High School

South Ridge Baseball Thriving Under New Head Coach Aaron Weber

The Panthers finished the regular season with a 17-3 record and in the process, captured their first ever Polar League Conference title.

CULVER, Minn. – The South Ridge baseball team finished the regular season with a 17-3 record and in the process, captured their first ever Polar League Conference title under first-year head coach and former St. Scholastica standout Aaron Weber. And for a team that won back-to-back section titles in 2018 and 2019, they’re not satisfied yet, as the Panthers have…

Minnesota Legion Baseball Expecting All-Time High in Participation This Summer

The Minnesota American Legion Baseball Committee says over 370 teams across the state will be playing this summer.

DULUTH, Minn. – With the prep baseball season wrapping up, that means Legion baseball is right around the corner. According to the Minnesota American Legion Baseball Committee, participation has reached an all-time high in 2021 with over 370 teams across the state. And that comes as no surprise to local coaches, who dream about the day Legion baseball is as…

Sioux Falls Stampede Select Hermantown’s Aaron Pionk in USHL Phase II Draft

The dynamic forward wrapped up a stellar career with the Hawks, recording 15 goals and 25 assists in 20 games this past season as a senior.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – This week, Hermantown’s Aaron Pionk was drafted by the Sioux Falls Stampede in the 13th round of the USHL Phase II draft. The dynamic forward wrapped up a stellar career with the Hawks, recording 15 goals and 25 assists in 20 games this past season as a senior, helping Hermantown win their 11th section title in…

Superior’s Rob Scott Named New Head Football Coach at Eau Claire Memorial

He'll take over a program that finished 2-5 during the alternate fall season in 2020.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – This week, Superior’s Rob Scott was named the new head football coach at Eau Claire Memorial. Scott was the associate head coach and defensive coordinator for the Spartans, and also ran their youth football program for the past 12 years. The Wausau native graduated from Mesabi Range Community College, as well as UW-Superior. He’ll take over a…

Duluth East Boys Tennis Win Fifth Straight Section Championship

The Greyhounds get set for the Class AA state tournament, which begins June 8th in Prior Lake.

DULUTH, Minn. – After dropping their regular season meeting against section rival Elk River, the Duluth East boys tennis team dominated the Elks 6-1 Thursday afternoon to win their fifth consecutive Section 7AA championship. The Greyhounds get set for the Class AA state tournament, which begins June 8th in Prior Lake. Here are the full results: SINGLES: No. 1 –…

Duluth Marshall’s Gianna Kneepkens Named Gatorade Player of the Year

Kneepkens finished her high school career as the fourth all-time leading scorer in state history.

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Marshall’s Gianna Kneepkens is adding another award to her mantle. Thursday, the future Utah Ute was named the 2021 Gatorade Minnesota Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Kneepkens wrapped up her career with the Hilltoppers, scoring a state-record 67 points in her final career game, which allowed her to finish fourth on the all-time scoring list….

Duluth East’s Crystal Kaczmarczyk to Run at Grinnell College

The senior helped her teams advance to state in Nordic Skiing, as well as cross country.

DULUTH, Minn. – This week, Duluth East’s Crystal Kaczmarczyk signed her National Letter of Intent to run at Grinnell College in Iowa. The senior helped her teams advance to state in Nordic Skiing, as well as cross country. And so far this spring, her track times rank among the best in the Northland. She was also the captain of both…

South Ridge Baseball Tops North Woods in Regular Season Finale

The Panthers wrap up their regular season with a 17-3 record.

CULVER, Minn. – Jaxson Bennett and Austin Josephson finished with two hits each while Aaron Bennett added his second homer of the year as the South Ridge baseball team topped North Woods 11-6 Wednesday afternoon. The Panthers wrap up their regular season with a 17-3 record as they begin the section playoffs on Tuesday. Categories: High School, Sports

Grand Rapids/Greenway Girls Lacrosse Complete Comeback with Double OT Win Over Duluth

The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Lightning.

DULUTH, Minn. – After falling in a 5-0 deficit in the first half, the Grand Rapids/Greenway girls lacrosse team rallied in the second half to push the game to double overtime where they earned the 8-7 win Tuesday night at Ordean Stadium. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Lightning. Categories: High School, Sports

Prep Softball: Greenway Rallies Past Esko, South Ridge Blanks Wrenshall

The Raiders knocked off the Eskomos while the Panthers shutout the Wrens.

ESKO, Minn. – The Greenway softball team rallied late to pick up the road win over Esko 7-6 Tuesday afternoon. The Raiders stay undefeated as they improve to 19-0 on the season. In other prep softball action, South Ridge picks up their second straight shutout as they blank Wrenshall 13-0. Categories: High School, Sports

Hibbing Baseball Pick Up Road Win over Cloquet

The Bluejackets snap a four-game skid while the Lumberjacks extend their losing streak to four straight.

CLOQUET, Minn. – A six-run fourth inning would be the difference as the Hibbing baseball team earned a home win over Cloquet 12-2 in five innings Tuesday afternoon at Mettner Field. The Bluejackets snap a four-game skid while the Lumberjacks extend their losing streak to four straight. Categories: High School, Sports

Proctor/Hermantown Girls Hockey Host “Skate With The Champions” Event

The Mirage say events like this help continue to grow the popularity of girls hockey in the Northland.

PROCTOR, Minn. – About two months ago, the Proctor/Hermantown girls hockey team captured its first state title in program history. And Monday night, the Mirage finally got a chance to celebrate the historic win with their fans. The team hosted a special “Skate With The Champions” event on their home ice at the St. Luke’s Sports and Event Center. Fans…

Prep Baseball: Home Wins for South Ridge, Superior, Duluth East, Duluth Denfeld

It was a great start to the week for the Panthers, Spartans, Greyhounds and Hunters.

CULVER, Minn. – In an inter-section match-up, the South Ridge baseball team needed just five innings to knock off Duluth Marshall 17-5 Monday afternoon. In other prep baseball action, Superior topped Cloquet 6-2, Duluth East walked off on Grand Rapids 9-8 and Duluth Denfeld won a fog-shortened game over Greenway 9-3 in five innings. Categories: High School, Sports

Duluth Boys Lacrosse Drop Home Finale to Irondale

Tyler Smith led the way with two goals as the Wolfpack will wrap up their regular season Wednesday night at Grand  Rapids.

DULUTH, Minn. – A late rally would fall short for the Duluth boys lacrosse team as they dropped their home finale to Irondale 8-6 Monday night at Ordean Stadium. Tyler Smith led the way with two goals as the Wolfpack will wrap up their regular season Wednesday night at Grand  Rapids. Categories: High School, Sports

Six Northlanders Named to MSHSBCA All-Star Series

The action will take place June 25th down in Chaska.

CHASKA, Minn. – The Northland will have six players represented next month at the Minnesota State High School Baseball Coaches Association All-Star Series. Duluth East’s Joe Voss and Ethan Cole, Esko’s Noah Furcht, Grand Rapids’ Kodi Miller, Denfeld’s Joe Udd and Silver Bay’s Ero Wallin were all named to the North team. The action will take place June 25th down…

Prep Softball: Hermantown, Superior Win Big

The Hawks started off strong to get the road win over Duluth East, while the Spartans scored nine in the third to get the shutout over Wausau West.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Hermantown softball team got off to a strong start and never looked back, getting the 25-2 road win over Duluth East. The Hawks scored nine runs in the first inning, all with two outs. Duluth East’s only two runs of the game were in the bottom half of the inning. Hermantown improves to 11-5 on the…

Coaches Corner: Mike Sather

For this week's segment, we chat with the head coach of the Superior softball team.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – For this week’s Coaches Corner, we sit down with Superior softball head coach Mike Sather to talk about the Spartans hot start to the 2021 season. Superior is 12-1 on the season and will be back in action on Saturday hosting New Richmond. Categories: Coaches Corner, Friday Night Frenzy, High School, Sports

Prep Softball: Proctor, Cloquet Earn Home Wins

The Lumberjacks pushed their win streak to 13 straight games with a doubleheader sweep of Rush City while the Lumberjacks got the walkoff win over Hibbing.

PROCTOR, Minn. – The Proctor softball team pushed their win streak to 13 straight games with 6-2 and 6-0 wins over Rush City to sweep the doubleheader. Proctor improves to 18-1 on the season. In other prep softball, Cloquet got a 3-2 walkoff win over Hibbing. Dana Jones hit the game-winning RBI single. Cloquet improves to 10-6 on the season…

Hermantown Baseball Edges Duluth Denfeld

The Hawks improve to 9-9 on the season.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Hermantown baseball team improved to .500 on the season with a 5-4 win over Duluth Denfeld. The Hawks improve to 9-9 and will host Hibbing on Tuesday in their home finale, while the Hunters fall to 5-12 on the year and will wrap up the season on Wednesday in a doubleheader at Cambridge-Isanti. Categories: Friday Night…

Duluth Girls Lacrosse Falls at Home to Moorhead

Juliyana Lebsack scored twice while Grace Karakas, Nia Kramer, Hannah Martin, Sophie Mitchell and Annika Lindgren each scored once. 

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth girls lacrosse team couldn’t overcome an early deficit as Moorhead got the 12-7 win. Juliyana Lebsack scored twice while Grace Karakas, Nia Kramer, Hannah Martin, Sophie Mitchell and Annika Lindgren each scored once. The Wolfpack fall to 2-7 on the season and will play at Irondale on Saturday. Categories: Friday Night Frenzy, High School, Sports

Superior Baseball Cruises to Doubleheader Sweep of Duluth East

DULUTH, Minn.– Superior and Duluth East baseball teams met at Ordean Field for a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon. The Spartans would score first thanks to a wild pitch that scores senior Tucker Johnson. Another passed ball made it 2-0 Superior. The Greyhounds would plate their run thanks to a passed ball to make it 2-1 but the Spartans would win game…

Prep Softball: Proctor Hands Superior First Loss of Season, Hermantown Holds Off Hibbing

The Rails picked up their 10th straight win while the Hawks scored three in the fifth inning to secure the home win.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Proctor softball team continued to ride a hot streak on Tuesday, getting the 4-1 win over Superior to hand the Spartans their first loss of the season. The Rails have now won 10 straight and improve to 14-1 on the season. Proctor will be back in action on Thursday at Cherry while Superior falls to 12-1…

Prep Lacrosse: Duluth Boys, Hermantown/Proctor Girls Win at Home

The Wolfpack boys swept the regular season series over the Stealth, while the Hermantown/Proctor girls avenged an earlier loss to the Wolfpack.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth and Hermantown/Proctor boys and girls lacrosse teams met up on Tuesday night and the teams split, with the Duluth boys getting the 10-5 win while the Hermantown/Proctor girls won 10-7. Gaven Slattery and Tyler Smith each scored three times while Tommy Smyth scored twice, and Lars Berg and Caleb Kennan each scored once for the…

Prep Softball: Superior Battles Back to Top Esko, Duluth Denfeld Sweeps Eveleth-Gilbert

The Spartans stay undefeated on the season while the Hunters pick up two big wins to end the regular season.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – In a battle of two teams who put a lot of runs on the board, Superior battled back to get the 11-3 home win over Esko. With the win, the Spartans stay undefeated and improve to 12-0 on the season. They’ll be back in action on Tuesday hosting Proctor with first pitch set for 4:30 p.m. The…

5 Duluth East Baseball Players Sign NLIs

DULUTH, Minn.– On Saturday, 5 Duluth East baseball players signed their national letters of intent. Utility player Bo Brown along with first baseman and pitcher Garret Johnson won’t be going far as both have signed on to play at St. Scholastica next season. Pitcher Ethan Cole will be staying in Duluth as well but he’ll be playing for the UMD…

Prep Softball: Proctor, Cloquet Win Big on Road

The Rails hit three home runs to power past the Greyhounds while the Lumberjacks got the shutout over the Hunters.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Proctor softball team scored 25 runs on 19 hits and scored nine runs in the seventh to get the 25-9 road win over Duluth East. Anika Burke, Abigail Hanson and Baylie Peterson each hit home runs for the Rails while Cassie Bergman homered for the Greyhounds. The Rails pick up their ninth straight win as they…

Hermantown/Proctor Boys Lacrosse Falls at Home to Forest Lake

The Stealth will be back in action on the road on Tuesday taking on Duluth.

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – The Hermantown/Proctor boys lacrosse team couldn’t overcome an early deficit, as Forest Lake got the 10-4 road win on Friday night. The Stealth have now lost three straight as they fall to 1-5 on the season. Hermantown/Proctor will be back in action on Tuesday taking on Duluth on the road. Categories: Friday Night Frenzy, High School, Sports

Coaches Corner: Scott Wishart

For this week's segment, we chat with the head coach of the Duluth boys lacrosse team.

DULUTH, Minn. – For this week’s Coaches Corner, we chat with the Duluth boys lacrosse head coach Scott Wishart. The Wolfpack knocked off section foe Chisago Lakes earlier this week to hand them the Wildcats their first loss of the season. The Wolfpack were riding a six-game win streak and will be back in action on Saturday taking on Spring…

Prep Baseball: Esko Wins Big Against Hermantown, Aitkin Gets Road Win Over Proctor

Cale Haugen hit his seventh home run of the season while Noah Furcht struck out 10 batters over six innings.

ESKO, Minn. -The Esko baseball team used a five run fourth inning to get the 12-2 home win over Hermantown on Thursday night. Cale Haugen hit his seventh home run of the season, driving in three runs. Noah Furcht went 1-for-3 with 2 RBI at the plate while striking out 10 over six innings on the mound. Joshua Summers went…

Duluth East Baseball Rolls Past Duluth Denfeld

Joe Vos went 2-for-3 at the plate with 3 RBI while also recording 10 strikeouts on the mound.

DULUTH, Minn. – In a crosstown showdown, Duluth East got the best of Duluth Denfeld, earning the 11-1 win on Wednesday night. Joe Vos went 2-for-3 at the plate with 3 RBI while also recording 10 strikeouts on the mound. Bo Brown, Ryan Carlson and Beau Sward each finished with 2 RBI while Ethan Cole came around to score three…

Duluth Boys Lacrosse Hands Chisago Lakes First Loss of Season

Tyler Smith scored four times, while Colby Larson scored twice and Caleb Keenan scored once as the Wolfpack push their win streak to six.

DULUTH, Minn. – In a back-and-forth battle between two of the top teams in section 7A, the Duluth boys lacrosse team came out on top, hanging on for the 8-7 win to hand Chisago Lakes their first loss of the season. Tyler Smith scored four times, while Colby Larson scored twice and Caleb Keenan scored once for the Wolfpack. Duluth…

Moose Lake-Willow River Softball Hands Esko Third Straight Loss

The Rebels push their win streak to six games.

ESKO, Minn. – The Moose Lake-Willow River battled back, getting the 6-3 road win over Esko to hand the Eskomos their third straight loss. The Rebels have now won six straight and improve to 10-2 on the season. MLWR is scheduled to return to action on Friday hosting Cherry. The Eskomos fall to 10-3 on the season and will host…

Esko Baseball Snaps Losing Skid With Big Home Win Over Moose Lake-Willow River

Cale Haugen and Noah Furcht each hit solo home runs as the Eskomos snapped a two-game losing skid.

ESKO, Minn. – The Esko baseball team got off to a fast start and never looked back, getting the 21-3 win over Moose Lake-Willow River to snap a two-game losing skid. Cale Haugen and Noah Furcht each hit solo home runs. Haugen finished the day going 4-for-4 with 7 RBI and scored four times, while Furcht also went 4-for-4 at…

Rock Ridge Schools Approves Merger of Virginia/MIB and Eveleth-Gilbert Hockey Programs for 2021-22 Season

The Rock Ridge Wolverines will now hit the ice this upcoming season. 

VIRGINIA, Minn. – In March, the Virginia/MIB boys hockey team took the ice at the Miners Memorial Building for the last time, battling longtime rivals Eveleth-Gilbert in the section 7A quarterfinals. The two were supposed to play as separate teams this season then consolidate in 2022, but sometimes things happen sooner rather than later. The Rock Ridge School Board voted…

MSHSL Representative Assembly Votes to Add Girls Wrestling Postseason Division, Does Not Approve Boys Volleyball

Section and state competitions for girls wrestling will begin with the 2021-22 school year. Also in the meeting, the proposal to sanction boys volleyball as a varsity sport failed to pass.

BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. – The MSHSL Representative Assembly voted on Tuesday morning to add a postseason division for girls wrestling. The vote was passed with 44 yes votes and four no votes. Section and state competitions for girls wrestling will begin with the 2021-22 school year. Female wrestlers will continue to train and compete with boys during the regular season…

Proctor Softball Sweeps Esko in Section 7AA Battle

In a rematch of the 2019 section 7AA final, the Rails came out on top, handing the Eskomos their first two losses of the season to sweep the doubleheader.

ESKO, Minn. – The Proctor softball team handed Esko its first two loss of the season, getting the 9-2 and 4-1 wins in a big section 7AA doubleheader. The Rails improve to 9-1 on the season and will play at Cloquet on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Eskomos drop their first two games of the season to fall to 10-2. Esko will…

Superior Baseball Dominates at the Plate to Sweep Ashland

The Spartans improved to 6-1 on the season while handing the Oredockers their first two losses of the season.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Superior baseball team put up 15 runs on 12 hits in the first game to get the 15-5 win over Ashland, then won the second game 8-1 to sweep the doubleheader. Kaden Kimmes went 2-for-4 at the plate in the first game with 3 RBI Jason Samarziya scored three times. In the second game, Kimmes went…

Esko’s Riley Fischer Commits to St. Scholastica Men’s Basketball

Fischer will join his older brother Quinn on the Saints next season.

ESKO, Minn. – Esko’s Riley Fischer announced on his Twitter this weekend that he is following the family footsteps and has committed to the St. Scholastica men’s basketball team. He will join his older brother Quinn next season on the Saints, who just wrapped up his junior year. Former Esko standout Peyton Wefel is also a member of the Saints….

Superior Baseball Off to Hot Start Despite Delayed Start to Season

The Spartans picked up their first three wins of the season against Lake Superior Conference opponents who all started practices almost a month before the Spartans did.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Superior baseball team is off to a hot start to the 2021 season, as the 4-1 Spartans suffered their first loss on Saturday. The Spartans pitching staff has given up just 11 runs over the first five games, and although it’s still early in the season, the Spartans feel good about their pitchers. “Doing bullpens and…

Duluth Boys Lacrosse Top Grand Rapids for Fourth Straight Win

The Wolfpack has now won fourth straight as they improve to 4-1 on the season.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth boys lacrosse team used an early lead to stay ahead of Grand Rapids until the end as the Wolfpack top the Thunderhawks 9-3 Friday night at Ordean Stadium. Duluth has now won fourth straight as they improve to 4-1 on the season. Categories: Friday Night Frenzy, High School, Sports

Proctor Baseball Rallies for Home Win over Crosby-Ironton

The Rails pick up their second straight win as they improve to 5-4 on the season.

PROCTOR, Minn. – The Proctor baseball team battled back from an early deficit and scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth as they held on for the 6-4 win over Crosby-Ironton Friday afternoon at Egerdahl Field. The Rails pick up their second straight win as they improve to 5-4 on the season. Categories: Friday Night Frenzy, High School,…

Duluth Denfeld Softball Team Earns Walk-Off Win over Duluth East in Extras

Lindsay Johnson led the Hunters, going 4 for 4 with one double

DULUTH, Minn. – In a game that need one extra inning, the Duluth Denfeld softball team defeated Duluth East 6-5 in eight innings at Swanson Field. Lindsay Johnson led the Hunters, going 4 for 4 with one double, while Eleisa Boles and Hanna Hovland combining for five hits on the day. Categories: Friday Night Frenzy, High School, Sports

Proctor/Hermantown’s McKenzie Gunderson Commits to Hamline Women’s Hockey

The senior defender helped the Mirage capture their first ever state title in the Class A tournament.

PROCTOR, Minn. – Friday afternoon, Proctor/Hermantown’s McKenzie Gunderson announced on Twitter that she has committed to joining the Hamline women’s hockey team. The senior defender helped the Mirage capture their first ever state title in the Class A tournament. This past season, she finished with two goals and six assists in 21 games. Categories: College, High School, Sports

Registration Still Open for Boost Hockey Training’s Girls Summer Camp

The camp is broken up into different age groups and features on-ice and off-ice training.

DULUTH, Minn. – Believe it or not, we are just a couple weeks away from summer and with that comes various summer hockey camps, including one focused specifically on developing the future stars of girls hockey. Boost Hockey Training camp is heading into its second year under lead instructor Amanda Boulier, who is also the head coach of the Duluth…

Hibbing’s Haley Hawkinson Signs NLI for UMD Women’s Basketball Team

This past season, Hawkinson became just the seventh player in program history to score 1,000 career points at Hibbing.

HIBBING, Minn. – This week, Hibbing’s Haley Hawkinson signed her National Letter of Intent to join the UMD women’s basketball team. Hawkinson says she’s glad she waited for the right opportunity and now, she has a chance to play college basketball right in her own backyard. “It was kind of big for me, but it was really big for my…

MSHSL Set to Vote on Sanctioning Boys High School Volleyball

More than 1400 student-athletes have been participating since 2018, including teams like Proctor-Hermantown.

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – Prep boys volleyball is starting to gain some popularity in state of Minnesota and in the Northland. It’s not a varsity sport yet, but next week, the MSHSL could change that. The league will vote next week on whether or not to sanction boys high school volleyball. More than 1400 student-athletes have been participating since 2018, including…

Proctor Softball Wins Pitcher’s Duel Against Hermantown

Maddy Walsh was the winning pitcher for the Rails, who improve to 7-1 on the season.

PROCTOR, Minn. – Junior Preslie Annala singled in Payton Rodberg in the bottom of sixth inning for the only run of the game as the Proctor softball team defeated Hermantown 1-0 at Egerdahl Field. Maddy Walsh was the winning pitcher for the Rails, who improve to 7-1 on the season. Categories: High School, Sports

Proctor/Hermantown Mirage to Host “Skate with the Champions” Event

Fans will have a chance to skate, visit and take pictures with the players, as well as the Class A state championship trophy.

PROCTOR, Minn. – Last month, the Proctor/Hermantown girls hockey team captured their first-ever state championship in program history. Due to the pandemic, the celebration had to be a little low key. But later this month, fans will have an opportunity to skate with the champions. The Mirage will be hosting a special event Monday, May 24th at the St. Luke’s…