DULUTH –Ely sophomore Jasper Johnston stole the show at the Duluth East Invite last week, as he took first in both the freestyle and classic races to lead the Ely boys team to another top finish in Nordic ski competition— this time against a field of nine other teams.

The Wolves also finished in fourth place in the girls’ competition in a 10-team field at the Snowflake Ski Center in Duluth.

The Duluth East Invite is a combination race where all participants compete in both a five-kilometer freestyle and classic race. Team scores are determined by the top four finishers of each squad.

The Ely boys dominated the competition, claiming first place by 33 points over their next closest competitor. While Johnston proved the standout, four other Ely racers finished in the top ten in each race. Raif Olson, James Schwinghamer, Midttun Kjetil, Nate Nettifee, all juniors, finished fifth, sixth, seventh, and tenth in the freestyle race respectively. In the classic it was Olson, Schwinghamer, Nettifee and freshman Gabriel Pointer who came in fourth, sixth, seventh, and tenth.

Junior Kalyssa Eilrich was Ely’s top finisher in girls competition, with a ninth-place finish in the freestyle event. Sophomore Julia Schwinghamer finished in 14th place, freshman Cora Olson finished 17th, and junior Brooke Pasmick 20th. The classic proved to be a bigger challenge for the Wolves, as Pasmick’s 22nd-place finish proved their top position. She was followed by Eilrich, Bercher, and Olson as they finished 21st, 28th, and 29th.

Next up for both teams is the Ely Invitational, scheduled for a noon start on Saturday at Hidden Valley.

ELY VARSITY FREESTYLE BOY FINISHERS

1. Jasper Johnston 12:45.7

5. Raif Olson 13:38.5

6. James Schwinghamer 13:43.8

7. Kjetil Midttun 13:51.7

10. Nate Nettifee 13:54.6

13. Gabriel Pointer 14:02.9

29. Jon Hakala 14:57.6

32. Ethan Bremner 15:10.6

38. Micah Larson 15:43.1

62. Adam Williamson 17:20.1

ELY VARSITY FREESTYLE GIRL FINISHERS

9. Kalyssa Eilrich 16:25.4

14. Julia Schwinghamer 17:09.1

17. Cora Olson 17:15.3

20. Brooke Pasmick 17:20.3

31. Phoebe Helms 17:44.5

38. Gracie Pointer 17:56.3

44. Ana Bercher 18:33.4

52. Lucy Stouffer 19:08.8

58. Abigail Thompson 19:32.3

83. Annikka Mattson 21:35.2

ELY VARSITY CLASSIC BOY FINISHERS

1. Jasper Johnston 13:47.6

4. Raif Olson 14:39.5

6. James Schwinghamer 14:42.6

7. Nate Nettifee 14:46.1

10. Gabriel Pointer 15:02.3

13. Kjetil Midttun 15:13.5

30. Jon Hakala 16:24.7

38. Micah Larson 16:56.6

51. Ethan Bremner 18:07.5

61. Adam Williamson 18:39.7

ELY VARSITY CLASSIC GIRL FINISHERS

22. Brooke Pasmick 18:47.5

26. Kalyssa Eilrich 19:12.4

32. Ana Bercher 19:29.6

33. Cora Olson 19:30.5

37. Julia Schwinghamer 19:41.7

42. Phoebe Helms 19:59.8

50. Gracie Pointer 20:42.6

56. Lucy Stouffer 21:04.4

62. Abigail Thompson 21:44.2

87. Annika Mattson 24:01.1

VARSITY BOY TEAM RESULTS

1. Ely 387

2. Marshall School 354

3. Cloquet-Esko-Carlton 345

4. Duluth East 334

5. Mesabi East 329

6. Grand Rapids 326

7. Duluth Denfield 261