Tumultuous tie
Antigo-Lakeland boys’ hockey game ends with abrupt tie
A high-scoring hockey game led to a rare tie between conference foes in Minocqua. The Lakeland Union High School boys’ hockey team tied Antigo 5-5 in overtime on Thursday.
Ice-cold shooting leads to blowout loss for LUHS boys’ hoops
The Lakeland boys’ basketball team didn’t have enough offense to keep pace with Rhinelander in a loss on Friday night. The Hodags defeated Lakeland 70-30 in Rhinelander. It was Lakeland’s lowest-scoring output of the season.
Malin Awker’s soccer skills ascended in 2024
Malin Awker is making a name for herself in the game of soccer. Playing for different teams in different positions around the state, she’s learning it all. Malin is an eighth grader at Arbor Vitae-Woodruff Elementary School. Similar to last year, she’s playing soccer 24/7, all 12 months of the year.
Lakeland wrestling teams return to the mat
Micah Wright wins weight class in Merrill
The Lakeland wrestling teams were back in action on Saturday as a busy January got underway. The Lakeland girls finished eighth out of 26 teams with 51 points at the Bluejay Challenge in Merrill. The Lakeland boys ended up 16th out of 23 teams with 127 points.
Mercer boys’ basketball falls to Lac Courte Oreilles by a point
The Mercer boys’ basketball team played in two different types of games. They nearly came out on the winning side on Friday. On Tuesday, Jan. 7, Hurley defeated the Tigers 82-27 in Hurley. Next, Lac Courte Oreilles won by a point, 46-45, on Friday in Mercer.
LUHS boys’ swim team gains more experience
The Lakeland boys’ swim team returned to the pool for the first time in the new calendar year. Competing with only two swimmers, they continued to gain valuable experience.
Mercer girls’ hoops wins their second game of the season
The Mercer girls’ basketball team picked up their second win of the season by a wide margin on Friday. First, Hurley took down the Tigers 60-42 in a Northern Lights Conference game on Tuesday, Jan. 7. Then, the Tigers beat Lac Courte Oreilles 45-26 in Mercer on Friday.
Comeback effort comes up short
Mosinee boys’ hockey holds on for 4-3 win over Lakeland
The Mosinee-Lakeland rivalry has burned brightly over the past several years. It was no different on Tuesday night. Mosinee (3-0 Great Northern) beat the Thunderbirds (2-1) 4-3 in Mosinee.
Back to business
LUHS girls’ basketball team routes Tomahawk
Following a tough loss to West De Pere, the Lakeland Union High School girls’ basketball team had no problem getting by Tomahawk on Tuesday night. The Thunderbirds beat Tomahawk 69-16 in Lakeland’s first home game since Dec. 17, 2024.
Defense guides Lakeland boys’ basketball team to victory
Defense led the way as the Lakeland boys’ basketball team got back to .500 on Tuesday. The Thunderbirds defeated Tomahawk 55-34 on the road for their second straight win. It was coach Jacob Jarvensivu’s second time coming back to Tomahawk, a place he coached at for several years.
T-Birds, Hodags tussle tonight for GNC lead
The Lakeland Thunderbirds and the Rhinelander Hodags meet tonight at Rhinelander’s Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium with first place in the GNC on the line. Lakeland Times sports writer Brett LaBore and River News sports editor Jeremy Mayo break down the contest.
Rhinelander, Lakeland renew boys’ hardwood rivalry tonight
The second half of tonight’s doubleheader at Rhinelander’s Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium features the GNC-leading Hodag boys taking on Lakeland. Lakeland Times sports writer Brett LaBore and River News sports editor Jeremy Mayo break down the contest.
Thunderbirds come up clutch
LUHS boys’ basketball beats Edgar in final minute
Points haven’t come at a premium for the Lakeland boys’ basketball team. They made the plays they needed to down the stretch to beat a non-conference opponent. The Thunderbirds beat Edgar 52-47 on Friday in a game that came down to the wire in Minocqua.
Amery tops Lakeland boys’ hockey team
Playing in their first game of the new calendar year, the Lakeland Union High School boys’ hockey team was tested in a road contest on Friday. Amery (6-5) defeated the Thunderbirds 3-1 in a non-
A ghost story
Phantoms hold Lady Thunderbirds to season-low 30 points
A slow start doomed the Thunderbirds against a high-caliber, non-conference team on the road. West De Pere (10-3, 4-1 Bay Conference) beat the Lakeland girls’ basketball team 43-30 on Saturday morning. It was Lakeland’s first game since Dec. 27, 2024.
Mercer’s MECCA Trails to host Winterfest on Jan. 18
The MECCA Trails grooming team is preparing Mercer’s 21k trail system for its annual Winterfest. Live races are scheduled to be held on Saturday, Jan. 18, and virtual race events are available now through mid-February.
T-Birds tame Panthers
Lakeland girls’ hoops wins their final game of Sentry Classic
The Lakeland girls’ basketball team got off to a faster start in their win over Stevens Point last week. The Thunderbirds beat non-conference Stevens Point (7-3, 2-0 Wisconsin Valley Conference) 62-55 on Friday, Dec. 27 during the second day of the Sentry Classic at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Kady Lohoff, Micah Wright take first place at Northern Badger Wrestling Classic
The Lakeland girls’ wrestling team came away with two champions at the Northern Badger Wrestling Classic in River Falls last weekend. The Lakeland girls finished fourth out of 31 teams with 80 points in River Falls Friday, Dec. 27 through Saturday, Dec. 28. The Lakeland boys ended up 15th out of 15 Division 1 teams with 12.5 points.
Defensive slugfest
Lakeland, Merrill play each other one more time as non-conference opponents
The Merrill Bluejays and Lakeland Union High School (LUHS) Thunderbirds played each other one more time as non-conference opponents in a defensive slugfest on Monday. “I think that’s why it makes all the sense in the world that they’re joining the conference,” coach Jacob Jarvensivu said. “It feels (like a conference game).”
Stella Meza comes out on top in distance race at Cable
The Lakeland Nordic ski teams are finding themselves in a similar spot as last season. Warmer temperatures have caused snow to disappear throughout Wisconsin. Still, they got one race in at Cable on Sunday. Lakeland originally had scheduled to take part in a sprints meet at Birkie Trailhead. They ended up taking part in a distance meet. No team points were kept.
Holiday hoops classic
Laconia edges Lakeland in ranked contest at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Falling behind by double digits, the Lakeland girls’ basketball team nearly completed a second-half comeback against a top-ranked team in Stevens Point. Laconia, the No. 1 ranked team in Division 3 according to the Week 4 coaches poll on WisSports.net, beat Lakeland, ranked No. 10 in Division 2 in the same rankings, 62-58 on Thursday in the 53rd annual Sentry Classic at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
T-Bird boys’ basketball picks up first Great Northern Conference victory
A home victory before Christmas gave the Lakeland boys’ basketball team their first conference win. The Thunderbirds beat Northland Pines 51-46 on Friday, Dec. 20 in Minocqua.
History in Eagle River
Kristina Ouimette records 2,000th career point, tallies school-record 49 points, 10 3s
Kristina Ouimette made more history last Friday night with a 49-point showing in the same game she scored her 2,000th career point. The Thunderbirds defeated Northland Pines 83-33 on Friday, Dec. 20 in Eagle River. It was Lakeland’s third straight victory.
River Nicklaus bids farewell to football on winning note
St. Norbert College ended season on eight-game win streak
River Nicklaus made a name for himself this season, helping the St. Norbert College Green Knight football team to eight wins this season. Nicklaus, a Woodruff native and Lakeland Union High School Class of 2021 graduate, played his final season for the Green Knights. It turned into a positive one.
Lakeland boys win first Nordic ski meet of the season
Lakeland Nordic ski teams open season in Winchester, Stevens Point
For the first time in two years, the Lakeland Nordic ski teams had a meet in the month of December.
T-Bird boys’ hockey falls to West Bend
West Bend showed how tough they were when they came into Lakeland Hawks Ice Arena and beat the Thunderbirds. The Lakeland boys’ hockey team fell 4-1 to the West Bend Bears on Friday, Dec. 20.
Lakeland wrestling teams maximize mat time
The Lakeland wrestling teams gathered together for an invite in Shawano where they gained more mat experience. The Lakeland boys and girls took part in the Shawano High School Holiday Classic.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.