Sports - The Timberjay

Udovich shines as three Ely girls punch tickets to state

REGIONAL- Violet Udovich set the track on fire at the Section 7A girls track and field meet last Wednesday, May 28, in Duluth, turning in two electrifying sprint performances that etched her name … more

David Colburn | 6/5/25

Hoping to make a big play, outfielder Vince Kajala grimaces as he lunges for the ball during last Thursday’s game against Chisholm.

Chisholm ends North Woods’ playoff hopes

REGIONAL- After making a splash in the opening rounds of the Section 7A baseball tournament, the North Woods Grizzles saw their season come to an end last Thursday with losses to two higher seeds at … more

David Colburn | 6/5/25

The Grizzlies’ Cedar Holman didn’t hit the dirt but steps on third base ahead of the tag for a successful steal against MI-B.

Grizzlies start hot

CHISHOLM- The North Woods baseball team came roaring out of the gate Tuesday in the 7A sectional tournament, scoring a 7-2 win over Mt. Iron-Buhl and a 5-4 upset of higher-seeded Chisolm to advance … more

David Colburn | 5/29/25

Carena Debeltz was a model of consistency at the MeGregor sectional tournament, carding identical rounds of 102 to finish fourth and earn a trip to the Class A state championships.

Debeltz nabes state berth for NER/Ely golf

REGIONAL- A return trip to the state tournament wasn’t in the cards this year for the Northeast Range/Ely girls golf team, as they placed third in the 7A sectional tournament in McGregor on … more

David Colburn | 5/29/25

North Woods' Gage Aune qualified for the Class A state golf tournament with a ninth place finish at the McGregor sectional tourney.

Aune heads to state after McGregor sectional

REGIONAL- The North Woods boys golf team gave the field a run for its money at Tuesday’s 7A sectional tournament in McGregor, with state-tourney qualifier Gage Aune pacing the team to third in … more

David Colburn | 5/29/25

Grizzlies bow out in marathon playoff tilt

REGIONAL- In a marathon 7A sectional tournament game last Thursday where both teams refused to give in, North Woods was the team that finally cracked, giving up a two-out 12th inning single to Mt. … more

David Colburn | 5/29/25

South Ridge proves Ely’s nemesis as playoff run ends

ELY— South Ridge proved to be the Timberwolves undoing in the Section 7A playoffs last week, as they fell twice to the Panthers to bow out of the double-elimination tournament. As reported last … more

Marshall Helmberger | 5/29/25

Bailey Brunner sits with her bow in front of a target.

Bailey’s bullseye year

COOK- The medals hang in neat rows on a rack on the bedroom wall, a bright trail of victories stacked two deep from just the past two seasons, but Bailey Brunner doesn’t dwell on them long. … more

David Colburn | 5/23/25

pitcher Evan Leeson eyes the plate as he winds to deliver a pitch during Tuesday’s contest with Cherry.

Ely’s weekend momentum hits snag

ELY—The Timberwolves capped a busy week, starting strong with back-to-back wins at the Veterans Memorial Showcase over the weekend here before falling in a key Section 7A matchup on Tuesday. … more

Marshall Helmberger | 5/23/25

Maija Mattson takes a big swing connecting on a second-inning home run in Tuesday’s contest with Cook County.

Wolves hanging on

ELY— In an afternoon marked by gale force winds, the fourth-seeded Timberwolves advanced in their first matchup in the Section 7A softball playoffs here on Tuesday, topping Cook County 16-0 to … more

Marshall Helmberger | 5/22/25

Grizzlies surprise Cardinals

REGIONAL- The North Woods softball team pulled off a big first-round upset in the Section 7A tournament on Tuesday, as the tenth-seeded Grizzlies defeated the seventh-seeded Cromwell-Wright Cardinals … more

David Colburn | 5/22/25

NER-Ely girls take first at North Woods meet

COOK- The Northeast Range/Ely girls golf team is rounding into form to make a statement at next week’s sectional tournament, with a trio of Nighthawks topping the field at Monday’s East … more

David Colburn | 5/22/25

North Woods’ Laurin Glass hits a shot from the fairway during Monday action at Vermilion Fairways in Cook.

Grizzlies girls place fourth at home meet

FIELD TWP- The North Woods girls golf team hosted five other schools for a golf tournament at Vermilion Fairways in Cook on Monday and finished fourth in the event. The Grizzlies were again led by … more

David Colburn | 5/22/25

Ely tracksters place fourth at Rock Ridge meet

REGIONAL- The Ely Timberwolves boys and girls track and field teams were at Rock Ridge High School on Saturday for the Steve Kerzie Invitational, with both teams placing fourth in the six-team … more

David Colburn | 5/22/25

Ely to host sectional softball games on Tuesday

REGIONAL- The Ely Timberwolves softball team drew the No. 4 seed in the 7A sectional tournament that begins Tuesday and will host three games that day. The Wolves will take on No. 13 Cook County in … more

5/19/25

Cook native Trevor Nicholas throws out the first pitch in honor of Teacher Appreciation Night at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Cook native’s big league pitch had home written all over it

COOK- As a two-time national finalist for the annual GRAMMY Music Educator Award, Cook native Trevor Nicholas is acquainted with soaring in rarefied air, but even he didn’t know what was in … more

David Colburn | 5/16/25

Anglers ply the waters off Birch Point on Lake Vermilion.

Couldn’t be nicer

REGIONAL— Many people caught fish but just about everyone caught a sunburn during this past weekend’s 2025 fishing opener. It was the second year in a row that the weather gods smiled on … more

Marshall Helmberger | 5/15/25

Ely catcher Peyton Huntington figured prominently in three of the four runs the Wolves scored against North Woods.

Wolves edge Grizzlies

FIELD TWP- It was the nightcap for both the North Woods and Ely softball teams as they took to the field here late Friday afternoon, with each having dropped games to South Ridge earlier in the day … more

David Colburn | 5/15/25

Wolves sweep Rangers

ELY— The Timberwolves softball team improved to 9-4 on the season after sweeping the Rangers in a Monday afternoon doubleheader here. In the opener, the Wolves rallied for eight runs in the … more

Marshall Helmberger | 5/15/25

North Woods seniors, from left, Alex Burckhardt, Talen Jarshaw, Vincent Kajala, Louie Panichi, and Jase Swan were honored before the start of Monday’s game against Mt. Iron-Buhl.

North Woods tops Rangers on Senior Night

FIELD TWP- The Grizzlies saw their winning streak come to an end on Friday with a nailbiting 3-2 loss to South Ridge, but got back on the winning track on Monday with a 6-4 home win over Mt. … more

David Colburn | 5/15/25

Nobody’s PERFECT!

ELY— After dominating opponents through the first several weeks of the high school baseball season, the Timberwolves are in the midst of a three-game slump that has tested the club’s … more

Marshall Helmberger | 5/15/25

Grizzlies drop five in a row

REGIONAL- The North Woods Grizzlies softball team hit a rough patch this past week, dropping games against Littlefork-Big Falls, Cherry, South Ridge, Ely, and Greenway-Nashwauk-Keewatin. … more

David Colburn | 5/15/25

North Woods shortstop Emarie Gibson preps for a throw to first base against Deer River on Tuesday.

Grizzlies smack Deer River23004

FIELD TWP- The North Woods softball team bounced back from a tough 17-4 loss to Mt. Iron-Buhl on Monday to crush Deer River on Tuesday, 18-0. The Grizzlies got off to a hot start when Zoey Burckhardt … more

David Colburn | 5/9/25

Visser, Udovich top Ely track at Hibbing meet

HIBBING- The Ely track team taught the schools at the 69th Annual Doc Savage Invitational in Hibbing on Saturday a thing or two about talent and determination, as numerous Ely athletes turned in a … more

David Colburn | 5/9/25

North Woods’ Aidan Hartway competed in the 100-meter dash this week in Mesabi East.

Grizzlies show promise at Hibbing invitational

HIBBING- The North Woods Grizzlies track team competed in the 69th Annual Doc Savage Invitational Meet in Hibbing on Saturday, with numerous athletes competing well in a crowded 13-team field. The … more

David Colburn | 5/9/25