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Hatchet Cross Country Teams Host Hatchet Invite Published on 10/10/2022 under Sports

Tomahawk hosted 9 teams for their annual Cross-Country Invitational on Saturday. This year's
homecoming race was ran at the Inshalla Country Club. It was a beautiful day with a brisk fall breeze on
the magnificent golf course. After running the game ball into the Hatchet football team the night before
the Tomahawk Cross-Country team competed in their home invitational with the following finishes: Girls
Varsity-3rd, Boys Varsity-4th, Girls JV-1
st
, and the Boys JV-1st.

The lady Hatchets were led by medalist Alli Palmer in a time of 21:17 with a 6th place finish. A pack of Hatchet varsity teammates trailed her, including: medalist Rachael Reilly (21:45), Halle Derleth (21:55), Morgan Hansmann (22:08), Serena Reinke (22:34), Marie Gorell (22:51), and Robin Schmidt (22:57). A mixed bag of good and bad races resulted in an overall 3rd place finish behind GNC conference

competition Lakeland and Division III State ranked Phillips.

Girls team scores were: Phillips-60, Lakeland-60, Tomahawk-66, Rhinelander-89, Crandon-94, Antigo-147, Hurley-204, Mosinee-Inc., and Laona/Wabeno-Inc.

The boys positioned two in the top fifteen for medalist honors led by Presley Gutbrod as he placed 12th in a time of 18:11 and medalist Sam Zastrow who placed 13th in a time of 18:27. Varsity teammates included: Ty Anthes (18:59), Owen Dickrell (19:32), Taje Casey (19:49), Jacob Riemer (19:50), and Brett Borchardt (19:52). Similar to the girls some boys excelled while others were stalled in the cool breeze landing the boys in 4th place behind Division III powerhouse Phillips, Lakeland, and Rhinelander.

Boys team results: Phillips-36, Lakeland-59, Rhinelander-69, Tomahawk-78, Crandon-121, Mosinee-156,

Hurley-Inc., Antigo-Inc., and Laeona/Wabeno-Inc.

Never to disappoint, both the junior varsity squads took first place. Most noticeable was that the entire scoring five of the girls JV team were top 10 medalists. They were led by junior Kambyl Mattke who placed 2nd with a time of 23:07. Her scoring teammates were: Faith Derleth (23:21), Abi Micke (23:22), Izzy Lee (23:25), and Lydia Shaney (25:05). Other varsity girls who helped contribute point differentials in favor of Tomahawk were Summer Gaedtke (27:47) and Jennie Frederickson (36:02).

The boys were led by 2nd place finisher Jeremiah Johnson who ran the course in 20:39. His medalist teammates included: Nathan Rosenmeier (20:50), Elliot O'Connor (21:39), and Masen Towle (22:03). Other JV boys who helped in the victory were: Bruce Peetz (22:44), Gerard Gorell (22:57), Eli Albrent (23:27), and Cayden Shepler (24:23).

Next race is Saturday as the Hatchets travel to Medford High School for the Great Northern Conference Meet. The first race will be the girls varsity at 11:00 am.

In Other News

'Ride with the Cup' Tour Kicks Off Snowmobile Derby Weekend in Eagle River

Published on 01/15/2026 under News It's Derby Weekend up in Eagle River. Before a champion is crowned, the trophy will be toured through the Northwoods. Thursday marks the return of the 'Ride with the Cup', a spin off from the former Torch Ride. Now, rather than a flame, the participants take the Champion's Cup on the 200-plus mile, two-day tour through the Northwoods. While Eagle River hosts the oval racing, this cup tour is an opportunity to get other Northwoods communities involved in and excited for Derby weekend. Organizers have established a mission of promoting safe snowmobiling in Northern Wisconsin, while showcasing the area as a snowmobile tourism destination across the supporting communities. The event features special guests both in the travel party as well as at the various stops. This includes local snowmobile club representatives, state officials, and AWSC Miss Snowflake – Jena Lenz and Miss Sno Eagle – Brianna Sullivan. The tour begins Thursday morning in Wausau, stops in Merrill mid-morning and arrives in here in Tomahawk around mid-day for three stops at the Knight Owls Snowmobile Club garage, Tomahawk Sports Center, and the Northwoods Passage Shed up in Nokomis. In they afternoon, they'll continue up the Highway 51 corridor to Lakeland area. After pausing for the evening, they'll continue on sleds Friday with the route traveling through St. Germain, Sayner, Rhinelander and Three Lakes. They'll eventually make their way to Eagle River and the Derby Track just in time for the Opening Ceremony tomorrow evening.

Published on 01/15/2026 under News The Tomahawk Public Library has a wide-selection of love stories, but they're currently inviting the public to share their passion about the library itself. During the month of January, the Tomahawk Public Library is collecting stories about how the library has made a difference in their patron's lives big or small. They've dubbed it the Library Love Stories. They invite patrons to share a few sentences or a whole novella about how the library makes their hearts happy. This can be the books, programming, the staff, the location or something else entirely.The campaign offers several benefits to the library by providing valuable feedback on what's successful, but can also be used to promote the library and pursue grants with the comments. People can drop them off their Tomahawk Public Library Love Stories at the front desk or submit them via email.

Published on 01/15/2026 under News Ice fishing season is in full swing, but frozen lakes don't mean that invasive species are hibernating. Officials are reminding ice anglers to take steps to avoid transporting these aquatic invaders. Just like the summer months, there are several ways invasive species jump from lake to lake. Plants, seeds, mud, and debris can attach to equipment. For ice fishing in particular, that includes augers, sleds and lures and even boots and gloves. They recommend wiping down equipment after each use to ensure there aren't any hidden hitchhikers. Another risk comes from the transport of live bait. Anglers should follow Wisconsin's live bait laws and dispose of unused minnows, worms and other live bait properly. As long as no lake or river water has been added to the container, the DNR says minnows may be used on a different waterbody. If lake or river water was added, the minnows cannot be used at other fishing locations and should be disposed of before going to a new site. And a quick reminder it's the DNR's Winter Free Fishing weekend on Saturday and Sunday. We'll have a preview coming up on our Friday show.

Published on 01/14/2026 under News Local snowmobile clubs are encouraging riders 'know before they go' and check routes before heading out. It's International Snowmobile Safety Week, and local stakeholders are sharing messages to ensure a safe ride for everyone on the trails this riding season. A sport like snowmobiling is heavily reliant on conditions and occasionally this requires temporary trail closures or re-routes to accommodate changing conditions. For example, this past weekend, the Northwoods Passage snowmobile club, which maintains trails near Tomahawk, had to move a trail on Lake Nokomis after an area of the channel opened up. Other clubs have had to make similar changes due to factors such as slush and ice heaves. One of the best ways to stay up to date on these types of trail changes is from the local clubs who maintain them. Updates are typically posted to social media accounts, and some clubs also maintain websites or blogs. Whether you're riding your local trails, or visiting a new area to explore, it's a good idea to check-in with the clubs. It's important to stick on the marked trails for not only safety reasons, but to also respect the landowners who allow trails to cross their properties. Northwoods Passage Snowmobile Club Facebook PageKnight Owls Snowmobile Club Facebook Page

Published on 01/14/2026 under News Respiratory illness has been on the rise in Northern Wisconsin, and the Langlade County Health Department is the latest agency to join in the call for people to protect not only themselves but vulnerable populations. The Wisconsin DHS respiratory illness tracker is reporting the Northern Region has 'very high' activity for influenza and 'high' activity for COVID-19. While RSV remains 'low' activity, the numbers have been trending upwards. Karen Marten, Langlade County Health Department Public Health Nurse says, "As we continue to see respiratory illness in our communities, we encourage everyone to take steps that protect not only themselves but also their friends, family and community." This includes getting a flu shot, but also regularly washing hands, covering coughs and staying home when ill. While many people experience mild to moderate symptoms, older adults, young children, and those with underlying health conditions are at higher risk for severe illness.

Published on 01/14/2026 under News Some of the top vocalists in the Midwest, including some students from Tomahawk, wrapped up a two-day, crash-course in choir. Six THS students were invited to participate in this year's Dorian Vocal Festival held this past weekend. Each January, student vocalists from around 300 schools converge on the campus of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. This year more than 900 students took part. The Tomahawk School District highlighted the six THS students selected: Greta Kurth, Jayden Dellinger, Ayla Lewison, Sadie Ruder, Galen Schmidt, and Dorian Stefan. The festival got underway Sunday. Participants took part in break-out sessions and small group instruction. Then Monday evening, all students came together for a full group performance, more than 900 voices strong. The Grand Concert is available to stream on the Luther College Music Department's YouTube Channel.

Published on 01/14/2026 under News The Tomahawk School District is looking to upgrade the scoreboard at their field house and will explore business partnerships to fund the project. At their meeting Tuesday, the Tomahawk School Board approved a recommendation the district to pursue and secure advertising sponsorships to fund the purchase and installation of a video scoreboard in the Field House. This came after a brief presentation from District Administrator Wendell Quesinberry. The district has been working with scoreboard manufacturer Daktronics to provide the upgraded tech. Quesinberry anticipated the scoreboard could be funded through five years of ad revenue at various sponsorship levels based on prominence. Board member Dave Long, who served on the committee pursuing the project, noted that in addition to enhancing field house events, it could also be an opportunity 'to get more kids involved' referring to some of the video production opportunities. And working with a company like Daktronics, whose equipment is widely used could even provide training opportunities for students beyond campus. The Board briefly suggested similar advertising funded opportunities for improvements in the pool area. After some additional conversation, the Board approved the pursuit of sponsorship and to continue exploring this project.

Published on 01/14/2026 under News Wisconsin is well known for its fishing, whether casting a line in the summer, or setting a tip-up during the winter. It takes work and investment to maintain a strong fishery and the DNR will be highlighting some of those efforts. Over the next two months, staffers will be ten conversations on various fishing topics, specifically focusing on northern waters. For example, a Rhinelander session on February 12 will focus on 35 Years Of Fisheries Management In Wisconsin's Ceded Territory. Another session January 27 will highlight trout management in Forest and Florence Counties. In addition to the in-person component, all of the conversations will be coupled with virtual opportunities allowing online attendance. The first of the ten discussions actually begins this evening with a conversation on walleye and sturgeon in the Fox River Valley. A full list of these fishery sessions is available on the DNR website.

Published on 01/14/2026 under News Some of the top senior golfers in the world will visit North Central Wisconsin in the coming years for major tournaments. The United States Golf Association announced that Sentry World in Stevens Point will host the 2028 US Senior Women's Open and 2034 Men's Senior Open Championship. The Champions Tour features some of the top golfers in the world age 50 and older including household names like John Daly, Fred Couples, Annika Soresnstam, and Wisconsin's own Steve Stricker. The announcement comes of the course hosted the 2023 Senior Open. John Bodenhamer, USGA chief championships officer said in the announcement, "We are excited to return to SentryWorld and the state of Wisconsin to conduct these two premier senior events." Mike James, SentryWorld General Manager. "The 2023 U.S. Senior Open showed that the course can challenge the best players in the world when called upon. Hosting two more USGA championships keeps our focus and attention on maintaining the best version of SentryWorld as possible." The tournament will also bring an immediate boost to local businesses and the local economy during the events, while also showcasing the area as a golf destination for those tuning in on TV.

Published on 01/14/2026 under Sports The winning ways continued for Tomahawk Hockey Tuesday night as they would defeat fellow Division 1 opponent Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln at SARA Park, 5-2. After allowing the first goal in the first two minutes of the game, the Hatchets rolled off three in the first period to go ahead for good. Four different Hatchets found the back of the net. Jonah Dickens had two goals on the night. Jake Albert, Beau Stromberg, and Cole Peterson each scored. Tomahawk now stands at 12-3 on the season after the victory. The Hatchets have their fifth game in eight days coming up Thursday at SARA Park against Great Northern Conference foe Medford. Puck drop is at 7:00.

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