everybody’s saying because you just want to make sure…
DULUTH, Minn. -St. Scholastica quarterback Zach Edwards entered Saturday’s season opener with high expectations, as he officially started his last first game. “You think about it’s the last of the end. I’m looking forward to it, I’m excited. Nothing like senior year, nothing like football, so I think it will be a good time,” Edwards said. In his junior season,…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – For University of Wisconsin-Superior senior Eric Watson, this upcoming season will be a big one for the Yellowjackets men’s soccer team. “The publishings that come out or the stories that come out about us, it’s all extra on top of it. A little bit of the cherry on top. But I think really if we’re being truthful…
CLOQUET, Minn. – Last season, the Cloquet football team lost in the section 7AAAA final for the first time in three years. “It’s a team game and our team just didn’t do what we were supposed to do,” senior running back Markus Pokornowski said of that loss. But the Lumberjacks were missing a big piece in that game, as Pokornowski…
DULUTH, Minn. – The UMD football team is officially one week into the 2019 season. “I am pumped to be here. I’ve been wishing away my summer to be here and I’m pretty excited,” freshman running back Reagan Ruffi said. Fall practice allows the whole team to come together and is crucial for the freshmen and newcomers to learn the…
DULUTH, Minn. – Gabby Seyer, a rising sophomore at East High School, has made figure skating her life for the past ten years. Now, she’s one of only 18 girls in her level competing at the inaugural National Excel Festival in Coral Springs, Florida. “I’m excited about meeting new competitors from all over the country. So I’m kind of excited…
DULUTH, Minn. – When you think of athletes in northern Minnesota, you think of all of the great hockey players and the kids who learned how to skate before they can walk. But baseball is growing in the Northland, and part of the reason for that is Hilltoppers senior pitcher Ben Pedersen. “I grew up wanting to play hockey. I…
HERMANTOWN, Minn. – Anyone from Hermantown can tell you how much the town means to them. “Hermantown, oh boy, it means a lot. It’s where you’ve grown up, it’s the tight community, it’s welcoming, it’s where you have all your friends. It’s definitely going to be hard to leave the small town feel of knowing everybody and having everyone know…
DULUTH, Minn. – Next month, Andrew Standfield will be representing Team USA at the International Powerlifting Federation World Championships in Helsingborg, Sweden. But how we got to this point has put as much strain on his body as the weights he trains with. “They noticed during an ultrasound that his belly was bigger than his head. They were like, “OK…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Superior softball is off to another strong season and a key reason for that is senior pitcher Mady Stariha. “She’s definitely one of the leaders and they all look up to her,” Superior head coach Mike Sather said. Stariha is 11–1 on the season, has allowed just 10 earned runs and has struck out 109 batters, which…
DULUTH, Minn. – St. Scholastica baseball junior outfielder Aaron Weber is having a monster season, leading the Saints with a .400 batting average and has been a consistent glove in right field. “On the field he’s been our most consistent offensive player. We moved him to the outfield last year as well, and he’s adapted really well out there and…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Senior catcher Gabby Gidley has been a key part in turning the Yellowjackets season around, leading the team to a perfect 8-0 home record in front of her hometown. “I have people that I don’t even know personally on a personal level come up and talk to me about my successes or they’ll say ‘Oh I’ve watched you…
