Ashland
Sports
Local coaching hires may boost Northland recruiting
Much has been made of the recent changes this spring at Northland College, and what happens next strategically for the beautiful school seeking a sweet spot enrollment of 400 students. Well up the list of considerations is the invaluable connection sports programs will have to campus size. Recent signings of two student-athletes for fall 2024 — volleyball player Anna Campbell from Crosby, Tex., and baseball player Grant Vessey, from Elmo, Wash.-- suggest that Northland is as attractive as ever to students from afar. Look at the roster for any Northland sports team, and a healthy collection of athletes from well...
Wise beyond years: A Q&A with Ashland Oredockers cerebral three sport standout Austin Vyskocil
Ashland Oredockers senior Austin Vyskocil is as successful in the classroom as he is on the fields, rinks, and courts where he competes athletically. With a discipline and passion that he will carry with him next fall as a freshman at The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Vyskocil made time to share some insights from his high school experiences and his future plans with the Ashland Daily Press. Question: You’ve played tennis, hockey, and soccer. Tennis is an odd fit that you’re really good...
Honors for 'Dockers
Several Heart O’ North sports seasons concluded recently, with Ashland Oredockers teams and athletes represented. The ‘Dockers baseball team, in particular, were strongly represented with sophomore Wyatt Lund and junior Mike Zunker both getting first team nods, while senior Jake Neff was selected for second team honors. On the ‘Dockers girls softball team, senior catcher Faith Dickrell was selected to the second team. Heart O’ North Conference Spring Sports All-Conference...
'Diggers strike gold
The Mellen Granite Diggers girls softball team scooped up the Northern Lights Conference softball championship with a 7-1 record after scoring a whopping 99 runs while surrendering just 22 scores this season. The ‘Diggers entered the WIAA D5 softball playoffs on May 21 as a No. 2 seed against winless Bruce (0-12); possibly facing the winner of the Butternut vs. Flambeau game on May 23. With designs on claiming a regional championship and a berth in sectionals, should Mellen advance it can expect to play No. 1 seed Solon Springs Eagles in a May 28 sectional semifinal game. The Eagles knocked the ‘Diggers out of the playoffs last season with a 2-1 victory in a regional final game played at Solon Springs.
Net Gains - A Q&A with Ashland Oredockers boys tennis coach Gary Stevens
When Gary Stevens took over the Ashland Oredockers boys tennis program as head coach two seasons ago, he was inheriting a program which had experienced a recent decline in numbers while also playing through a make-work schedule of limited games. Flash forward to 2024, and the ‘Dockers are not only playing regularly but showcase a WIAA D2 state qualifying doubles team of seniors Austin Vyskocil and Bodee Mikkonen — a duo which hopes to improve upon the still impressive one win they collected at the...
Winners breaking records
The Madeline Island Marathon welcomed runners with perfect weather on May 18, and many endurance speedsters took full advantage — most notably the mens and womens full marathon winners who both broke course records. Alex Richardson clocked a sizzling 2:33:55 for the men, and Grace Flores a 3:10:24 for the women, over the 26.2 mile course. Former Washburn High School standout Victor Hart (Class of 2022) finished an impressive fifth among men running the 13.1 mile half marathon. Complete listings of all finishes will be provided in the scoreboard when available. ...
Red-hot Rails roll over Ashland in softball regional opener
By the time Altoona junior Breeley Gluch stepped to the plate in the third inning of the Railroaders Division 2 softball regional playoff matchup against the Ashland Oredockers, the game was already looking decided. Altoona had already built a commanding 7-0 lead but Gluch had a chance to add a couple more to the tally with Lindsey Hendricks and Rylee Spindler manning first and second. The shortstop had already driven in the first run of the game in the first inning with a double and...
ABC Raceway Season Schedule
ABC Raceways The ABC Raceway season kicks off Saturday. All races will occur on Saturdays except where indicated: May 18 — Season opener, presented by Northern State Bank May 25 — Kids’ Meet the Drivers Night, presented by Heartland Communications Group ...
Northland College Notes; Volleyball team nets recruit
Incoming freshman Anna Campbell joins the Women’s Volleyball Team at Northland College for the 2024 season. Campbell is from Crosby, Texas where she attended Hargrave High School. During her junior season, the team reached the state tournament. “My team and I had a lot of fun and while we didn’t make it this year it was still a great season and I grew as a teammate and player,” said Campbell. ...
Pioneers honor senior players at last game
The Butternut/Mercer Pioneers softball squad wrapped up their regular season on May 16 with a tough 13-1 home loss to the Mellen Granite Diggers. Mellen clinched the Northern Lights Conference title with the win. There was great pitching and defense by both teams in a very energetic contest throughout the game, said Pioneers Coach Glenn Wegner. Mellen had a 5-1 advantage through six complete innings and then busted the game open in the top of the seventh with 8 runs. ...
Local coaches to lead way
For one it is a homecoming, for the other a bump in responsibilities, but with the hirings of both Olaf Kirsten as the new Northland College women's soccer head coach on May 9, and Corey Sackmann, who as of May 6 is adding women's basketball head coach to his responsibilities in tandem with head coach of golf, Northland College athletic programs are making a relatively new commitment, spearheaded by Athletic Director Dan Schumacher, to hiring longstanding Bay Area coaches with ample experience and success. Kirsten...
A spike in grades
The Northland College 2023-24 mens and womens sports programs came through with a hefty cumulative grade point average of 3.25/4.0, and it was the smart performance of the LumberJills volleyball team leading the way with a mark of 3.71. Hope Neargarder, the senior women’s administrator and head volleyball coach, was impressed with the performance of not just her team, but all athletics programs — particularly this spring in light of the school’s rocky past two months. ...
Northland College Notes
The Northland College baseball team split its final day of the 2024 season in a May 5 home doubleheader against Martin Luther College winning 6-4 then falling 6-2 in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play. Results April 30 Baseball: North Central 11, Northland 5 May 1 Baseball: UW-Stout 4, Northland 1 ...
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