SWIM AND DIVE
Two Harbors took second at the Section 7A True Team meet on October 10, finishing with 1,851.5 points behind Grand Rapids and ahead of a long field of conference rivals. Senior Lucy Lane set the pace, winning both the 200 free (2:07.10) and 500 free (5:43.33) to anchor the team’s scoring. She led a strong freestyle group, with Claire Dreier, Toby McDonald and Elizabeth Larson stacking points in the 200, and McDonald and Dreier landing top-six finishes in the 500.
The sprint and stroke groups held their ground as well. Brynn von Goertz placed 7th in the 50 free and 5th in the 100 free, and Rylee Schmitz took 2nd in the 100 fly. On the boards, Harper Smith earned second in diving with 310.30 points and later added another runner-up finish in the 100 back. Aria OswaldSwenson placed 9th in the 100 breaststroke.
The 400 free relay A team of Smith, Schmitz, von Goertz and Lane closed the meet with a second-place finish in 4:01.56, sealing Two Harbors’ runner-up spot in the final standings.
BOWLING
Coach Logan Fischer said his group battled a tougher alley this weekend, finishing with one match win and two losses. They dropped the first two by narrow margins, going 2–3 on the game side in both, before taking the third 3–2. Emsley Fischer stayed steady, filling 76 percent of her frames and climbing from seventh to fifth in the all-conference standings. She even posted a perfect 10-for-10 fill game. Phoenix Williams, rotating in from JV as the fifth bowler, matched Brielle Fischer at a 66 percent fill rate, with Tait Goutermont right behind at 65 percent.
The team’s high game was 216 with a low of 132. Fischer said the ball returns on the approach and a pattern that didn’t suit everyone made spare shooting the difference. The group sits fifth overall with a 155 average, still second-best in the conference. They’ll close out the regular season at home on the 24th before heading to the conference championship in International Falls.
CROSS COUNTRY
North Shore ran at the Pequot Lakes Invitational on October 6. The Storm varsity girls placed sixth with 150 points. Elizabeth Swartz led the team in 20:46 (11th), followed by Sophia Schut in 21:01 (15th). Lindy Dix ran 22:44 (39th), Grace Swartz finished 23:04 (42nd), and Ezme Mundell closed scoring in 23:09 (43rd).
The Storm boys took second with 81 points. Sam Swartz led in 16:52 (6th), with Atley Beckstrand right behind in 16:54 (7th). Aiden Schlangen ran 17:37 (13th), Chance Jacobsen posted 17:59 (24th), and Soren Swanson finished in 18:13 (31st). Ethan Fish and Kysen Jacobsen also competed to round out the scoring.
FOOTBALL
TWO HARBORS
Two Harbors rolled to a 47–0 win over Proctor on Oct. 9 at Terry Egerdahl Field, scoring in every quarter and leaning on a dominant ground game. Haydn Stahl opened with an 18-yard touchdown run, and Axel Morsette followed with two straight two-point conversions before adding a 1-yard score of his own. Isaac Imholte connected with Ziggy Hietala for an 18-yard touchdown and later found Junior Lucero on a 30-yard strike. Zeke Gomez added a 24-yard run in the third, Beau Lampela punched in a 2-yard score early in the fourth, and Deegan Ekroot closed the night with a 3-yard touchdown. The Agates finished with 456 rushing yards, led by Ekroot’s 144 and Lucero’s 132, while the defense kept Proctor off the board and stacked 50 tackles and a sack.
In younger news, the junior high team picked up a win over Cook County. The C-team went on the road to Mora with just 14 suited players and battled through a 14–0 loss. The 3rd and 4th graders won their opening playoff game at home against Denfeld on Saturday and advance to face Northwestern this coming weekend. The 5th and 6th graders saw their season end with a playoff loss, but coaches and players put together a strong year and showed steady improvement from start to finish.
The varsity team took on Pequot Lakes on Wednesday, October 14, with results to be published in our next issue. Their final regular season game will also fall on a Wednesday, October 21, when they travel to Esko.
SILVER BAY
The Mariners have found their stride with back-to-back wins, first topping Littlefork-Big Falls at home on October 2 and then picking up another on the road against Northome/Kelliher on October 9. The group played with noticeable energy throughout, something fans pointed out as a difference-maker in both games. The confidence and pace they’ve settled into over the past two weeks have given the lineup a lift as they move through the final stretch of the regular season.
They hosted Bigfork on October 14, with results to be reported soon. Their last regular season game will take them to North Woods on October 21.
COOK COUNTY
Cook County kept its winning streak alive on October 9 with a dominant 57–0 road win over Bigfork, a game in which the Vikings didn’t allow a single offensive point. The scoring came in waves, and the defense held firm throughout, continuing the pattern that’s carried them through the fall.
MaxPreps named three Vikings as Players of the Game: Talon Deboer for offensive and overall performance, Lucas Hackett on the defensive side, and Anthony Waver for special teams. All three helped anchor a night where Cook County controlled the pace from start to finish.
The Vikings faced North Woods on October 14, with results to be reported in an upcoming issue. Their final regular season game is set for October 21, a home matchup against Littlefork-Big Falls.
VOLLEYBALL
COOK COUNTY
Cook County picked up a sweep on October 5, winning 3–0 on the road at Fond du Lac Ojibwe. The Vikings followed that with a tougher match the next night, falling 3–1 at Moose Lake/Willow River. They’ll be back on their home court October 20 to host Two Harbors, before heading to St. Croix Lutheran later that evening for a 6:30 p.m. matchup.
TWO HARBORS
Two Harbors put together a strong stretch of play in early October, starting with a 3–1 home win over Floodwood on October 6. The Agates followed that with a tight 3–2 victory on the road at Cromwell-Wright two days later. They carried that momentum into the Mesabi East tournament on October 10, opening with back-to-back 2–0 wins over North Woods and Bigfork before dropping their final two matches to Mesabi East and Ely. The Agates returned home on October 13 to host McGregor, then head to South Ridge on October 19 for another road test. Results will be reported in our next issue.
SILVER BAY
Silver Bay continued its October stretch with a home match against Carlton/Wrenshall on October 6, followed by a tight 3–2 road loss at Greenway on October 8. The Mariners were back on the road October 12, falling 3–0 to Mountain Iron-Buhl.
They returned to William Kelley for a pair of home matches, hosting Barnum on October 13 and McGregor on October 20. Results from both will be reported in upcoming editions of North Shore Sports Shorts.
