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Overtime heartbreaker

Rice Lake ousts Thunderbirds from the playoffs for a second straight season

In a tight, back-and-forth playoff game, the T-Bird boys’ basketball team lost its first round playoff matchup in heartbreaking fashion on Tuesday. Ninth-seeded Rice Lake beat eighth-seeded Lakeland 61-60 in overtime in a WIAA Division 2 regional quarterfinal game at Ted Voigt Court in Minocqua.

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Malin Awker rising to the occasion in her first state meet

The Lakeland Union High School gymnastics program has shown a lot of progress this season, and it continues at the state meet with freshman Malin Awker. Awker is set to make her state debut Saturday, March 7 at Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School.

Talan Pockat gets his senior moment at state bowling

Talan Pockat, a senior at Lakeland Union High School, has been bowling for a long time. He finally gets his shot at the title with the state meet this weekend. The top 10 bowlers in the District 9 individual standings qualified for the state tournament held today through Sunday, March 8 at Dale’s Weston Lanes. Pockat finished seventh with a Baker Equivalency Rating of 67.11.

Mercer boys’ basketball loses playoff game to Prentice

The Mercer High School boys’ basketball team saw its season come to an end following a 99-13 loss to Prentice in a WIAA Division 5 regional quarterfinal game on Tuesday in Prentice. “It’s a tough loss to end the season with, but the boys stuck it out like they always do,” coach Anthony Pemble said.

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Malin Awker punches ticket to state in all-around, vault

LUHS gymnastics scores season-high 118.95

It was an all-around great day for the Lakeland gymnastics team on Friday. The Thunderbirds set a new season-high in score and sent an individual to the WIAA state meet for the first time in eight years. Lakeland finished fifth out of eight teams with 118.95 points in a WIAA Division 2 sectional meet at Antigo High School. The top two teams advanced to the state tournament.

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Eagles co-op falls one game short of state

One game away from the state tournament, the Northland Pines girls’ hockey co-op ran out of magic. The fifth-seeded Eagles fell 7-0 to second-seeded Superior in a WIAA sectional final Saturday at the Hayward Sports Center.

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Shawano staves off Lakeland’s upset bid

A strong start was not enough for the Lakeland Union High School girls’ basketball team to upset top-seeded Shawano Friday night. The Hawks defeated the eighth-seeded Thunderbirds 62-52 in a WIAA Division 2 regional semifinal game at Shawano Community High School.

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Thunderbirds end regular season with loss

LUHS boys’ hoops hosts Rice Lake to open playoffs tonight, 7 p.m.

The Lakeland Union High School boys’ basketball team dropped its final game of the regular season in a 63-53 road loss at Merrill Thursday night.

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Big second half leads Lady T-Birds to playoff win

It’s all about the finish. The Lakeland Union High School girls’ basketball team worked together for a big second half and playoff win. The Thunderbirds, the No. 8 seed, beat Wausau East, the No. 9 seed, 70-51 at Ted Voigt Court in Minocqua.

Eagles stun Storm

Northland Pines girls’ hockey co-op advances to sectional final

In a playoff shocker, the Northland Pines girls’ hockey co-op defied all odds to take down the No. 1 seed on the road. The Eagles, the No. 5 seed, defeated the Central Wisconsin Storm 2-1 in a WIAA sectional semifinal game in Wausau on Tuesday.

Northland Pines blanks LUHS boys’ hockey

Going up against the No. 1 seed proved to be too much of a challenge for the Lakeland boys’ hockey team in a playoff loss on Tuesday. The fourth-seeded Thunderbirds fell 6-0 to Northland Pines in a WIAA Division 2 sectional semifinal game in Eagle River.

T-Bird boys’ basketball team drops game to Oredockers

The Lakeland boys’ basketball team dropped it final non-conference game of the regular season to Ashland, 73-65. The game took place Monday in Ashland.

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Similar Solon Springs story

Mercer Tiger boys’ hoops falls to Eagles for second straight game

In the second game of a back-to-back set against Solon Springs, the Mercer boys’ basketball team improved, even in defeat. The Tigers fell 67-28 to the Eagles in a Northern Lights Conference game on Monday in Mercer. Three days earlier, Mercer lost 73-17 in Solon Springs.

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Instant playoff classic

Thunderbirds beat Shawano/Bonduel in double overtime

Overtime, playoffs, an injury, stellar goalie play — the Lakeland Union High School boys’ hockey team won its biggest game of the year in thrilling fashion. The Thunderbirds, the No. 4 seed, defeated Shawano/Bonduel, the No. 5 seed, 3-2 in double overtime in a WIAA Division 2 regional final game Thursday at the Lakeland Hawks Ice Arena in Minocqua.

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Lady T-Birds take third place at conference meet

Malin Awker finishes all-conference in three different events

The Lakeland Union High School gymnastics team didn’t have a team a season ago. On Saturday, they showed just how far they’ve come in one year at the conference meet. The Thunderbirds finished third out of five teams with 115.975 points at the Great Northern Conference Small Division meet at the LUHS fieldhouse.

Playoff upset: Northland Pines girls’ hockey co-op wins in overtime

An overtime winner in the playoffs. The Northland Pines girls’ hockey co-op extended its season with a thrilling victory on Thursday night. Fifth-seeded Northland Pines, comprised of skaters from Northland Pines, Rhinelander, Lakeland, Antigo, Three Lakes, Hurley and Norway (Mich.) high schools, defeated fourth-seeded Wisconsin Valley Union 4-3 in overtime in a regional final in Stevens Point.

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Hodags snap Lakeland’s three-game conference win streak

The Lakeland boys’ basketball team’s three-game conference win streak came to an end on Friday night. Rhinelander defeated Lakeland 72-46 in Rhinelander.

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Lady T-Birds fall to Rhinelander to conclude regular season

Lakeland hosts Wausau East tonight in playoff opener, 7 p.m.

Similar to the first meeting, the Lakeland girls’ basketball team played competitive early with Rhinelander. A strong second half by the Hodags put the game away. The Thunderbirds fell 57-33 to Rhinelander on the road Friday night.

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Lakeland girls’ wrestling concludes season at sectional meet

The Lakeland girls’ wrestling team saw its season come to an end on Friday night. The Thunderbirds participated in a WIAA sectional meet at D.C. Everest Senior High School. Emma Brooks, Kady Lohoff and Moriah Louis all dropped their first round matchup.

Mercer boys’ basketball team drops two straight

The Mercer High School boys’ basketball team dropped two more Northern Lights Conference games. The Tigers fell 90-24 to Washburn in Mercer on Tuesday, Feb. 17. Then, Mercer traveled to Solon Springs Friday and lost 73-17 to the Eagles.

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Emotional senior send-off

Lakeland falls to Wausau East on Senior Night

The Lakeland Union High School boys’ basketball team ran into a tough opponent on Senior Night. The Thunderbirds fell 87-60 to Wausau East in a non-conference game Tuesday night in Minocqua.

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Lady T-Birds and Red Robins tie

LUHS gymnastics concludes conference dual play with its best record since 2015-16

A tie between Lakeland Union High School and Antigo High School’s gymnastics teams gave the Thunderbirds their best finish in Great Northern Conference dual play in 10 years. Lakeland took sixth out of nine teams with a score of 116.425 in the Valentine’s Meet at Ashland High School on Saturday. Then, the Thunderbirds and Red Robins both had a team score of 116.9 in the final GNC dual meet of the season.

Locked in for the postseason

Lakeland Nordic skiers Brayden Kelly, Colin McKinney, Parker McKinney, Miranda Schneider make postseason trips

The final Junior National Qualifier took place in Minneapolis on Saturday and Sunday. When all was said and done, four Lakeland Nordic skiers made a postseason trip.

Aro Ryden excelling on the Wisconsin Kids Snowmobile Racing Association circuit

Aro Ryden victorious Jan. 17 in Eagle River

Snowmobile racing is a popular sport here in the Northwoods during the winter. For one local in particular, he came across the finish line in first place. Minocqua native Aro Ryden, 7 years old, won a race at the Wisconsin Kids Snowmobile Racing Association (WKSRA) World Championship Jan. 16 through 18 in Eagle River.

Kady Lohoff, Moriah Louis advance to the sectional meet

The Lakeland girls’ wrestling team scored the third-most points at the regional meet, and in the end, advanced two of its seniors to the next round. The Thunderbirds finished third out of 10 teams with 125 points at a WIAA regional meet in Merrill on Friday.

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Lady T-Birds win big on Senior Night

In one of its biggest games of the season, the Lakeland girls’ basketball team won by nearly 30 points to secure fourth place in the Great Northern Conference standings. The Thunderbirds beat Tomahawk 62-33 on Senior Night Friday at Ted Voigt Court in Minocqua.

LUHS boys’ basketball wins third straight game

The Lakeland boys’ basketball team won handily on the road for its third straight win. The Thunderbirds beat Tomahawk 77-36 Friday on the road.

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Lakeland boys’ wrestling places 13th at sectionals

The Lakeland Union High School boys’ wrestling team saw its season come to an end at the sectional meet on Saturday. The Thunderbirds finished 13th out of 16 teams with 28.5 points in the newly-formatted postseason. Instead of having a regional, 16 teams gathered in Antigo for a sectional meet.

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T-Bird boys’ swim team improves times at sectional meet

More personal bests helped the Lakeland boys’ swim team end its season on a positive note. Silas Fetrow and Garrison Jacques took part in a WIAA Division 2 sectional meet Saturday at the Rice Lake Natatorium. Lakeland’s two swimmers combined to score 24 points.

Northland Pines girls’ hockey co-op scores season-high nine goals

Pines takes on Wisconsin Valley Union to begin playoffs on Thursday

The Northland Pines girls’ hockey co-op split a pair of games to conclude the regular season. The Hayward co-op defeated Northland Pines 2-0 on Thursday in Eagle River. Then, the Eagles beat Viroqua 9-1 on the road on Saturday.

Mercer boys’ basketball falls to Mellen, Bayfield

The Mercer High School boys’ basketball team dropped back-to-back Northern Lights Conference games last week. On Tuesday, Feb. 10, Mellen defeated the Tigers 69-15. On Friday, Mercer fell 99-22 to Bayfield. Both games took place in Mercer.

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Lakeland Nordic ski boys rise to second place overall

Brayden Kelly finishes third overall in individual point standings

The Lakeland Nordic ski team saved its best for last with a strong showing at the state distance meet. The Lakeland boys finished second as a team at the Wisconsin Nordic Ski League State Distance Championships Saturday, Feb. 7 through Sunday, Feb. 8 in Cable. The second-place finish put them second overall as a team.

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Kallen Howard, Tyrone Moore win individual wrestling conference titles

Five Thunderbirds finish all-conference

The Lakeland Union High School boys’ wrestling team had two champions after the conference tournament on Saturday. The Thunderbirds finished fourth out of seven teams with 123.5 points at the Great Northern Conference meet in Medford. Kallen Howard and Tyrone Moore won individual conference titles for Lakeland.

Clutch victory: LUHS boys’ hoops hangs on to beat Northland Pines

The Lakeland boys’ basketball team got out to a sizable lead in the second half before holding on to a win a close Great Northern Conference game. The Thunderbirds beat Northland Pines 56-55 on Tuesday at Ted Voigt Court.

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Lady T-Birds come back to beat Eagles

Lakeland, Tomahawk play tonight for fourth place in the GNC

In a span of two games, the Lakeland girls’ basketball team saw one of the best players in the state and had a comeback win over a Great Northern Conference rival. The Thunderbirds fell 77-46 to non-conference Shawano on Monday in Minocqua. Then, Lakeland traveled to Eagle River to defeat Northland Pines 58-51 on Tuesday.

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Riley Hitchcock, Dave Kemnitz co-champions of Lakeland Times Prediction Board

Craig Farrell revealed as this year’s Mystic

In a competitive field, The Lakeland Times’ annual football Prediction Board came down to the final game. Island City Dray’s Riley Hitchcock and Minocqua Country Club head golf professional Dave Kemnitz tied for first at 189-96.

Lakeland gymnastics team wins triangular

Lady Thunderbirds score season-high 115.425

The Lakeland gymnastics team not only picked up two wins but also set a season-high in team score on Tuesday. The Thunderbirds won a triangular at Ashland with a score of 115.425. Ashland scored 84.075 and Mosinee 31.95.

Northland Pines girls’ hockey co-op drops two straight

The Northland Pines girls’ hockey co-op took on two of the better teams in the Wisconsin Valley Conference.

Mercer falls in final seconds to Lac Courte Oreilles

In its closest game of the season, the Mercer Tigers boys’ basketball team came up a few points short in a Northern Lights Conference game. Lac Courte Oreilles defeated Mercer 37-35 Thursday, Feb. 5 in Mercer.

Lady T-Birds place two on the podium

Lakeland girls’ wrestling places sixth in inaugural GNC/WVC meet

In a first of its kind, the Great Northern Conference and Wisconsin Valley Conference came together to have the girls’ wrestling conference tournament. The Thunderbirds finished sixth out of 13 teams with 60 points at the GNC/WVC meet Friday night in Medford. Lakeland had two wrestlers on the podium — Kady Lohoff, second place, and Moriah Louis, third place.

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Lakeland routs Antigo

A complete performance gave the Lakeland boys’ basketball team its first road victory of the season. The Thunderbirds beat Antigo 70-37 in Antigo in a Great Northern Conference game Friday night. Lakeland won both of its games over the Red Robins this season by a combined 73 points.

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Perfect home record

Thunderbirds improve home record to 3-0 on Senior Night

The Lakeland boys’ wrestling team finished the season undefeated in home matches following a win over Medford on Thursday. The Thunderbirds defeated Medford 39-30 on Senior Night, a rescheduled meet originally set to take place Dec. 18, 2025.

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Lakeland gymnastics falls to Rhinelander in home opener

The Lakeland Union High School gymnastics team had its home opener in a Great Northern Conference dual against its rival. Rhinelander defeated Lakeland 119.9-112.875 on Thursday at LUHS.

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Lady T-Birds complete season sweep of Red Robins

The Lakeland Union High School girls’ basketball team got out to a big lead and never looked back. The Thunderbirds defeated Antigo 52-32 Friday night in Antigo.

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Lakeland hosts Great Northern Conference boys’ swim meet

Lakeland Union High School hosted the Great Northern Conference boys’ swim meet on Friday. The Thunderbirds’ team of two both had positive results.

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Sigh of relief: T-Bird boys’ hockey fends off upset-minded Hodags

It took all 51 minutes for the Lakeland boys’ hockey team to stave off the upset-minded Rhinelander Hodags on Tuesday. The Thunderbirds defeated the Hodags 3-1 at the Lakeland Hawks Ice Arena.

Going to the postseason with momentum

LUHS girls’ wrestling ties for third in Merrill

The Lakeland girls’ wrestling team wrapped up its regular season with meets in Eau Claire and Merrill. First, Lakeland finished 14th out of 32 teams with 54 points at the Husky Girls Wrestling Challenge at Eau Claire North High School on Saturday. Then, Lakeland tied for third out of 18 teams with 91 points at the Merrill CWWWL Finale on Tuesday.

Lakeland boys’ basketball remains winless on the road

The Lakeland Union High School boys’ basketball team got out to a slow start and lost its sixth straight road game of the season. The Thunderbirds fell 65-44 to Athens Tuesday night. Lakeland remains winless on the road this season.

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Late run sends Marshfield past Lady T-Birds

The Lakeland girls’ basketball team gave another Wisconsin Valley team a run for its money in a close home game. The Thunderbirds fell 57-53 to Marshfield on Tuesday.

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Lakeland Nordic ski boys sit in fourth place after state sprints

Brayden Kelly fourth in points individually

The Lakeland Nordic ski team took to Brillion last weekend, looking to put itself in the best position possible for this weekend’s state distance meet. Lakeland participated in the Wisconsin Nordic Ski League Sprint Championships Saturday, Jan. 31 through Sunday, Feb. 1.

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