REGIONAL – The Ely cross country team finished their COVID-abbreviated season this week at the Section 7A meet in Cloquet.
The Ely girls finished ninth overall as a team on Monday. Sophomore runner Zoe Devine finished seventh individually with a time of 20:29.2.
Other Ely girls team runners and their times included Phoebe Helms, 21:36.8, Brynn Vollom, 23:31.3, Gracie Pointer, 23:54.6, Julia Schwinghamer, 24:20.6, Laura Holmstrom, 24:33.4, and Sydney Durkin, 26:42.7.
The Ely boys team finished fourth overall in their race on Tuesday. Jasper Johnston finished in fifth place individually with a time of 17:16.4. Emmett Faltesek came in eighth with a time of 17:31.6.
Other Ely boys team runners and their times included Jake Cochran, 17:59.1, Gabriel Pointer, 18:31.2, Joey Bianco, 19:13.2, Jon Hakala, 21:07.7, and Ben Cavalier, 21:56.9.
The Section 7A meet was held over two days, and was set up in six sessions of four teams seeded by team average times.  The top two teams took home trophies and medals along with the next eight individual places. There is no state meet this year as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19.
Devine, Johnston and Faltesek would have qualified for the championship event.
The Timberwolves warmed up for sectional competition at the Iron Range Conference meet in Coleraine last week. The Ely boys finished second and the girls fourth in their respective divisions. Five Ely runners notched top-10 individual finishes.
“It was a good meet with good competition from Greenway-Nashwauk-Keewatin and Virginia for both girls and boys teams,” said Coach Jayne Dusich.
The postseason conference event was added to an abbreviated season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Some of our runners got their best times of the season, even though it was too close after our home meet last week in Ely,” she said. “Originally the IRC conference was supposed to be Oct. 10 and then like everything else this season, it was switched to Oct 6.  It was the last race for our Junior High and kids who did not run in the Section Meet.” 
At the IRC event, Zoe Devine recorded the highest overall Ely finish - taking second in a field of 47 varsity girls runners with a time of 20:08.8. Phoebe Helms was sixth overall with a time of 20:58.7. Other girls team finishers for the Timberwolves, with place and time, included Brynn Vollom, 29th, 23:25.8, Sydney Durkin, 31st, 23:52.7, Gracie Pointer, 32nd, 24:00.8, Laura Holmstrom, 36th, 24:30.8, and Julia Schwinghamer, 39th, 24:56.8.
The Ely boys team posted three top-10 finishers, Emmett Faltesek third place, (17:04.2), Jasper Johnston, fourth place, (17:07.2), and, Jake Cochran, ninth place, 18:00.7. Other boys team finishers, with place and time, included Gabriel Pointer, 11th, 18:02.4, Joey Bianco, 20th, 18:54.1, Leo Stalmer, 45th, 21:04.4, and Jon Hakala, 47th, 21:06.9.
The Ely boys team were seven points behind champion Greenway-Nashwauk-Keewatin, while the girls took fourth in the six-team field, behind Hibbing, Virginia and International Falls.
Coach Jayne Dusich submitted her retirement letter from coaching the girls track team to the Ely school board this week. “I was talked into coaching again when school parents formed the track club in 2007,” she said. “I was only going to coach one year and here I am still coaching.” 
Dusich has coached track off and on as an assistant coach or head coach since 1979. “I resigned (the first time) in 2002 after my daughter, Brittany, graduated.” As to why she’s downsizing, she responded, “I felt it was time to go. I will still coach cross country as of now.”