The Lakeland Times

LUHS boys’ cross country wins fifth straight conference championship

The Lakeland Union High School boys’ cross country team put up a strong showing, and in the process, brought home its fifth straight Great Northern Conference title. The Thunderbirds won the GNC meet with 25 points Saturday at Tomahawk High School. Rhinelander came in second place with a team score of 52.

Lady T-Birds soar to the top of the conference

One year ago, Lakeland girls’ cross country was comprised of just two runners and didn’t qualify for a team score. Fast forward to Saturday, and the Thunderbirds were conference champions. The Thunderbirds won the Great Northern Conference title with 33 points at Tomahawk High School.

Rhinelander axes Lakeland’s season

One quarter ended up being the difference in Lakeland’s homecoming football game — and the T-Birds WIAA playoff hopes — versus Rhinelander on Friday night. The Thunderbirds allowed 20 points over the final 4 minutes, 31 seconds of regulation and fell 27-14 to Rhinelander at IncredibleBank Field in Minocqua.

LUHS girls’ swim team goes 7-1 in conference play

Lady T-Birds host GNC meet on Friday, Oct. 23

Lakeland girls’ swim ended the dual-meet portion of its season with a dominant 128-33 victory against Colby/Abbotsford (3-5 GNC) Thursday in Colby. The Thunderbirds won all 11 events and improved to 7-1 in the Great Northern Conference. Additionally, Lakeland had the top two fastest times in all but one of the swims.

Eagles end Lakeland’s home winning streak

Another Northland Pines comeback turned into a discouraging loss for the Lakeland Union High School boys’ soccer team in what felt like a repeat from last month. The Thunderbirds fell 2-1 to the Eagles Thursday at IncredibleBank Field in Minocqua.

LUHS volleyball sweeps Stratford

The Thunderbirds ended the regular season with a sweep over a team that’s had their number over the years. The Lakeland volleyball team swept Stratford (26-24, 25-21, 25-15) in a non-conference match Thursday at the Lakeland Union High School fieldhouse in Minocqua.

Rallies and redemption: Lady T-Birds take third place at GNC tournament

Two wins, one of them a five-setter, ended in the Lakeland Union High School volleyball team getting third place at the conference tournament and fourth place overall. The Thunderbirds went 2-1 at the Great Northern Conference tournament Saturday, Oct. 10 at Crystal Training Institute in Mosinee. Lakeland defeated Medford in four sets in the first round. Then, the Thunderbirds were swept by host Mosinee. In the third-place match, the Thunderbirds beat Merrill in five sets.

Lakeland cross country teams win Hatchet Invite

GNC meet on Saturday, Oct. 17 at Tomahawk

With the conference meet on deck, the Lakeland Union High School cross country team showed what they’re capable of with two team wins.

LUHS boys’ soccer rallies for comeback victory

The Lakeland boys’ soccer team came back to win a road game on a rainy Tuesday night in Merrill. The Thunderbirds beat Merrill 2-1 in a Great Northern Conference game at Jay Stadium.

Mercer volleyball falls to Solon Springs

The Mercer High School volleyball team ended the regular season with a Northern Lights Conference loss. The Tigers fell 3-0 (25-20, 25-9, 25-17) in a road match Tuesday at Solon Springs.

Antigo answer: Lakeland football scores 27 unanswered points for victory

Thunderbirds will play Axe Game against Rhinelander on homecoming, Oct. 16

In what was the final varsity football game at Antigo’s Schofield Stadium, the Thunderbirds scored 27 unanswered points to win their second straight game. Lakeland defeated the Red Robins 27-6 in a Great Northern Conference game on Friday.

T-Bird soccer routs Raiders

Medford’s boys’ soccer team almost pulled off an upset last month in Medford. It was a totally different game when the Thunderbirds hosted the Raiders on Thursday. Lakeland defeated Medford 9-1 in 60 minutes at IncredibleBank Field in Minocqua. Five different players scored for the Thunderbirds.

Bayfield beats Mercer volleyball in five-set match

Seeking a four-match win streak, the Mercer High School volleyball team went all five sets in the final home game of the regular season. The Tigers fell in five (17-25, 25-19, 25-18, 24-26, 10-15) to Bayfield on Thursday at John “JP” Pierpont Court in Mercer.

Lakeland girls’ tennis team’s season comes to an end

The Lakeland Union High School girls’ tennis team saw just how tough Division 1 competition is as the Thunderbirds saw their season come to an end. The Thunderbirds finished fifth out of nine teams with six points at a WIAA Division 1 subsectional meet Monday at the Rhinelander High School tennis courts.

Thunderbird boys’ soccer secures road win

The Lakeland Union High School boys’ soccer team posted a shutout with a 4-0 road win over Mosinee on Tuesday. The Thunderbirds scored two goals in each half from three different players. Lakeland improved to 11-2-1 overall, 7-1-1-0 in the Great Northern Conference.

LUHS girls’ swim team wins Janesville Parker Relays

Lady T-Birds set meet record in 400-yard rocket relay

The Lakeland girls’ swim team traveled south for a relays meet and came home victorious. The Thunderbirds took first out of eight teams with 260 points in the Janesville Parker Relays on Saturday, Oct. 3 at Parker High School in Janesville. Lakeland beat second-place Milton High School by 12 points.

Lakeland cross country shines at night race

The Lakeland cross country team had the opportunity to take part in a night race last week. It was a success with a team victory and two individual first-place finishes.

Déjà vu: Lakeland volleyball loses five-set thriller on Senior Night

It was an all-too familiar story for the Lakeland Union High School volleyball team. The Thunderbirds dropped a five-set match in what was almost a carbon copy of their match with Antigo last week.

Lady T-Bird tennis finishes second place in the GNC

Lakeland third at GNC tournament, four flights earn all-conference honors

The Lakeland girls’ tennis team had several all-conference honorees following the Great Northern Conference meet in Wausau. The Thunderbirds finished third out of nine teams with 17 points at the GNC meet on Thursday at Newman Catholic High School in Wausau.

Shutout snaps skid

Thunderbirds topple Mosinee to end five-game losing streak

After getting shut out last week, the Lakeland Union High School football team pitched a shutout of its own Friday night to snap a five-game losing streak. The Thunderbirds beat Mosinee 14-0 in a Great Northern Conference game at IncredibleBank Field in Minocqua.

Red Robin riddle: Lakeland volleyball drops five-set match to Antigo

As in previous seasons, the Antigo and Lakeland volleyball teams had a back-and-forth match with the Red Robins coming out on top. The Thunderbirds fell in five sets (28-30, 25-16, 25-15, 18-25, 6-15) to the Red Robins on Thursday at the Lakeland Union High School fieldhouse in Minocqua.

Lakeland boys’ cross country wins Nightfall Classic, girls third

Charlie Ernst, Emerson Rubo win individual titles

The Lakeland Union High School cross country team took part in the Nightfall Classic 608 Friday at Tuscumbia Golf Course in Green Lake. The Lakeland boys won the Division 2 race with 44 points while the Lakeland girls took third with 106 points.

LUHS girls’ swim wins sixth conference dual meet

The Lakeland Union High School girls’ swim team came away with a 129-35 victory over Antigo on Thursday at the LUHS pool in Minocqua. The Thunderbirds won nine of the 11 events and improved to 6-1 in Great Northern Conference play.

Mercer Tiger volleyball sweeps Lac Courte Oreilles

The Mercer High School volleyball team won in straight sets (25-18, 25-10, 25-7) over Lac Courte Oreilles on the road Thursday. It was the Tigers’ (4-12, 2-4 Northern Lights) first conference win since they beat South Shore 3-0 on Sept. 10. Mercer’s win over Lac Courte Oreilles (1-12, 0-6 Northern Lights) was its first true road win of the season.

T-Bird boys’ soccer team stays perfect at home

The Lakeland Union High School boys’ soccer team got a boost Thursday as one of its top players returned from injury. Oren Slemmons scored twice and assisted another goal as the Thunderbirds defeated non-conference Kingsford, Mich. 4-2 on Thursday at IncredibleBank Field in Minocqua. The win moved Lakeland’s record to 6-0 in home games.

Lakeland volleyball team earns road sweep

The Lakeland Union High School volleyball team won its third straight Great Northern Conference match after a 3-0 (25-18, 27-25, 25-21) sweep of Tomahawk on the road.

T-Bird boys’ soccer wins in penalty kicks

Lakeland boys’ soccer got its first chance at a penalty-kick shootout and, in the process, walked away with an extra point. The Thunderbirds tied 1-1 with Rhinelander on Tuesday at Mike Webster Stadium in Rhinelander. The game went to penalty kicks with Lakeland winning 4-2.

Tigers inconsistent in four-set loss to Hurley

The Mercer High School volleyball team lost a home match to Hurley in four sets (19-25, 14-25, 25-20, 15-25) on Monday at John “JP” Pierpont Court in Mercer.

Raiders run wild over short-handed Lakeland football team

Going up against the top team in the Great Northern Conference, a short-handed Lakeland football team dropped its fifth straight game. The Thunderbirds fell 37-0 to Medford Friday night at Raider Field. It was the first time Lakeland had been shut out in a game since falling 33-0 to Mosinee Sept. 1, 2023.

Lady T-Bird tennis drops first GNC match

Lakeland in second place in conference standings ahead of GNC tournament on Thursday

The Lakeland Union High School girls’ tennis team faces an uphill climb to win the Great Northern Conference following its first conference loss of the season. Rhinelander defeated Lakeland 5-2 at the LUHS tennis courts on Thursday.

Thunderbird boys’ soccer team shuts out Antigo

Two days after losing its first game of the season, the Lakeland Union High School boys’ soccer team got a road win. The Thunderbirds shut out Antigo 2-0 in a Great Northern Conference game on Thursday at Listle Field in Antigo.

LUHS volleyball goes 2-2 in Marshfield

The Lakeland Union High School volleyball team went 2-2 during the Autumn Aces volleyball tournament Saturday at Columbus Catholic High School in Marshfield. The Thunderbirds went 2-1 in pool play, falling 2-0 to host Marshfield Columbus before defeating Coleman and Crandon in straight sets.

Lakeland cross country teams win Three Lakes Invite

Lakeland Union High School cross country won two team titles following an invite at Three Lakes. The Lakeland boys took first out of seven qualified teams with a score of 21 points during the Three Lakes Invite Thursday at Big Stone Golf Course. The Lakeland girls placed first out of five teams with a score of 35.

Lady T-Bird swim wins big on the road

The Lakeland girls’ swim team returned to the win column with a dominant 122-37 Great Northern Conference win over Ladysmith/Bruce/Flambeau (2-4 GNC) on the road Thursday, Sept. 24.

Mercer volleyball drops five-set thriller to Drummond

Mercer volleyball came close to winning its second Northern Lights Conference match following a thriller in Drummond. The Tigers fell 3-2 (21-25, 25-20, 20-25, 25-22, 15-17) to Drummond on Thursday.

Battle of undefeated teams: Northland Pines scores twice late to top Lakeland

Two soccer teams came to Eagle River undefeated on the season. When the dust settled, the Lakeland boys’ soccer team lost its first Great Northern Conference game for the first time in three years. Northland Pines beat the Thunderbirds 3-2 on Tuesday at Sam Larsen Memorial Field in Eagle River.

Home-opening sweep

Lady T-Birds victorious over Rhinelander

The Lakeland Union High School volleyball team overcame a slow start to win its home opener. The Thunderbirds beat Rhinelander 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-11) in a Great Northern Conference match Tuesday at the LUHS fieldhouse.

Lady T-Bird tennis wins back-to-back matches

Lakeland hosted Rhinelander in a battle of conference undefeateds on Thursday

Two more Great Northern Conference victories put the Lakeland girls’ tennis team in a good position as the Thunderbirds gear up for the conference meet.

LUHS girls’ swim team runner-up at Rhinelander Invite

The Lakeland Union High School girls’ swim team picked up new personal bests and had the second-most points at a non-conference invite close to home. The Thunderbirds finished second out of six teams with 301 points during the Rhinelander Invite Tuesday at the Heck Family Community Pool in Rhinelander.

Tiger volleyball sweeps Birchwood

Mercer volleyball got back in the win column following a 3-0 (25-7, 25-9, 25-10) sweep over Birchwood (0-10, 0-4 Lakeland — East) Tuesday at Mercer High School.

Calyn Smolinski breaks LUHS breaststroke record

Rhinelander hands Lakeland girls’ swim its first GNC loss

One of Lakeland’s top swimmers broke a 24-year-old school record in the Lakeland Union High School girls’ swim team’s home opener on Thursday. Freshman Calyn Smolinski won two events and set a new LUHS record in the 100-yard breaststroke, but it wasn’t enough as the Thunderbirds fell 108-62 to Rhinelander in a Great Northern Conference dual meet at LUHS in Minocqua.

Tomahawk tidal wave tanks T-Birds

Hatchets score 27 unanswered points to top Lakeland

A couple of plays completely turned the momentum of Lakeland football’s most recent game, culminating in the team’s fourth straight loss. Tomahawk scored 27 unanswered points, all in the second half, to defeat the Thunderbirds 27-6 Friday at IncredibleBank Field in Minocqua.

Lakeland cross country teams finish in top 10 at Smiley

The Lakeland Union High School cross country team displayed positive results in one of the larger meets of the season. The Thunderbirds ran in the 70th annual Bill Smiley Invitational Saturday at Wausau East High School. Competing in the Division 1 race, the Lakeland boys finished ninth out of 25 qualified teams with a score of 223. The Lakeland girls ended up 10th out of 21 teams with a score of 286.

T-Bird boys’ soccer defeats Merrill

Lakeland plays at Northland Pines in a battle of undefeated teams today

The Lakeland boys’ soccer team won its eighth straight game to open the season after a 4-1 victory over Merrill Thursday at IncredibleBank Field in Minocqua.

Lakeland volleyball goes 2-2 in Eau Claire

The Lakeland Union High School volleyball team traveled west Saturday to face some different competition in its fourth non-conference invite of the season.

Mercer volleyball drops second straight conference match

The Mercer High School volleyball team fell 3-0 (16-25, 25-27, 23-25) to Butternut (8-2, 3-0 Northern Lights) in a Northern Lights Conference match Thursday in Mercer.

Lakeland lights the spark

Lady T-Birds down Medford to win their first GNC match of the season

One spark is all it takes. The Lakeland Union High School volleyball team got its signature win of the season on Tuesday. The Thunderbirds defeated Medford 3-1 (19-25, 25-12, 25-21, 27-25) at Raider Hall in Medford to give Lakeland its first Great Northern Conference victory of the season.