Lakeland boys’ hockey team gets by Eagles

The snow didn’t stave off the Lakeland Union High School boys’ hockey team from going on the road for a conference win. The Thunderbirds took down Northland Pines 3-1 in Eagle River on Thursday. It was Lakeland’s second Great Northern Conference (GNC) win of the season.

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Tiger boys’ basketball can’t overcome slow start

The Mercer boys’ basketball team got off to a slow start and couldn’t recover in a loss to Tomahawk. The Hatchets, Division 3, beat the Tigers, Division 5, 84-34 on Thursday night in Mercer. It was Mercer’s first non-conference game of the season.

Seven Lakeland skiers took part in first Junior National Qualifier in Cable

A total of seven Lakeland skiers competed across a number of age levels in the first Junior National Qualifier (JNQ) of the season.

T-Bird boys’ swim falls to Medford

The Lakeland boys’ swim team fended off the snow for a road meet in Medford on Thursday. Medford won 81-43 over the Thunderbirds.

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Winning over the Warriors

LUHS girls’ basketball soundly defeats Wausau West

Offense and defense came together for another convincing win for the Thunderbirds in Minocqua. The Lakeland girls’ basketball team defeated non-conference Wausau West 72-23 on Tuesday night.

Tigers win big for first victory of the season

Mercer boys’ hoops extends win streak to five over Butternut

A dominant first half set the tone in Anthony Pemble’s first win as head coach of the Mercer boys’ basketball team. The Tigers beat Butternut 60-26 on the road on Tuesday.

T-Bird boys’ hockey allows season-high seven goals in loss

A trip to Michigan gave the Lakeland boys’ hockey team an opportunity to be challenged in a high-scoring contest. The Thunderbirds dropped a non-conference game, 7-3, to Kingsford, Mich. on Tuesday. Both teams scored at least one goal in each period.

Mercer girls’ basketball loses back-to-back games

After winning their first game of the season last week, the Mercer girls’ basketball team couldn’t back it up. Ironwood, Mich. defeated the Tigers 80-20 in a non-conference game in Ironwood on Monday. The next day, Mercer fell 41-22 to Butternut in another road game.

LUHS girls’ wrestling places five in top three

Charlie Ernst finishes third for the boys

The Lakeland wrestling teams had several athletes finish in the top three in Barron last weekend. The Lakeland boys finished 10th out of 18 teams with 35 points at the Barron Invite on Saturday. The Lakeland girls placed fourth out of 18 teams with 44 points.

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LUHS boys’ basketball team’s inexperience proves costly in loss at Antigo

Playing in just their second conference game of the season, the Lakeland boys’ basketball team found themselves in a close contest against Antigo. The Red Robins (4-1, 1-1 GNC) held on to a 57-53 win on Friday night in Antigo.

Lakeland wrestling teams gain experience in Barron

The Lakeland Union High School (LUHS) wrestling teams traveled to Barron for a Saturday invite. The Lakeland boys finished 10th out of 18 teams with 35 points at the Barron Invite. The Lakeland girls placed fourth out of 18 teams with 44 points.

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Lady Thunderbirds win big over Red Robins

Coming off their first home loss since January of 2023, the Lakeland girls’ basketball team had no problem getting by Antigo on Friday night. The Thunderbirds defeated the Red Robins 85-14 on the road to win their 32nd straight conference game. The 85 points scored were a season high.

Comeback complete

Mercer girls’ basketball wins first game of the season

A comeback win gave the Mercer girls’ basketball team their first win of the season on Friday night. The Tigers beat Washburn 36-33 in Mercer for their first Northern Lights Conference victory. It was also coach Gordy Kohegyi’s first win with the Tigers.

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Season preview: Lakeland Nordic ski teams building their way back up

The Lakeland Nordic ski teams may not possess as much team speed as it has had in the past, but both teams have individuals who are ready to make some noise. The storyline of last year’s season came in the lack of snow. It shortened the campaign to a couple of meets and postponed the state distance meet to March.

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T-Bird boys’ swim team getting faster

Lakeland swims in relay event in Rhinelander

Faster times and first-place swims highlighted the Lakeland boys’ swim team’s meet against Antigo. The Thunderbirds also swam in a relay meet in Rhinelander.

Washburn hands Mercer boys’ basketball their third straight loss

The Mercer boys’ basketball team got behind early in a Northern Lights Conference game. Washburn defeated the Tigers 80-29 in Mercer on Friday night.

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Rice Lake wins ranked matchup

Warriors end game on 17-2 run to edge Lady Thunderbirds

A highly-contested girls’ basketball matchup between two ranked Division 2 teams ended up being a low-scoring affair in Minocqua. Rice Lake defeated Lakeland 51-42 on Tuesday night. The Warriors improved their record to 5-0 on the season.

LUHS boys’ hockey picks up second straight shutout win

Two goals by C.J. Smith gave the Lakeland boys’ hockey team their first road victory of the season. The Thunderbirds beat the Northwest Icemen, Barron Co-op, 2-0 on Tuesday night.

LUHS boys’ hoops victorious on the road

A non-conference road win got the Lakeland boys’ basketball team back on track on Tuesday. The Thunderbirds beat Three Lakes 53-47 for their second win of the season. It was an even game with both teams making 15 2-point field goals and five free throws. In the end, Lakeland made two more triples that made the difference in the game.

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Season review: Lakeland girls’ swim team broke records, sent four to state

School records, state appearances and a bigger roster made for a positive Lakeland girls’ swim season. The Thunderbirds finished tied for fourth out of eight teams in the Great Northern Conference (GNC) standings with 16 total conference points, tied with Antigo. Lakeland went 3-4 in conference duals. It was an improvement of two wins compared to last season (1-6).

Tiger boys’ basketball opens season with two losses

The Mercer boys’ basketball team opened their season with two straight losses as the Tigers come together under new coach Anthony Pemble.

Mercer girls’ hoops drops two games

Searching for their first win of the season, the Mercer girls’ basketball team took on two different Northern Lights Conference opponents. First, Solon Springs beat the Tigers 82-37 in Mercer on Friday, Dec. 6. On Tuesday, South Shore beat the Tigers 68-23 at South Shore High School.

Kristina Ouimette scores school-record 45 points

LUHS girls’ basketball wins at Medford

Kristina Ouimette tied a school record with 43 points in the season opener against Menomonie. On Friday, she broke that record, leading the Thunderbirds to their 31st straight conference win. The Lakeland girls’ basketball team beat Medford 74-45 on Friday at Raider Hall in Medford. Kristina Ouimette set a new school record with 45 points in the win.

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Thunderbirds shut out Medford in conference opener

Dominic Gironella scores career-high three goals

A hat trick by Dominic Gironella boosted the Lakeland boys’ hockey team to their first conference and shutout win of the season. The Thunderbirds beat Medford 5-0 in their Great Northern Conference (GNC) opener in Minocqua on Thursday.

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Turnovers plague Lakeland boys’ basketball team against Medford

The Lakeland boys’ basketball team couldn’t recover from an early deficit in their conference opener on Friday. Medford beat the Thunderbirds 73-57 to open the Great Northern Conference (GNC) slate in Minocqua.

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LUHS boys’ wrestling wins two at home

Thunderbirds place fifth in Antigo

The Lakeland boys’ wrestling team got much-needed experience in a home triangular and road invite. The Thunderbirds beat Elcho 66-12 and Florence 59-11 in a home triangular on Thursday. Then, Lakeland finished fifth out of 18 teams with 213.5 points at the John Roberts Scramble in Antigo on Saturday.

Micah Wright takes first place in Antigo

LUHS girls’ wrestling places in top 10 as a team

The Lakeland girls’ wrestling team set out to their own meet on Friday night. They saw positive results, including one champion. The Thunderbirds finished eighth out of 23 teams with 80 points at the Red Robin Girls Invite in Antigo.

Solon Springs sweeps Mercer basketball teams

The Mercer basketball teams had a tough time containing Solon Springs in a doubleheader in Mercer on Friday. The Solon Springs girls beat the Tigers 82-37 in the conference opener on Friday. The Mercer boys opened their season on Friday to a 64-17 loss to Solon Springs.

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Lakeland boys’ swim improves times against Rhinelander

A shorthanded Lakeland boys’ swim team saw improved times in their second meet of the season, first on the road. Rhinelander took down the Thunderbirds by a score of 138-13 on Thursday night.

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Record-breaking 30 straight conference wins

Lady Thunderbirds survive upset-minded Mosinee

It didn’t come easy in the Lakeland girls’ basketball team’s 30th straight conference win on Tuesday over Mosinee. “We hung on and survived,” coach Melissa Ouimette said. “It’s always good to have a win when you didn’t play your best game. There were moments where we were good and even great, and then there were moments that weren’t so great. It’s great that we walked away with this victory tonight, and this is our 30th conference win in a row. Hats off to the girls for accomplishing that.”

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T-Bird boys’ hoops earns first win of the year

Lakeland drops two games in Mosinee

The Lakeland boys’ basketball team found mixed results in their first three games of the season. First, the Thunderbirds fell 81-55 to Milwaukee Golda Meir on Friday, Nov. 29 in the Mosinee Turkey Shootout. Then, New London defeated Lakeland 60-37 on Saturday. The Thunderbirds returned to Minocqua to beat Ashland 77-49 in their home debut on Monday.

D.C. Everest tops Lakeland boys’ hockey

The Lakeland boys’ hockey team fell behind again in a home game against D.C. Everest. The Evergreens ended up getting a road win. D.C. Everest beat Lakeland 4-2 on Tuesday at the Lakeland Hawks Ice Arena in Minocqua.

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LUHS boys’ swim team makes season debut

T-Birds fall to Shawano/Seymour

The Lakeland boys’ swim team made their long-awaited return to the pool at home on Tuesday. Shawano/Seymour beat Lakeland 81-48 at the Lakeland Union High School pool. “I am very happy with how the meet went,” coach Amie Rein said. “I think the swimmers did a great job. They had great swims, and now we have a starting point of some times to work with.”

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Season preview: LUHS girls’ wrestling building up their own team

With over 10 girls signed up, the Lakeland girls’ wrestling program is continuing to build up their own team for 2024-25. “Last year we had five,” coach Adam Bremer said. “(We’ve) already doubled the size of this team.”

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Season preview: Tiger boys’ hoops team getting a fresh start with new coach

Wins have been hard to come by for the Mercer boys’ basketball team. They’re hoping a coaching change can spark the team this year. The Tigers have won just three games each of the last two seasons — sweeping the season series against Butternut both years.

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Third-period blitz

Lakeland boys’ hockey overcomes two-goal deficit, wins opener over Pacelli

A scoring frenzy in the third period propelled the Lakeland boys’ hockey team to a comeback win in their season opener on Tuesday. The Thunderbirds beat non-conference Pacelli 4-3 at the Lakeland Hawks Ice Arena in Minocqua.

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Season preview: Lakeland boys’ swim team returns

After taking a year off, the Lakeland boys’ swim team is back. The Thunderbirds had to cancel their season a year ago because they didn’t have a coach. Lakeland has found a new coach in Amie Rein. She’s ensured that the boys will have a season.

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Season preview: T-Bird boys’ wrestling developing young team

It’s a younger, less experienced boys’ wrestling team this season. They want to fill as many weight classes as possible and represent the community in a positive way. “We’re a very young team,” coach Adam Bremer said. “We’re going to try to gain as much mat time and mat experience as we can.”

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Season preview: LUHS boys’ basketball a newer team

The T-Bird boys’ basketball team is regrouping after a fourth-place finish in last year’s Great Northern Conference (GNC) standings. It’s year two for coach Jacob Jarvensivu. He’s looking to maximize the potential of his team.

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Season review: Lakeland cross country season ended at state

It was another year of state participants, and one conference title, for the Lakeland cross country teams. Coach Gordy Hartzheim called the 2024 season a successful one for the Thunderbirds.

Season review: Mercer volleyball team bids farewell to coach Robyn Schoeneman

The Mercer volleyball team turned in another championship-filled season with conference and regional titles. The Tigers finished 28-9 overall, 9-0 in the Northern Lights Conference. They won their conference championship for the sixth straight season.

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Lady Thunderbirds split two games in Beaver Dam

A trip to Beaver Dam challenged the Lakeland girls’ basketball team as they split two non-conference games over the weekend.

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Season preview: T-Bird hockey reloading for new year

It’s a little bit of a different team for Lakeland boys’ hockey. Losing 11 players last year, the Thunderbirds are looking at everybody to take the next step forward.

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Northland Pines runs by Mercer girls’ hoops in second half

The Mercer girls’ basketball team couldn’t overcome their turnovers and gave up too many extra points in their second loss of the week on Thursday. Northland Pines defeated the Tigers 56-27 in a non-conference game in Mercer.

Record-tying scoring night propels LUHS girls’ basketball team to season-opening win

Kristina Ouimette scores 43 points, ties school record

The Lakeland girls’ basketball team got a bit of redemption over Menomonie with a wire-to-wire win in the season opener on Tuesday night. The Thunderbirds defeated the Mustangs 63-44 at Ted Voigt Court in Minocqua. Kristina Ouimette tied a school record with 43 points.

Season preview: New coach leads Mercer girls’ hoops

Tigers fall to Chequamegon in season opener

For the third time in three years, the Mercer girls’ basketball team has a new coach. They’re hoping to boost their way up the Northern Lights Conference standings.

Building a team

Lakeland boys’ basketball, boys’ swim and wrestling begin practices

Three Lakeland teams got their seasons underway with the first day of practice on Monday, including the return of the boys’ swim team.

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Lady Thunderbirds see state success

Olivia Mickle sets two new school records, makes podium twice

The Lakeland Union High School girls’ swim team excelled in a day full of personal bests and school records at state on Friday night. The Thunderbirds finished 17th out of 34 teams with 43 points at the WIAA Division 2 state meet at Waukesha South High School. Olivia Mickle, Avalon Collins, Daryn Smolinski and Kasey Wise represented Lakeland in four different events.

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Lakeland’s Kristina Ouimette, Saylor Timmerman make dreams come true

Lakeland Union High School (LUHS) seniors Kristina Ouimette and Saylor Timmerman have talked about playing sports collegiately for a long time. They finally made it official on Wednesday. Ouimette and Timmerman signed their National Letter of Intents in a National Signing Day ceremony at the LUHS theater. It was a surreal moment for both of them.

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Season preview: Experienced LUHS girls’ basketball team going for it all

With almost everyone back from last year, the 2024-25 Lakeland girls’ basketball season could be one for the history books. “This has the makings to be a very special season,” coach Melissa Ouimette said. “We need everybody to stay healthy and keep their great attitudes … and take every day one day at a time and good things can happen. I really think this is a special group.”

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