HIBBING - It was a day nearly impossible to top.

With a total of 23 different athletes advancing in 17 of 18 events, the Ely boys rolled to a repeat Sub-Section 7A North championship on Wednesday in Hibbing, outpacing runner-up Eveleth-Gilbert 196-112 in the 12-team field.

On top of that, the Wolves sent all three entrants on in six events. The top seven individuals and top four relays qualified for the section meet.

Pacing the Wolves were a trio of individual winners, including Josh Heiman in the 100-meter dash in 11.47 seconds, the long jump (21-feet, 9.5-inches) and the triple jump (43-feet, 5-inches), James Schwinghamer in the 3,200 (10:28.91) and Henry Dirks in the 110 hurdles (17.22).

Runners-up were Adam Porthan in the 400 (52.4) and the long jump (19-feet, 3.5-inches), Eli Conaway in the 300 hurdles (43.88), Spencer McEntyre in the discus (127-feet, 8-inches), the 4x200 relay team of Heiman, Augie Richter, Nate Nettifee and Dean (1:35.5) and the 4x400 relay team of Porthan, Izaak Nosbisch, Blaise Lah and Braxton Casey (3:37.2).

Also advancing for Ely were, in third place: Dean in the 200 (24.09), Casey in the 400 (54.32), Emmett Faltesek in the 3,200 (10:44.23), Conaway in the 110 hurdles (17.73), Dirks in the 300 hurdles (44.21), Evan Omerza in the triple jump (40-feet, 4-inches), Jasiah Wigdahl in the shot put (41-feet, 3.5-inches), the 4x100 relay team of Isaac Gawboy, Omerza, Nosbisch and Dean (46.38) and the 4x800 relay team of Dylan Fenske, Seann Prigge, Ethan Bremner and Schwinghamer (9:38.05); in fourth place: Teddy Pierce in the 800 (2:08.77), Raif Olson in the 110 hurdles (18.56), Porthan in the triple jump (39-feet, 9.5-inches), Wigdahl in the discus (117-feet, 9-inches) and McEntyre in the shot put (40-feet, 2.5-inches); in fifth place: Lah in the 400 (55.37) and Omerza in the long jump (18-feet, 7-inches); in sixth place: Faltesek in the 1,600 (4:53.01) and Gawboy in the 300 hurdles (45.96); and in seventh place: Gawboy in the 100 (12.07) and Richter in the discus (110-feet, 4.5-inches).

“I can’t say enough about how hard the Ely boys competed today,” Ely head coach Will Helms said. “They made it their mission to bring the team title back home to Ely, and they didn’t disappoint. This is one of the most competitive years ever in high school track and field, especially the sprint events. Nothing came easy today. The kids had to work hard for every place.

“To see the seniors take control and then to watch the younger guys like James and Henry and Emmett step up and win events and grab places was really inspiring. Today was a great day for Ely track, and I was proud to see the senior boys leave their mark on the North Sub-Section. Now, we prepare to head south and fight for the section title.”

Ely was scheduled to compete in the Section 7A meet in Duluth on Thursday.

Qualifiers from that meet advance to the Class A state meet at Hamline University in St. Paul on Friday - Saturday, June 9 - 10.