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Ely’s Outstanding Athletes

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Ely Area Calendar

Ely Area Calendar

Ely athletes are outstanding, and so are their fans!

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Athletic Excellence

As small towns in rural Minnesota go, Ely is exceptional in many ways. One of those is the outstanding athletic teams and individuals that have competed for Ely Memorial High School. Junior and senior high school students have plenty of choices for getting involved in athletics each season, and there are programs for the younger kids to develop skills and interest. As you can see, there are also some outstanding photographers who document the sports.

For winter sports, Ely students can participate in XC Skiing, Basketball, or Hockey. Fall has Football, Girls Volleyball, Girls Swimming, and XC running. Spring brings Golf, Baseball, and Track. Baseball continues into summer with the VFW and American Legion tournaments.

Little League is popular for getting the younger kids started in team sports. Dozens of volunteer coaches and assistants, many of them parents of the players, help out. Blue Line Hockey is a winter sport for the younger set that feeds skilled players to the high school team. Ages three and up can be involved, and parents are always welcome to volunteer as coaches, assistants, or staffing the concession stand. The Minnesota Youth Ski League lessons get kids

© Ken Hupila started in an individual life sport and also prepare them to join the XC ski team once they are in middle school. With so many people in Ely who enjoy XC skiing, there are excellent leaders for each age group. Together they create an atmosphere that is especially fun, with an Olympic-style torch and parade to start the season and a wrapup session that celebrates each child’s accomplishments. The Ely Hoop Club runs a Saturday morning basketball program for pre-school through 6th grade students from Ely and Northeast Range schools. JV and varsity coaches, assisted by varsity players and other volunteers, help players hone their skills through drills and scrimmages. During half-time at some of the home varsity games, the kids get to play in front of the crowd. At the end of the season there is a contest with prizes and free lunch for players, parents, and spectators. There’s

dance, too, and hunting and fishing. So much to do! It can be a hard choice.

Ely’s athletic programs have led to some outstanding teams, individual athletes, and coaches who have excelled at the state and even national level. Coach Klun led the swimmers who brought home trophies from state meets in the 1940s and 50s, which included breaking some state records. Even decades later, no one referred to him as Mr. Klun, only as Coach Klun.

Ely’s football team has gone to state seven times since 1980, coming in second in Class B in 1987. One year, so many people made the trek to the cities to watch the state tournament that someone put up a sign on the corner of Sheridan and Central that said “Last one out of town, turn off the lights.” Boys Basketball was runner up at state in 1945, and also went in 1929 and 2001. Hockey and baseball have had their moments of glory too,

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Swimmer Robert Gawboy won state records for Ely in the 50s, then set a world record when he was at Yale. This year Lily Tedrick set 6 team records.

sending athletes up the ladder to D1 colleges and professional sports.

Paula Anderson won XC Ski Coach of the Year for the whole state of Minnesota not just once but twice. She announced her retirement at the end of the season last year, and subsequently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Minnesota Nordic Ski League. Both Ely’s boys and girls ski teams have had outstanding team and individual performances competing against much bigger schools. In 2010 the boys took first place and the girls third place at state. Many of the skiers have gone on to ski for college teams and at the Jr. Olympics. This tradition started long ago with ski jumpers when Ely once hosted a Jr. Olympics trial.

You can see the trophies and ribbons won by Ely’s outstanding high school athletes in the school halls near the gym. Why not take in some of the games this winter? It’s inexpensive entertainment and at least as much fun to get out of the house and cheer on the home team as to groan and second guess your favorite pro teams on TV. The local athletes, coaches, cheerleaders, and dance team will be far more appreciative of your support than the Vikings or Lynx. You can pick up the high school sports calendar at the District Office. LATE BREAKING NEWS–both the girls volley ball team and girls XC running are off to state as this goes to press!!

© EricShermanImages.com

© EricShermanImages.com

© Ken Hupila © Ken Hupila

Kaytie Spengler at State

If the kids in your life aren’t excited about athletics at the school, there are other options to get them involved in something active. Dance and acrobatics classes are offered at Reflections Dance Company and Studio North. Adventure Outdoor School offers outdoor recreation opportunities in all seasons. Accompanied by an adult, kids might A close call at Little League

enjoy Ely Field Naturalist activities and exploring the EFN Resource Center. Hunting and fishing are available just out the door in Ely. If the adult in charge isn’t experienced, it’s likely a neighbor or friend would be glad to introduce a youngster to such wilderness skills.

In Ely, there’s no reason for kids to be bored or become couch potatoes!

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