Nielsen, FitzPatrick win; Girls take Ted Voigt Invite

The Lakeland boy’s and girl’s cross country seasons got under way Tuesday as the T-Birds hosted the annual Ted Voigt Invitational on the Raven Trail near the Clear Lake Campground in Woodruff. Delaney FitzPatrick (center) lead the pack up the starting hill on her way to winning the overall title on the girl’s side. To her right is teammate Kaynna Vedder while to her left (from left) are teammates Carly Theuerkauf (515), Rachel Brodhead (505), Emily Wilson (510) and Alyssa Fossen (509). The Lakeland girls took the overall title while the boys finished second to Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln. Doug Etten photo. Both Lakeland girl's and boy's cross country teams got their 2010 season started off on the right foot Tuesday as the girls won and the boys finished second at the annual Ted Voigt Invitational held on the Raven Trail in Woodruff. Andrew Nielsen showed he's been busy this summer as he scorched the boy's field for the overall title while Delaney FitzPatrick left little doubt in anyone's mind that she'll be a force as well on the girl's side. Friday, August 27, 2010

Record numbers hope to fuel competitive spirits for Lady Netters

With more than 75 percent of the conference championship team gone from a year ago, there's no doubt that head coach Ted Dasler will have his hands full when it comes to the start of the Great Northern Conference dual season. Gone at one singles is Taylor Havisto. At two singles, Audri Nelson, and at three singles is two-time sectional qualifier Maryjane Glynn. Friday, August 27, 2010

Lakeland girls head to SPRAWL in search of early season confidence boost

Rebuilding takes on a new meaning for the Lakeland girl's volleyball team as they head into the 2010 regular season today. With just one senior gone from a squad that showed flashes of very good volleyball a year ago, the absence of Carol Falesch, an All-GNC selection, from the starting hitter rotation leaves re-stocking as the least of the worries for first-year head coach John Pierpont. Friday, August 27, 2010

'Battle of birds' takes shape in 2010 football opener tonight

Football is a sport, like many, where emotions can carry a team to new heights. Tonight when Lakeland hits the field for the 2010 WIAA football opener, they'll likely be in high spirits, as is the case every season. This year, however, a senior class that reaches 20 deep leads the T-Birds into what might be their toughest overall schedule under Don Scharbarth's tenure. Friday, August 27, 2010

Weston opens while Eugster connects late to lift T-Birds over West

It didn't take much more than an opening for Jordan Eugster to turn his usual subtle style into overdrive Thursday night. And it's a good thing instinct took over as the junior's left-footed blast from the 18-yard mark put the nail in the Wausau East coffin and turned what had been an up, then down, last four minutes of a non-conference battle turned into a celebratory 2-1 win for the Lakeland T-Birds over Wausau East. "It was just sort of a clutch sort of thing I guess," Eugster said. "I felt the pressure coming and knew I had to get the shot off." Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Training camp 2010; Experience fuels optimism for new look T-Birds

There is no other program at Lakeland Union High School that carries a higher expectation from year-to-year than Don Scharbarth's T-Birds football team. And after 108 wins for him, it's still not getting old for Scharbarth who enters into his 18th season at the helm of a Lakeland program who this year are hoping to showcase a senior class which runs 20-deep, and brings back almost a complete defense and key members of it's highly skilled offense to one of the team's toughest schedules in recent history. Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Wisconsin Rapids takes home opener away from Lady T-Birds

The 2010 girls tennis season will surely have an upswing after the team jumped into competition Tuesday vs. a very experienced and talented Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln squad. With over 50 girls in total out, head coach Ted Dasler's objective no. 1, get everyone a chance to show their stuff, was accomplished Tuesday though the results weren't neccessarily winning ones. Friday, August 20, 2010

First time's a charm for the See Me Tri Triathlon

"I think this going to be an event that the Lakeland area is going to enjoy for a long time to come." Those were the words of See Me Tri Triathlon organizer Andrew Teichmiller as he sifted through his afterthoughts this week of the first-ever event. "We are incredibly pleased for the first-time event. The things that we couldn't control, like the weather, worked out in our favor, and in terms of our goals for the race, looking at the number of participants, we exceeded our goals." Friday, August 20, 2010

Minocqua men's team takes down Aniwa in 2010 summer finale

The Minocqua men's baseball team got a complete game gem tossed by starter Justin Szews and were able to get the offense started late as a 7-2 win over the Aniwa Orioles will take the first year team into the off-season that remains fill with promise for 2011. Szews was as dominant as one could have asked for as he was able to go one-two-three in the top of the first and then get out of a jam in the second thanks to a bullet of a throw from left fielder Jason Trapp who gunned down an Aniwa baserunner who was attempting to turn a fly ball into a sacrifice. Friday, August 20, 2010

Two solid showings at Marshfield leads Lakeland into Hodag Invite

If the legs aren't fully up to speed yet, they will be come Monday morning practice as the Lakeland boys soccer team, fresh off a double-dip of games in Marshfield Tuesday, will head into the six-team Hodag Invitational with one thing on their mind - get into game shape by the conference opener next Thursday. And expectations aren't set low for this years squad, mightily by their own standards. Friday, August 20, 2010