Prep

Bemidji trap shooters snipe their way to nationals under first-year head coach

Leo Pomerenke — Sat, 28 Jun 2025 11:00:00 GMT

BEMIDJI - With gunshots echoing in the surrounding woods, members of the Bemidji High �� trap team are still practicing, even after the season concluded last week.

Bemidji won the class 9A conference 2 title this season, earning them a spot in the state tournament at Prior Lake last week, placing 29th out of 40 teams.

Now their squad of top five shooters – Roman Vold, 17; Kadyn Nipp, 17; Clayton Johnson, 14; Caleb Hall, 18; and Joza Paulson, 18 – are practicing for an even bigger event: the USA High �� Clay Target League National Championship, held in Mason, Michigan, on July 11-12.

The five shooters are the best out of the 86 participants, ranging from grades 6-12, who took part in the BHS trap team this season. No one is more excited and proud of Jacks than first-time head coach Cory Wilson.

“It takes a lot,” he said of his shooters making nationals, “especially when we shoot here in all kinds of weather. … When we start shooting in mid-March, there's usually snow on the ground, wind, temperatures in the 30s. … But these kids, they really shoot well.”

One of them is Vold, who was the only member of the team to qualify individually at the state tournament, finishing 21st. Vold will now travel to nationals, where he shot 99 out of 100 in team shooting last year.

He’s hoping for a repeat performance for his team this year.

“(Shooting 99) feels good, but when you're out there and you keep running them, then the leg starts to shake a little bit sometimes when I'm getting set to shoot,” Vold said.

That feeling of nervousness is common in trap shooting. It’s how you manage it that makes the difference.

Mental edge

Wilson said that maintaining focus is what turns a good shooter into a great one.

Of course, that’s easier said than done. One missed clay can wreak havoc on a shooter’s mental space, causing them to miss more targets and go into a spiral. That’s why moral support from coaches and teammates is so vital for the BHS trap team.

“We really try to focus on a lot of positivity out here,” Wilson said. “Maybe your personal best is 10 (out of 25), that's a huge achievement. … We really try to recognize that and really keep the positivity and the accomplishments going.”

Most shooters have their ways of focusing. Nipp tries to have an empty mind while out on the shooting range, while Vold puts in his earbuds and listens to music.

“I listen to a lot of Three Days Grace and stuff like that,” Vold said. “It helps me forget (the misses).”

Not only is it required for shooters to maintain a mental focus, but visual focus as well. Most shooters wear glasses with side blinders to help see only what’s in front of them.

Focus is even more important in bad weather and windy days, which is, of course, common in Bemidji. Nipp said maintaining a positive mindset can make or break a shooter's day in bad weather.

“Sometimes I'll shoot my best on windy days,” he said. “It's all about your focus, and if you let the wind get to you, you might miss a couple more because of it. But if you don't let the wind get to you, you'll shoot the same.”

New at the helm

This year is Wilson’s fourth year as a coach for BHS trap shooting, but it’s his first as the head coach.

“I absolutely love it,” Wilson said. “Working with the kids is an absolute blast. Seeing them get that first hit, even just hitting their first clay pigeon or their first five straight. It’s great when you can watch that kid bring it all together and start busting clays.”

Wilson loves to see the competitiveness that trap shooting can bring out of kids.

“Some of them get very serious,” he added. “When they get on the line, they're very competitive. … They want to bust every one of those clays.”

Wilson has 16 assistant coaches to help Lumberjack shooters grow throughout the season. While that may seem like a lot, it allows about one coach per five kids, so shooters can learn how to improve on a more personal level.

Wilson also wanted to maintain a positive culture, which is very important in a mental sport like trap shooting.

“The cool thing about this sport for me as a coach is we've got kids from sixth grade to seniors, boys to girls, all different kinds of clique groups in the high school represented out here,” Wilson said. “They all support each other. Any given day, any kid could be your best shooter out here.”

Of course, not everything has been perfect in his first season. Handling nervousness with kids, especially at invites, can be challenging for him and his assistant coaches.

“I haven't figured that one quite out yet,” Wilson admitted. “(At invites,) they'll shoot 50 rounds, take a break and then shoot 50 rounds a little later. Sometimes those kids will shoot really good in the first round, and then they maybe don't carry that focus in quite as good into the second round. I've got to find a way to make sure that they stay focused on that second 50.”

There’s always room to grow, for the team and for the coaches. But this year, Wilson is very proud of his shooters representing Bemidji on a national level, setting an example for future Lumberjacks one shot at a time.

“The great thing about this sport is that you can do this the rest of your life,” he said. “I know the (Bemidji Trap and Skeet) Club’s got a gentleman that comes out in his wheelchair and shoots traps. You can do it a long way into your life and have fun doing it.”

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Former UND coach Mike Stromberg brings swimming camp to Bemidji pool

Jared Rubado — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 15:40:31 GMT

BEMIDJI – For the better part of 50 years, former North Dakota swimming head coach Mike Stromberg has spent his summers inside local swimming pools in the upper Midwest.

The Stromberg name makes it easy for word of mouth to advertise his offseason programs.

The Havre, Montana, native took the UND collegiate swimming programs to new heights, turning postseason inexperience into a Division-II juggernaut. Stromberg won a combined 34 North Central Conference titles. He led the formerly-named Sioux to a pair of women’s national runner-up finishes and was among the nation's top six teams in each of his final 17 seasons. He also notched a men’s third-place finish nationally in 2011 and had 13 top-10 campaigns.

Stromberg boosted North Dakota’s numbers from seven to 57 before stepping down in 2001. Now, in his retirement years, he’s working his magic in Bemidji.

From June 8-11, Stromberg hosted the latest iteration of his camp for 55 swimmers. While most were from Bemidji and other prominent swimming areas in northern Minnesota, other campers traveled from neighboring states, as well as Colorado Springs.

Stromberg’s camps come with an emphasis on inclusion.

“Earlier on, the camps were a lot of swimming and not much teaching,” he said. “I’ve had to learn how to teach and how to get kids engaged. When I started, I would tell the kids to do stuff, and only some of them got better. Now, I want to make sure everybody here gets better.”

Stromberg hosted his first camp in 1978 in Minot, North Dakota. However, it wasn’t until after his time at UND concluded that his camps took off.

Over the last 20-plus years, Stromberg has brought in accomplished swimming figures to assist him at his camps. His connections range from Olympic-level swimmers and former national champions to revered coaches.

For kids like BHS rising senior Daniel Scherling, who is coming off of his first Class AA state berth, sharing the pool with accomplished peers and coaches sets the bar high.

“These coaches have been doing this for a long time,” Scherling said. “Just to have multiple eyes watching you who have a lot of experience in swimming, to have them watch you and know what you’re doing wrong – and know how to fix it – it’s just a great feeling.

“You want to listen to everything they say because they have so much experience. If they tell you to try something, you do it because it’s going to make you a better swimmer.”

Keeping it local

Stromberg’s relationships with the BHS swimmers extend beyond his half-week camp.

In 2021, Stromberg sold his club swimming team in Colorado and retired in Bemidji, where his wife was raised. In 2022, he began volunteer coaching the Lumberjacks.

His partnership with BHS has come with advanced technology. During practice, each swimmer wears a waterproof headset. Stromberg is in their ears while they’re in the pool.

The headsets are also used in his camps.

“We don’t tell them what to do; we just give them ideas,” Stromberg said. “The three key words are explore, experience and evaluate. What worked for you and what didn’t work for you?

“Everybody’s different, and everyone has a different body to swim with. If I try to teach the whole pool to do the same thing in the same way, only 40-50% of the kids can do it, while the other 60% flounder.”

Scherling has taken a head-first approach to Stromberg’s three-word motto.

“Everyone has their own swimming style,” Scherling said. “When you’re in season, you’re around the same people every day. You kind of get used to it. When you come here and see a bunch of new swimmers, a lot of them are better and faster than me, so I get to watch how they do starts, stroke work and everything. I get to watch these coaches give them tips, and I can take them for myself.”

More importantly for the local attendees, Stromberg’s camp offers them something they haven’t had: availability.

Stromberg’s summer sessions are the first of their kind in Bemidji. While the Bemidji Area Super Swimmers have an affluent club organization, high school swimmers have had to travel beyond northern Minnesota for summer training.

“It’s a lot cheaper for us and our families to do camps in Bemidji than anywhere else,” Scherling said. “There’s a lot of Bemidji people here, too, and that’s good for all of us. Camps like this give us experience that we otherwise wouldn’t get because it’s so much more convenient.”

Both the BHS boys and girls programs have seen a participation spike in recent years. Local camps not only give area athletes more exposure to outside coaching; they also provide structure to a budding sport.

“Getting camps like this in Bemidji is huge,” Scherling said. “We need to increase the popularity of swimming here. I think we can show people how cool swimming is. It’s not the most popular sport. It’s not football, hockey, basketball – sports like that. It’s a smaller sport, and that’s OK, but we can always use more numbers on the swim team. Camps like this help with that.”

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Best of the Jacks: The Pioneer’s top 2024-25 moments from each Bemidji High �� team

Jared Rubado — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 18:52:32 GMT

The 24 Bemidji High �� athletics programs have come and gone for the 2024-25 season.

The latest iteration of Lumberjacks reached new heights, won section championships and represented northern Minnesota on the state’s biggest stages.

Each year, the Pioneer recaps its favorite moments for each Bemidji High �� team. From big wins to the heart-gripping experiences that extend beyond the box score, here are our favorites from 2024-25.

Girls tennis: First section title since ‘21

Faber: It was hard to choose just one moment for a Bemidji team that entered the state tournament with a 26-0 record. The most obvious standout, though, came in the Section 8AA Tournament finals.

The Lumberjacks defeated Brainerd 5-2, sweeping all four singles competitions and winning at No. 3 doubles to secure the section crown. It was the program’s first section championship since 2021, which was the last time any BHS team won a section title.

Cross country: An unlikely injury, welcomed return

Rubado: The Bemidji Invitational is the only chance local athletes get to compete on their home turf. Caleb Knott nearly missed out.

After running in a season-opening race, Knott was held out of competitions for nearly the entirety of his junior season due to a hamstring injury he suffered while playing tag with middle-school runners. Despite his uncommon absence, Knott returned to the lineup just in time to run at Greenwood Golf Course on Oct. 14. He took third place with a time of 17:20.5, then qualified for state one week later.

Football: Degelder scores twice to recapture Babe’s Bell

Faber: Bemidji carried a slight 14-10 lead into the second half of its matchup with Brainerd on Oct. 11.

Running back Dawson Degelder decided to double the Jacks’ advantage with some flair.

BHS was driving near midfield when Degelder crashed through the Warriors’ defense and stormed 45 yards to the house.

On the Lumberjacks’ next offensive possession, Degelder once again forced his way through the teeth of Brainerd’s defense. This time, he flexed his speed, storming 91 yards to the endzone for his second touchdown. Bemidji hung on for a 28-22 victory over its rivals to reclaim Babe’s Bell.

Boys soccer: From Europe with love

Rubado: An anticipated season with a large senior class was on the brink of falling short yet again in the Section 8-3A Tournament. Then Sam Byrne delivered.

Byrne, an exchange student from the Netherlands, joined the BHS boys soccer team for his lone semester at the school. He spent all season learning the differences between European and American soccer, all while garnering more minutes and a larger role for the Jacks.

In the 8-3A title game against Buffalo, those minutes paid off. He scored the lone goal in the 70th minute, 4,000 miles away from home, to send BHS back to the state tournament for the first time since the end of the 8A three-peat in 2018.

Girls soccer: Substitute penalty kick

Rubado: Sometimes, the best moments are born in unassuming games.

On the surface, there’s not much that’s special about an 11-2 girls soccer win between Bemidji and Pelican Rapids. The Lumberjacks, a Section 8-3A team, outmatched the Vikings, a Section 8A team, in a contest that proved to be more of a formality than anything else. However, one Bemidji senior got her moment on Senior Day.

In the 49th minute, Emma Stay took a penalty kick for BHS. She scored her first varsity goal and gave the Jacks a 5-1 lead.

Girls swimming and diving: Olson gets over the hump

Rubado: For the first time since 2021, the Bemidji girls swimming and diving team was represented at state.

Kennedy Olson followed in the footsteps of Mady Schmidt, the last BHS state qualifier from 2021. Olson took fourth place at sections with a score of 343.5, nabbing the final bid from 8AA. Olson took 16th at state one week later with a score of 338.35.

Volleyball: Anderson eclipses 3,000 assists

Faber: BHS senior Margie Anderson entered the 2024 volleyball season with the most assists in program history. She topped the previous record, held by Alexa Greendahl, in the 2023 Section 8-4A Tournament.

On Oct. 26, Anderson managed to set another benchmark for the program. She eclipsed 3,000 career assists in the Lumberjacks’ Section 8-4A Tournament contest against Moorhead. Though the Jacks suffered a loss to the Spuds, she managed to tally 21 assists to finish with a career total of 3,003.

Boys basketball: Riewer’s heroics against the Sabres

Faber: Austin Riewer and Jaxon Boschee often carried the offensive load for the Lumberjacks throughout the season.

On Jan. 21, the duo combined for 46 in Bemidji’s dramatic 67-65 win over Sartell. And it was Riewer’s heroics that clinched the win for BHS in the game’s waning minutes.

With less than a minute left, Riewer nailed a 3-point basket to tie the game at 65-65. He gobbled up a contested rebound in the Sabres’ ensuing offensive possession, and after a timeout, he converted a layup at the rim to give the Jacks a 67-65 lead.

Sartell failed to respond, and BHS escaped with a nail-biting win.

Girls basketball: First winning season since 2019-20

Faber: Bemidji’s postseason run came to a close in the Section 8-4A quarterfinals.

With a final record of 17-11, though, the Lumberjacks managed to finish with their first winning season (including postseason results) since 2019-20.

Seniors Matjea Malterud and Margie Anderson will be missed next season. However, many of the Jacks’ most productive players will be back for another go-around next year.

Liv Thompson, Karley LaZella, Anysia Pink and Clara Bieber will all be back for another go-around next season. Freshman Clara Sherwood will be another exciting player to keep an eye on, impressing on multiple occasions with her 3-point shooting ability off the bench.

Dance team: The marathon stretch

Rubado: Unfortunately for the Blue Angels, a home competition wasn’t in the cards for the 2024-25 season. However, they did compete in three meets in three days and posted impressive results.

On Jan. 9 in Alexandria, Bemidji took first in jazz and second in high kick. One day later in Monticello, the Blue Angels took home the same results in an eight-team competition. The marathon weekend ended in Anoka with Bemidji finishing in fourth place in both high kick and jazz.

Gymnastics: Signing off from the Gym Bin

Rubado: The DeWitt name has become synonymous with BHS gymnastics. On Feb. 7, she competed in her final home meet at the Gym Bin.

DeWitt helped guide the Lumberjacks to a 134.15-126.95 dual win, as she did so many times before. She finished with the top all-around score, along with taking first on vault, floor and bars. Three weeks later, she competed at state for the second time, ending a brilliant high school gymnastics career in Bemidji.

Boys hockey: Fanfare at the BCA

Rubado: It had been nearly a decade since Bemidji High �� hockey fans packed the Bemidji Community Arena in a shoulder-to-shoulder capacity for the Section 8AA playoffs.

After earning the No. 2 seed and dispatching seventh-seeded Buffalo in short order, the Jacks hosted No. 6 Roseau for a chance to play for a section title. The Rams, who have been the proverbial thorn in the side of so many 8AA teams, felt the resurgence of BHS boys hockey in a four-goal third period. Joey Fankhanel, Benji O’Leary, Cal Mattfield and Conor Stodgell all scored in the third to claim a 5-1 win, granting Bemidji its first 8AA title berth since 2016.

Girls hockey: Welcoming the toughest competition

Rubado: While the BHS girls hockey team had plenty of wins, one of its losses showcased the program’s collective growth.

On Dec. 14, the Lumberjacks welcomed a state power to the BCA. Seventh-ranked Benilde-St. Margaret’s took home a 3-1 win over BHS to the Twin Cities. The result was arbitrary.

For a Bemidji girls hockey program that had spent the better part of the last decade as a bottom-feeder in Section 8AA, getting a team like BSM to play in Bemidji is a sign of where the program is headed. But it’s not enough to get the games, you have to prove you can compete.

While Bemidji ended on the wrong side of a tightly-contested game, a competitive loss against one of the state’s top teams gives motivation for metro-area schools to travel north to play the Jacks. You don’t get games against schools like that unless you earn them, and you don’t keep getting them if you prove you can’t hang. The Jacks did both.

Nordic skiing: Walters signs off

Rubado: A week ago, I probably would’ve had a different Nordic skiing entry that mentioned the efforts of Levi Renn and Kaedon Pollock finishing 11th at the state meet. But it feels disingenuous not to pay homage to the end of an incredible local coaching career.

For 22 years, Mark Walters has been the face of BHS Nordic. He led dozens of student-athletes to state and helped fortify a program that’s become a mainstay near the top of Section 8. He’s leaving the program in good hands, as BHS announced on Monday that assistant coach Nina Lubarski is taking over. And while Walters will still be around in a voluntary role, his time away from the program is earned after positively impacting hundreds of students.

Boys swimming and diving: Daniel Scherling clinches state berth at Section 8AA meet

Faber: The margins at section swimming and diving meets are often thin. Daniel Scherling proved just that on March 1.

He bested Elk River’s Brody Vetsch by just fourth-tenths of a second in the 100-yard breaststroke at the Section 8AA meet in Brainerd, claiming second place. Scherling’s tight finish clinched the final spot for state in the event. For the first time since 2021, the Lumberjacks sent an individual to state.

Girls wrestling: 12-year-old champ

Rubado: Easily one of my favorite stories of the year came from the BHS girls wrestling team.

Seventh-grader Keeari Goodfellow was 12 years old when she wrestled for a Blue Ox Invitational championship on Dec. 21 at the BHS Gymnasium. She pinned Nashwauk-Keewatin/Greenway sophomore Willow Horack in 3:32 to move to 5-0 on the day and 15-0 on the season. It was her first full season of wrestling, and she made the most of her opportunity to wrestle in a varsity role.

Boys wrestling: Section title goes the distance

Faber: Bemidji and Willmar are quite accustomed to meeting in the Section 8-3A championship. The Cardinals entered the 2025 Section 8-3A Tournament championship with four straight title wins over the Jacks.

Naturally, this year’s championship bout came down to the wire.

Willmar had a 29-20 lead over BHS with just two matches left. But Ben Desrosier picked up a win by fall in 1:57, and Nehemiah Schwinghammer secured a 7-2 win by decision, ending the dual with a 29-29 tie. The Lumberjacks, though, had a 7-6 advantage in match victories and claimed the section championship in a win by criteria. It was Bemidji’s first section team championship since 2020.

Baseball: Ganske, Lundquist shove against eventual Section 8-4A champs

Faber: Strong pitching was one of the Lumberjacks’ greatest strengths all season long. One of the best examples came in a regular-season doubleheader against Moorhead, the eventual Section 8-4A Tournament champions, on May 6.

Bemidji swept the Spuds in a pair of pitching duels, winning by scores of 2-0 and 2-1.

Jack Lundquist got the start in game one. He pitched all seven innings, giving up just one hit and zero runs. Lundquist issued two walks and tallied nine strikeouts.

The second game saw another seven-inning pitching performance from a Lumberjack. Gunner Ganske allowed four hits and zero earned runs in his start, tallying 10 strikeouts and two walks.

Boys golf: New kids on the block

Rubado: I’ve never covered a team like the BHS boys golfers.

Sure, some teams are naturally younger. It’s not uncommon for Class A schools to showcase a varsity roster where half of the players are freshmen or younger. But at the Class 3A level? That’s unique. To have that and be successful in Class 3A? It’s almost unheard of.

Players like Beckett Grand, who went to state, and Jackson Fogelson, who had an accomplished pre-prep career, steal a lot of the headlines, as did senior Weston Setitz. But in talking with depth players like Axel Burlingame and Graham Fish, I got to take a peek under the hood of what makes the budding group of standout golfers tick and what the future holds when they gain more experience.

Girls golf: Schulke shines at home invite

Rubado: Without one of its top players for the entirety of the 2025 season, the BHS girls golf team needed somebody to step up.

Junior Taylor Schulke answered the call at the Bemidji Invitational on April 25. She was the only Lumberjack to break 90 in an early-season meet, finishing with an 88 at the Bemidji Town and Country Club. She finished in a tie for 10th place and was one of three BHS girls golfers to finish inside the top 20.

Softball: LaZella’s walk-off bomb

Rubado: Off the bat, it looked as if Karley LaZella would be standing at second base with no outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. But the ball just kept carrying.

The BHS softball team led 6-4 in the top of the seventh on April 24 at home, but Sauk Rapids-Rice plated two runs to tie the game off of LaZella in the pitcher’s circle. LaZella was down 0-2 in the count before she crushed a line drive that nearly scraped the top of the fence in centerfield. LaZella’s blast led to a 7-6 win for Bemidji over the Storm to notch the first Section 8-4A win this season.

Boys tennis: McNallan, doubles competitors push Jacks past TRF

Faber: Senior Jack McNallan has been a star for the Lumberjacks for years now.

In a tight 4-3 win over Thief River Falls on April 16, McNallan’s two-set victory at No. 1 doubles alongside Josh Arel proved pivotal. It was a great afternoon overall for Bemidji’s double competitors.

Max Louvar and Peter Mathews came away with a two-set win at No. 2 doubles, while Chase Fairchild and Ethan Frank cruised to a pair of 6-0 wins at No. 3. Dom Ardnt notched the Jacks’ only singles win of the afternoon, collecting a two-set victory at No. 2.

Track and field: Throwers shine at home

Faber: Under the tutelage of new throws coach Paul Olson, a bevy of BHS throwers notched new personal bests throughout the season.

The Bemidji Invitational on May 21 showcased plenty of that growth. Tanner Whipple took first in the shot put with a personal record of 50-0.75. Samantha Cox tallied a PR of her own in the discus (99-3) for first place.

Kolton Meyer notched a personal record in the shot put as well (47-2) to secure second place. He also recorded a PR in the discus (141-2) en route to a second-place finish. Gabriel Zwack, Kohen Donat and McKenzie Ghinter all finished with new PRs at the invitational.

Boys volleyball: No place like home

Rubado: For nearly the entirety of the regular season, it seemed as if the BHS boys volleyball team was the victim of some bad scheduling luck.

The Lumberjacks only got one Twin Cities-area team to make the trip up north. Section 8’s top-seeded Rogers swept the Jacks in the regular season, planting some doubt in the notion that BHS would get to host a postseason match. However, when Bemidji was given the No. 3 seed, a second chance to play at home was on the table.

On May 29, it was the Lumberjacks’ turn to pick up a broom. They swept Coon Rapids in straight sets in their final home match, advancing to the second round in the Section 8 Tournament.

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Meyer, Thompson and Knott close season at Class 3A state meet

Pioneer Staff Report — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 02:55:41 GMT

ST. MICHAEL – When the Class 3A state track and field finals came to a close, so did the 2024-25 Bemidji High �� athletic season.

The last three Lumberjacks were in action, despite the rainy conditions at St. Michael-Albertville, on Thursday.

Kolton Meyer took seventh place in the boys discus with a throw of 152-08. Stillwater’s Tyler Curnow won the state title at 176-08.

Liv Thompson went to state in the 1600-meter run for the second year in a row. She took 12th place this time at 5:10.18. Wayzata’s Maddie Gullickson took first place at 4:49.50.

In the boys 800, Caleb Knott took 17th place in his second consecutive state meet. In his first year as an individual competitor, he finished with a time of 1:57.27, which was about three seconds off of qualifying for finals.

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Beckett Grand takes 77th place at Class 3A state meet

Pioneer Staff Report — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 01:48:42 GMT

COON RAPIDS – The Bemidji High �� boys golf season has officially come to a close.

Freshman Beckett Grand, the last Lumberjack standing, shot a 162 at Bunker Hills and Coon Rapids on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Class 3A state meet.

After a slow start to his first round, Grand birdied the second hole en route to carding an 84. Grand also shot a one-over 37 on the back nine in his second round to go with five pars on the front nine. He finished his ninth-grade season with a score of 78.

Cretin-Durham Hall’s Sam Udovich ran away with the Class 3A state title with a four-under-par two-day score of 134.

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Ava Phrakonkham notches 3 runner-up finishes; Class A area athletes wrap-up at state

Pioneer Staff Report — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 01:42:48 GMT

ST. MICHAEL – One of the most accomplished Bagley/Fosston prep track careers has come to a close.

Ava Phrakonkham competed in four events at the Class A state meet at St. Michael-Albertville High �� on Tuesday and Wednesday, notching three individual second-place finishes.

She took second in the 100-meter dash at 12.36 seconds, trailing Hills-Beaver-Creek’s Brynn Bakken (12.29). Phrakonkham also took second place in the 200 at 24.91. Bakken edged out Phrakonkham by five one-hundredths of a second.

In the long jump, Phrakonkham took second place with a personal-best jump of 18-03.5. McKyalen Lewis of Math and Sciency Academy took first (18-05.5).

Bagley/Fosston’s 4x100-meter relay qualified for finals with a fourth-place prelims time of 49.31. Ultimately, Claire Klinkhammer, Hatty Quam, Chaela Olson and Phrakonkham took ninth at 50.89.

Allison Lundin notched Northome/Kelliher/Blackduck’s best finish, taking fifth place in the girls 800 at 2:21.37. N/K/B’s Colton Connell took 13th in the boys 800 at 1:59.70.

Bagley/Fosston’s Charlie Capshaw finished in 17th place in the discus with a throw of 135-04.

The Flyers tied for fourth place with PACT/Legacy and Two Harbors in the Class A girls team standings with 31 points. Janesville Waldorf Pemberton won the team state title with 41 points.

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Boasting a bright future, resilient Drakes relish in historic state tournament finish

Alex Faber — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 22:36:16 GMT

BLACKDUCK — The Drakes weren’t given many breaks at the Class A state tournament last week.

But a few roadblocks in the regular season and section tournament didn’t stop the Blackduck High �� softball team from putting together a historic year. And it didn’t stop BHS from pushing through when the going got tough at state.

Eighth-seeded Blackduck opened up play against United South Central on Wednesday afternoon, the No. 1 seed in the tournament and eventual state champions. Mariah Anderson, the Rebels’ elite starting pitcher, tossed a perfect five-inning game against the Drakes. USC claimed a 12-0 victory and sent Blackduck to the consolation bracket.

Later that evening, BHS bounced back. The Drakes picked up a 7-4 victory over Wabasso to advance to the consolation finals and keep the season alive.

“It was awesome, kind of the same thing happened in the section tournament,” Blackduck head coach Judd Shogren said. “We lost a game, and of course, it takes all the wind out of your sails. After the game against USC, I’m sure it felt like a mountain to try to get over. But the girls didn’t accept the fact that we didn’t belong there; they came out and played a really, really good game.”

Blackduck’s season came to a close on Thursday afternoon with a 4-1 loss to Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley, the No. 2 seed in the tournament.

Though the season ended with a defeat, it failed to dull the shine of what was the best season in program history.

The Drakes’ state tournament bid wasn’t just the program’s first. It was also the first time in BHS history that a girls athletic team had reached an MSHSL state tournament.

“It’s a huge thing for a small community,” Shogren said. “There’s a lot of women from the community who played in the program. A lot of these ladies have girls in the program, young girls in the program. It’s huge.”

BHS took its lumps during the regular season but always seemed to find a way to bounce back. When Red Lake Falls handed the Drakes a six-inning, 10-0 loss on May 13, they came back the very next day with a 9-8 win over Northome/Kelliher to secure the Upper Mississippi Conference Crown.

That resiliency continued into the postseason. Blackduck suffered a 7-1 loss to Hill City/Northland in the Section 5A Tournament semifinals but stormed back with three straight wins and a state berth.

“The mental strength of these girls to be able to come back, the resiliency, was truly amazing,” Shogren said. “Something to be very proud of as a coach.”

In their first season leading the program, Shogren and assistant coach Jay Cheney had finally achieved what the program had set its sights on a year ago. In 2024, Blackduck was the No. 1 seed in the Section 5A Tournament.

“It didn’t just happen this year,” Shogren said. “(The previous coaching staff) had a lot of things in place. Obviously, they coached them to be the No. 1 seed in the section, that was a big start for what happened this year.”

Coming up just short of the state tournament in 2024, the Drakes entered this season intent on making it to Mankato.

“I think we would’ve been disappointed to not get to the state tournament,” Shogren said. “I think it was the girls’ expectation, the girls’ goal to get there. They were very disappointed after they were not able to get out of the section last year. To win a game at state is a huge step.”

Impressively, Blackduck achieved its goal with an extremely youthful squad. Anna Swedberg, the leader of the Drakes’ pitching staff, is a junior. McKenzie Bullock, another top-end pitcher, is just a sophomore.

“We have a very good pitching staff,” Shogren said. “I think we finished the season with over 300 strikeouts on the mound. Our pitching staff, they lead. They’re the point of the spear.”

Blackduck’s only senior was its shortstop and leadoff hitter, Kayleigh Lory.

“Lory will be sorely missed,” Shogren said. “Took a lot of pitches and she did a wonderful job at shortstop for us. She’s a field general out there. It all happens in front of her in the infield.”

Considering the amount of talent returning to the program next year, Shogren and the Drakes are hopeful that this season’s success was not just a one-off.

Plus, a good number of Blackduck’s players will continue to hone their skills over the summer while participating in Legion softball.

“The next couple years, it would be a disappointment, I think, if we didn’t get back right to the top of the section again,” Shogren said. “Might not happen, but expectations are pretty high. And of the 19 girls we had on varsity, I think 16 or 17 are playing in the summer. They’re going to get more experience, they’re only going to get better.”

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Mark Walters steps down after 22 years at the helm of BHS Nordic skiing

Alex Faber — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 17:35:35 GMT

BEMIDJI — When Mark Walters became head coach of the Bemidji High �� Nordic skiing team on relatively short notice, he thought to himself, “I’m going to give this five years.”

That was 22 years ago.

After two-plus decades of guiding a bevy of individuals and teams to state, strengthening the program’s numbers and crafting a consistent contender, Walters has decided to step down from his leadership role with BHS Nordic skiing.

“It’s been an ongoing process, it’s not something that I just wanted to do suddenly, for some single, erratic reason or anything,” Walters said. “You could argue one way or another, is there ever a good time? But it feels like a good time. The program’s healthy, the parental support is strong, the administrative support is fantastic. It’s not like leaving damaged goods behind or anything like that.”

Walters accepted the gig when he was in his mid-40s, bringing with him a strong reputation as a skier. When he took over, there were just 13-14 kids involved. Within three years, the Lumberjacks boasted over 40 skiers. And those improved numbers stuck.

Between Walters’ guidance and a strong support system from both the school and the families, Bemidji Nordic ski became a “force to be reckoned with” in Section 8.

“It took me a while to build the program with a level of confidence and good support,” Walters said. “It takes a village, but it’s in that mindset. Yes, you’re a head coach, but you have great people with you. And by kind of delegating some of your concepts or your work to individuals or parts of your staff, that’s how you get things done.

“I just can’t emphasize (enough) the amount of support that the program has shown, not only to me but the people that have worked with me. From the administrative level at the district to the fantastic parents, the people who volunteer and just come out of the woods to help us at events. I mean, we have parents who show up to events with hot cocoa and snacks or soup and sandwiches. And it’s because they love what we’re doing, and we love helping their kids.”

Walters isn’t stepping away from the program entirely, though. He’ll be sticking around on a voluntary basis, stopping in to help a few days a week and occasionally heading to the bigger meets to assist with prep work.

Going from the day-to-day grind to a more removed form of support will take some getting used to, but Walters has witnessed similar transitions across the sport. In fact, he’s discussed the process with former head coaches of programs like Brainerd and Little Falls, both of whom shifted to a similar role.

“The discussions with them are like, you want to reach your hand in there and (say) 'Oh, don’t do it like that,' it's that temptation,” Walters said. “So it’ll be a transition. Will I miss every day-to-day piece of it? Probably not, but that’s why I’m going to stay connected, because there is a passion about this sport and working with the kids that still means a lot to me.”

However, Walters is extremely confident in the shape he’s leaving the program in. Though the future leadership of the program is by no means set in stone, Bemidji assistant Nina Lubarski has coached alongside Walters for 11 years.

Wth Lubarksi on the scene, it’s safe to say the Lumberjacks will still have plenty of institutional knowledge and leadership sticking around the program, even without Walters in the picture on a daily basis.

“I’ve had an awesome assistant coach for 11 years,” Walters said. “The two of us have actually done this mental transition concept for easily the last two or three seasons, having her take on more and more responsibilities. … You couldn’t pick a sweeter time to leave it in good hands.”

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MSHSL set to expand girls wrestling state tournament; go to 8 competitive sections

Alex VandenHouten — Sat, 07 Jun 2025 21:30:56 GMT

When the MSHSL announced an extra half-day for the state wrestling tournament, many figured it was good news regarding the expansion of the girls portion.

That has now been confirmed.

Starting in 2026, the state wrestling tournament will expand by a half day to accommodate the continued growth of girls wrestling, sources have told the Post Bulletin.

As a result, the girls individual section tournament will now feature eight competitive sections with the top two wrestlers in each weight class advancing to the state tournament, resulting in 16-wrestler brackets per weight class.

For the past three years, there have been four competitive sections, with the top two finishers in each advancing to the state tournament.

But last year saw brackets with simply too many competitors. The Section 1&2 tournament saw multiple brackets with around 30 or even more competitors. This will hopefully solve this problem, while giving deserving athletes the chance to compete at state.

League staff will work this summer to develop schedule options that best support both the team and individual tournaments. Finalized state tournament schedules and section sites will be communicated before the start of the 2025-26 season.

We do know the MSHSL Board of Directors approved to add a Wednesday afternoon competition to expand the state wrestling tournament from three to 3 1/2 days.

A league source has also confirmed the Section 1 and Section 2 girls wrestling tournaments will be held at the Mayo Civic Center this year. The goal is to eventually hold both the boys and the girls on the same weekend, but we are a year or two away from that.

The expanded format marks the second time in league history that the wrestling tournament will span nearly four days. The MSHSL previously used a four-day format from 2007-2010.

Another noteworthy item is that the MSHSL is working on formulating a plan to transition girls wrestling into its own bylaw over the next three years.

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Drakes place 6th at Class A state tournament with loss to Wolverines

Pioneer Staff Report — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 23:22:05 GMT

MANKATO — The Drakes’ postseason run has officially come to an end.

The Blackduck High �� softball team suffered a 4-1 loss to Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley in the consolation bracket finals on Thursday afternoon, ending the season with a sixth-place finish at the Class A state tournament.

BHS earned the right to take on the Wolverines with a 7-4 victory over Wabasso on Wednesday evening in the first round of the consolation bracket.

The Drakes had a tough time putting together hits against CGB’s starting pitcher, Sadie Wright. She allowed just two hits and one run through seven innings, notching six strikeouts and issuing a walk in the process. Jessa Anderson and McKenzie Bullock were the only BHS batters who finished the day with a hit.

However, it was Blackduck who managed to strike first. Heading into the top of the fourth inning tied 0-0, Bullock knocked a single up the middle of the field to send Anderson home.

The Drakes clung on to that slight 1-0 lead until the sixth inning. The Wolverines’ offense finally broke through, scoring four runs for a 4-1 advantage heading into the seventh and final inning.

Blackduck starting pitcher Anna Swedberg allowed two hits and two runs through five innings. She issued three walks and notched five strikeouts. Bullock came in for an inning in relief, giving up three hits and two runs while collecting a strikeout.

Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley 4, Blackduck 1

BHS 000 100 0 — 1-2-1

CGB 000 004 x — 4-5-1

WP: Wright (7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO)

LP: Swedberg (5.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO)

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