Sports

Frank Pufall Resigns as Head Coach of UWS Baseball Team

Pufall just wrapped up his fifth season with UWS.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – UW-Superior announced Wednesday that Frank Pufall has resigned as head coach of the Yellowjackets baseball team. Pufall just wrapped up his fifth season with UWS. Two years ago, he led the ‘Jackets to the UMAC championship game. According to a press release, the search for a new baseball coach will begin immediately. Categories: College, Sports

Grand Rapids Baseball Blanks Chisago Lakes to Win Section 7AAA Championship

Behind a complete game one-hitter from sophomore pitcher Kyle Henke, the Grand Rapids baseball team blanked Chisago Lakes 6-0 to win the Section 7AAA championship.

DULUTH, Minn. – Behind a complete game one-hitter from sophomore pitcher Kyle Henke, the Grand Rapids baseball team blanked Chisago Lakes 6-0 to win the Section 7AAA championship Wednesday afternoon at Wade Stadium. Senior Kodi Miller finished with two RBIs to help the Thunderhawks capture their first section title since 2018. Categories: High School, Sports

Youth Guides Hermantown Girls Golf to State Tournament

The Class AA state golf tournament is set for June 15th and 16th at the "Ridges at Sand Creek" in Jordan, MN.

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – Despite not having a single senior on their roster, the Hermantown girls golf team put together a strong second half of the season to capture their first section title since 2012. Now, they’re hoping their youth continues to carry them into the state tournament. The Hawks have four freshman on their team, including Izy Fairchild, who finished…

Duluth Huskies Fall at Home to La Crosse

Mike Boeve led the way with three hits as the Huskies fall to 2-7 on the season.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Huskies scored three runs in the first inning, but were shutout the rest of the way as La Crosse picked up the road win 6-3 Tuesday night at Wade Stadium. Mike Boeve led the way with three hits as the Huskies fall to 2-7 on the season. They’ll look for better results Wednesday afternoon when…

Grand Rapids Baseball Gets Set to Face Chisago Lakes in Section Title Game

Grand Rapids is looking for their first section title since 2018 when they defeated Chisago Lakes in the finals.

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. – Our first prep baseball section title game will take place Wednesday morning as Grand Rapids will face Chisago Lakes. The Thunderhawks knocked off the top-seeded Wildcats this past weekend so to beat them again, they will stick with what worked in that game. “We swung the bats very well. I think we had 17 hits and…

Proctor Baseball Falls to Aitkin in Section Semi-Finals

The Gobblers will face Eveleth-Gilbert, who defeated the Rails in the loser's bracket.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – An early hole was too deep to dig out of as the Proctor baseball team lost their first game of the Section 7AA tournament 13-0 to Aitkin. The Gobblers will face Eveleth-Gilbert, who defeated the Rails in the loser’s bracket. First pitch Thursday at Wade Stadium is set for 5 p.m.   Categories: High School, Sports

Greenway Softball Tops Moose Lake-Willow River to Advance to Section 7AA Title Game

The Raiders advance to the Section 7AA championship game where they will face Proctor.

CLOQUET, Minn. – Abby Gustason in the third inning as the Greenway softball team defeated Moose Lake-Willow River 10-1 Tuesday afternoon at Braun Park. The Raiders advance to the Section 7AA championship game where they will face Proctor. That game will take place Thursday at 3 p.m. at Braun Park. Categories: High School, Sports

Virginia’s Nick Peters Signs NLI for Mesabi Range Baseball

Peters will be the fourth Blue Devil to join the Norseman next season.

VIRGINIA, Minn. – Virginia’s Nick Peters has signed his National Letter of Intent to join the Mesabi Range College baseball team. This will be the fourth Blue Devil to join the Norseman as Peters’ teammates Daniel Moore, Cole Schaefer and Landin McCarty will all be staying close to home. The quartet helped Virginia go 17-7 this past season, winning two…

UMD Football Adds Two Members to Coaching Staff

KeyShawn Carter will be the new running backs coach, while Monay Swafford joins the Bulldogs to coach the cornerbacks.

DULUTH, Minn. – The UMD football team has added two new members to their coaching staff. KeyShawn Carter will be the new running backs coach, while Monay Swafford joins the Bulldogs to coach the cornerbacks. Carpenter is originally from Chicago and played running back at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Swafford played corner for three years at Concordia Moorhead, then transferred…

Duluth Marshall’s Gianna Kneepkens Honored by Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame

Kneepkens will have her jersey displayed at the facility in Knoxville, TN.

DULUTH, Minn. – This week, Duluth Marshall’s Gianna Kneepkens was named an honoree for the 2020-2021 Ring of Honor at the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Kneepkens will have her jersey displayed at the facility in Knoxville, TN. The former Hilltopper finished her high school career fourth on the state’s all time scoring list. She will be playing Division I…

Aaron Rodgers Not Present As Packers Open Mandatory Minicamp

Aaron Rodgers (AP) GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers wasn’t with the Green Bay Packers for their first mandatory minicamp session. This marks the latest chapter in the standoff between the team and its MVP quarterback. Rodgers also hadn’t participated in the Packers’ voluntary organized team activities. That represented a change from his usual offseason routine. The Packers have…

Superior Baseball Holds Off Rice Lake at Home

Ethan Raye knocked in the game-tying and game-winning runs in the fourth inning

SUPERIOR, Wis. – A four-run fourth inning would be the difference as the Superior baseball team got the comeback win over Rice Lake 4-3 Monday afternoon at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex. Ethan Raye knocked in the game-tying and game-winning runs in the fourth inning that helped the Spartans stay ahead for good as they improve to 15-4 on the…

Proctor Baseball Relying on Pitching Heading into Section 7AA Semifinals

First pitch between Proctor and Aitkin in the section 7AA semifinals on Tuesday is set for 4:30 p.m. in Superior. 

PROCTOR, Minn. – It’s been so far so good for the Proctor baseball team in the section 7AA tournament. The Rails are unbeaten so far and just one more win would send them to the championship game. After an up-and-down season, Proctor is currently on a seven-game winning streak and feel their pitching staff, which has thrown three complete games,…

Duluth Huskies to Lift Mask Mandates, Attendance Restrictions

The team will no longer require fans to wear masks at Wade Stadium.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Huskies have officially wrapped up their first week of the season. And even with the restrictions at Wade Stadium, the fan experience has been mostly positive so far. But Monday, the team made a big announcement about a return to normalcy for the rest of the season. Beginning Tuesday, the Huskies will no longer require…

Huskies Edge Eau Claire for Second Win of Season

Former Duluth Marshall star pitcher Ben Pedersen got his second start of the season and allowed two runs while striking out five and walking two batters over six innings of work as the Huskies snap a four-game losing skid.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Huskies got back in the win column on Sunday with a 4-3 win over Eau Claire to snap a four-game losing skid. Former Duluth Marshall star pitcher Ben Pedersen got his second start of the season and allowed two runs while striking out five and walking two batters over six innings of work. At the…

4th Annual Last Runner Standing Returns to In-Person Event at Spirit Mountain

Normally, the event takes two days to crown a winner but because of the record heat on Saturday, the last runner, Mark Emmons, finished early Sunday morning after completing 16 races.

DULUTH, Minn. – Last year, the Last Runner Standing event was moved to a virtual race due to the pandemic. Now it was held in-person again at the Spirit Mountain Grand Avenue Chalet this weekend but there were still some challenges. The Last Runner Standing race, which this year had closet to 70 runners, has people run 4.2 miles every…

Grand Rapids Baseball Takes Down Chisago Lakes, Advances to Section 7AAA Championship

Myles Gunderson gave up one earned run on six hits with seven strikeouts while Ren Morque and Wyatt Holcomb each drove in two runs as the Thunderhawks stay unbeaten in the section tournament.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Grand Rapids baseball team stayed undefeated in the section 7AAA tournament with a 10-5 win over top-seeded Chisago Lakes to advance to the section championship game. Myles Gunderson gave up one earned run on six hits with seven strikeouts. Ren Morque drove in two runs while scoring three times while Wyatt Holcomb also drove in two…

Prep Softball: Hermantown Advances in Section 7AAA Tournament, Cloquet Eliminated

Hibbing and Hermantown will face off in an elimination game on Tuesday in Grand Rapids. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.

CLOQUET, Minn. – The defending section 7AAA champions Cloquet was eliminated from the section tournament with two losses on Saturday. North Branch defeated the Lumberjacks 10-0 in five in the first game, then Hibbing edged Cloquet 2-1 in the second game. Cloquet ends the season with a 13-8 record. Meanwhile, Hermantown dropped to the elimination bracket with a 5-1 loss…

Duluth East Boys Golf Captures Section 7AAA Title

Ben Mertz led the Greyhounds with a second place finish as they won their 12th section title and first since 2002.

HINCKLEY, Minn. – The section 7AAA golf tournaments wrapped up on Saturday and the Duluth East boys golf team won the section 7AAA championship. After leading on day one, the Greyhounds shot a 309 on Saturday to finish atop the leaderboard with a score of 617. This is their 12th section title and first since 2002. Brady Holland from Elk…

Huskies Swept by St. Cloud Rox

The Huskies have now lost four straight.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Huskies returned home on Saturday but their offensive struggles continued, as St. Cloud got the 6-2 win to extend the Huskies losing streak to four games. Mike Boeve had two hits and an RBI while Zac White and Ryan McDonald each had two hits and scored once. The Huskies fall to 1-5 on the season…

Mike Randolph Speaks Publicly Following Resignation

The former Greyhounds hockey coach blamed "parental pressure" and lack of "administrative support" for his decision to leave.

DULUTH, Minn. – Friday, Mike Randolph spoke publicly for the first time since resigning as head coach of the Duluth East boys hockey team. He read from a prepare statement and did not take questions from the media. The lobby at the Heritage Center was packed with supporters as Randolph explained that the press conference was the best way for…

UMD Researcher Looking Into Why Head Coaches Are Leaving Their Positions

The Mike Randolph situation has prompted more conversations about the role parents play in youth sports.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Mike Randolph situation has prompted more conversations about the role parents play in youth sports. Sean Bedard-Parker, a local soccer official who works in the education department at UMD, is currently researching organizational leadership in sports while trying to answer the question “why do people who are involved in the game decide to leave it?” “I…

Coaches Corner: Duluth Huskies

For this week's segment, we hear from members of the Duluth Huskies.

DULUTH, Minn. – For this week’s Coaches Corner, we hear from members of the Duluth Huskies baseball team, including team manager Marcus Pointer, outfielders Kyle Westfall and Kimo Fukofuka and pitcher Ben Pedersen. Categories: College, Friday Night Frenzy, Northwoods League, Sports

Superior Softball Tops Rice Lake in Regular Season Home Finale

The Spartans have now won six straight.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Superior softball team jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, getting the 7-5 win over Rice Lake on Friday in their regular season home finale. The Spartans have now won six straight and improve to 17-1 on the season. Superior will play a doubleheader at Eau Claire Memorial on Monday with first pitch…

Superior Baseball Sweeps Chippewa Falls

The Spartans rallied for six runs in the fourth inning to get the game one win.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Superior baseball team rallied to score six runs in the fourth inning to get the 9-4 win over Chippewa Falls in game one of the doubleheader. In the second game, the Spartans topped the Cardinals 8-5. Superior will host Rice Lake on Monday in their final home game of the regular season.   Categories: Friday Night…

Senior Trio Leads Cloquet Golf to Third-Straight State Tournament

Sam Baker, Trevor Steinert and Brayden Tyman have all been playing together on the Cloquet golf team since the 8th grade and have now led the Lumberjacks to three straight state tournaments.

CLOQUET, Minn. – Sam Baker, Trevor Steinert and Brayden Tyman have all been playing together on the Cloquet golf team since the 8th grade. Now, in their last year playing together, they’ve led the Lumberjacks back to their third straight class AA state tournament. “We’ve been ride or die since the start,” senior Sam Baker said. “I’m a teacher at…

UMD Releases 2021 Fall Schedules for Football, Volleyball, Women’s Soccer

All three teams will begin their seasons on the road on September 2nd.

DULUTH, Minn. – This week, UMD released their 2021 schedule for the upcoming fall sports season. The football team will open things up on the road September 2nd against Upper Iowa. Their home opener at Malosky Stadium will be September 11th against Minnesota State Mankato. The UMD volleyball team will also return to action September 2nd at the Michigan Tech…

Rock Ridge Boys Tennis Win Section Championship in First Co-Op Season

The Wolverines defeated Aitkin last week to capture the Section 7A championship in their first year as a program.

VIRGINIA, Minn. – Rivalries are one of the most important aspects of sports. It forces the teams involved to be better each time they meet or else you’ll be on the receiving end of some lengthy trash talk. But what happens when a pair of rivals now have to team up and play together? Well that’s exactly what happened with…

Pavlowich Comes Through In Extras as Proctor Baseball Walks Off on Duluth Marshall

The Rails will take on Aitkin in the Section 7AA semi-finals Tuesday at Egerdahl Field.

DULUTH, Minn. – In the bottom of the ninth inning, senior Conner Pavlowich delivered the game-winning RBI that gave the Proctor baseball team a 3-2 win over Duluth Marshall Thursday afternoon at Bulldog Park. Nick Terhaar would score the winning run as the Rails will take on Aitkin in the Section 7AA semi-finals Tuesday at Egerdahl Field. Categories: High School,…

Duluth Boys Lacrosse Top Champlin Park, Advance to Section Semi-Finals

Caleb Keenan, Tyler Smith and Colby Larson each scored three goals for the Wolfpack.

DULUTH, Minn. – Caleb Keenan, Tyler Smith and Colby Larson each scored three goals as the Duluth boys lacrosse team defeated Champlin Park 13-8 Thursday night at Public Schools Stadium. Gaven Slattery, Dane Calloway, Sam Mertz and Lars Berg also scored for the Wolfpack, who move on to face Blaine in the section semi-finals. That game will take place Monday…

Prep Softball: Barnum, Cherry Advance to Section 7A Semi-Finals

The Bombers and Tigers will face off in the section semi-finals Tuesday in Grand Rapids.

CLOQUET, Minn. – In the quarterfinals of the Section 7A softball tournament, Barnum defeated Silver Bay 8-6 and Cherry topped South Ridge 7-2 at Braun Park in Cloquet. The Bombers and Tigers will face off in the section semi-finals Tuesday in Grand Rapids. Categories: High School, Sports

Former Greyhounds Talk Sudden Resignation of Duluth East Boys Hockey Coach Mike Randolph

The 2018 Minnesota State High School Coaches Association Hall of Famer will be holding a press conference on Friday to address the situation.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Minnesota prep hockey world is still buzzing after Tuesday’s shocking announcement that Mike Randolph is resigning as head coach of the Duluth East boys hockey team. We caught up with some of his former players who reflected on their time with one of the most successful coaches in the history of Minnesota high school hockey. “Even…

Prep Softball: Cloquet Blanks Grand Rapids, Hermantown Walks Off on Hibbing

The Lumberjacks and Hawks started their playoff runs with home wins.

CLOQUET, Minn. – Senior Amanda Paul finished with 10 strikeouts as the Cloquet softball team shutout Grand Rapids 7-0 Wednesday afternoon at Braun Park in the first round of the Section 7AAA playoffs. Elsewhere in the bracket, Hermantown picked up the walk-off win over Hibbing 5-4. The Section 7AAA playoffs continue on Saturday with all games being played at Braun…

UWS Men’s Soccer Receive First-Ever National Ranking

The Yellowjackets came in at #3 after finishing their season 11-1.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The UW-Superior men’s soccer team earned a national ranking from the United Soccer Coaches poll for the first time in program history. The Yellowjackets came in at #3 after finishing their season 11-1. UWS claimed its fourth straight UMAC championship last month and went undefeated in conference play. The ‘Jackets have dropped only four conference games since…

UMD, Maura Crowell Agree to Four-Year Contract Extension

This comes after UMD clinched their first Frozen Four appearance since 2010.

DULUTH, Minn. – This week, UMD and women’s hockey head coach Maura Crowell agreed to a four-year contract extension that will keep her behind the Bulldog bench through 2026. This comes after UMD clinched their first Frozen Four appearance since 2010. In her six seasons with the Bulldogs, Crowell has led UMD to two NCAA tournament berths and recorded her…

Mike Randolph Resigns as Head Coach of Duluth East Boys Hockey Team

His 658 career coaching victories rank third all-time in state history.

DULUTH, Minn. – For over three decades, Mike Randolph has been a staple of the Duluth East boys hockey team. But Tuesday, we learned some shocking news that is sure to impact not only prep hockey in the Northland, but in the entire state as well. FOX 21 has confirmed that Mike Randolph is resigning as head coach of the…

Former Duluth Marshall Standout Ben Pedersen Solid in Debut for Duluth Huskies

The former Hilltopper finished with five strikeouts, allowing just two hits and no walks in four innings of work.

DULUTH, Minn. – Coming back to your hometown can be a very nerve-racking situation. But that wasn’t the case for Duluth native Ben Pedersen, who returned home Monday night to take the mound on Opening Day for the Duluth Huskies. “It felt great. I’ve been pitching on this field for a while so it takes the whole nerves thing out…

Duluth Huskies Top Waterloo for First Win of the Season

Outfielder Kimo Fukofuka homered in the second inning.

DULUTH, Minn. – Outfielder Kimo Fukofuka homered in the second inning as the Duluth Huskies avenged their loss on Opening Day with a win on Tuesday night 10-6 at Wade Stadium. The Huskies will look to keep rolling with a two-game series in Bismarck starting Wednesday night. Categories: College, Northwoods League, Sports

Prep Baseball: Section Playoff Wins for South Ridge, Silver Bay, Cherry, Duluth Marshall

South Ridge, Silver Bay and Cherry advanced to the winner's bracket with their Tuesday afternoon victories.

ESKO, Minn. – On the first day of the Section 7A baseball playoffs, South Ridge, Silver Bay and Cherry advanced to the winner’s bracket with their Tuesday afternoon victories. The Panthers defeated Carlton 11-1 in five innings, the Mariners outlasted Cook County 17-10 and the Tigers topped Chisholm 6-2. And in Section 7AA, Duluth Marshall got the upset win over…

Prep Softball: MIB, North Woods Win Section Openers

Mountain Iron-Buhl defeated Nashwauk-Keewatin 7-1 and North Woods upset Chisholm 15-7.

MOUNTAIN IRON, Minn. – In the opening round of the Section 7A softball playoffs, Mountain Iron-Buhl defeated Nashwauk-Keewatin 7-1 and North Woods upset Chisholm 15-7. For full results, click here. Categories: High School, Sports

Great Outdoors: Golf Shop Sales

A large part of what they do is custom fitted clubs helping golfers make bigger strides.

DULUTH, Minn. — Nevada Bobs is a full service golf store offering a little something for every golf enthusiast. “Anything golf related we carry and we sell. We also have simulators that we use for custom fitting which is bread our bread and butter of what we do,” Nevada Bob’s Golf Manager, Dan Szymczak says. With everyone working at the…

UMD’s Maura Crowell Part of Group Proposing Expansion of NCAA Women’s Hockey Tournament

The group is looking to make some big changes, which includes expanding the field from eight teams to ten.

DULUTH, Minn. – The UMD women’s hockey coaching staff is part of a group of coaches across the nation who want to shake up the NCAA women’s hockey tournament. In a story first reported by Matt Wellens of the Duluth News Tribune, the group is looking to make some big changes, which includes expanding the field from eight teams to…

Duluth Huskies Fans Excited to be ‘Out to Ballgame’ Again

It was Huskies gear as far as the eye could see and the smell of popcorn in the air at Wade Stadium Monday night.

DULUTH, Minn.- The grandstands were packed as plenty of Duluth Huskies fans got to sing “take me out to the ballgame” again after not seeing games for two years. It was Huskies gear as far as the eye could see and the smell of popcorn in the air at Wade Stadium Monday night. One super-fan was overjoyed to be back,…

Proctor Native Jake Malec Named Summit League Tournament MVP

Malec isn't the only Northland player on the team, which includes Esko's Nick Emanuel, as well as Duluth East's Caden and Jaxon Edwards.

FARGO, N.D. – This past weekend, Proctor native Jake Malec was named Summit League Tournament MVP for the North Dakota State baseball team. The former Rail led the Bison with seven hits and four RBI, en route to defeating top seed Oral Roberts in the championship game. Malec isn’t the only Northland player on the team, which includes Esko’s Nick…

Duluth Huskies Fall to Waterloo on Opening Day

Duluth native Ben Pedersen threw four strong innings, striking out five batters and allowing just two hits.

DULUTH, Minn. – A five-run fifth inning would be the difference as the Waterloo Bucks spoil Opening Night for the Duluth Huskies with a 5-0 win Monday night at Wade Stadium. On a positive note, Duluth native Ben Pedersen threw four strong innings, striking out five batters and allowing just two hits. Categories: College, Northwoods League, Sports

Huskies Ready for Long-Awaited Return to Diamond

The Huskies will open the season on Monday against Waterloo. First pitch at Wade Stadium is set for 6:35 p.m. 

DULUTH, Minn. – Last season, the Duluth Huskies had to cancel their season due to the pandemic and it was a quiet summer. But now, we’re less than 24 hours away from summer ball finally returning to Duluth and the players and staff are ready to play ball. “Super excited, definitely nervous, definitely haven’t played in front of more than…

UMD’s Haleigh Reindl Earns First Outdoor All-American Status With Seventh Place Finish in 800-Meter Run Final

Reindl set a new PR with a time of 2:08.77, after she broke her old one Friday night in the preliminaries.

ALLENDALE, Mich. – UMD’s Haleigh Reindl finished seventh on Saturday in the 800-meter run final at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Reindl set a new PR with a time of 2:08.77, after she broke her old one Friday night in the preliminaries, and it’s now her fastest 800-meter time she’s recorded during her collegiate career. Reindl also earns…

Superior Girls Soccer Edged by Washburn/Bayfield in Regular Season Finale

Olivia Soltero scored twice for the Castle Guards while Hannah Drake scored the lone goal for the Spartans. 

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Superior girls soccer team finally got on the board late but it wouldn’t be enough, as Washburn/Bayfield got the 2-1 win to end the regular season. Olivia Soltero scored twice for the Castle Guards while Hannah Drake scored the lone goal for the Spartans. Superior ends the season 0-10-2 while Washburn is scheduled to play at…

Northwestern Boys Golf Clinches Fourth Straight Trip to Regionals

Junior Trent Meyer was named Heart O'North Conference Player of the Year marking the first time in over a decade that Northwestern has had a conference player of the year.

MAPLE, Wis. – The Northwestern boys golf team has won their fourth straight Heart O’North Conference title after winning the conference tournament with a score of 163. The Tigers edged Spooner by three strokes and Hayward by 10, after all three teams entered the tournament in a three-way tie for first. Dillon Scheufeil won the tournament shooting an even par…

Former Clarkson Star Elizabeth Giguere Talks Joining UMD Women’s Hockey Team

Giguere is already familiar with the Bulldogs' roster, having played them during her sophomore and junior years.

DULUTH, Minn. – After a stellar four years at Clarkson University, Elizabeth Giguere has decided to take her talents to UMD as a graduate transfer. The Quebec City native admitted that the decision to leave the golden knights was very difficult. “I just had to think about myself and what would make me a better player and just start fresh,…