Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
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By JASON JUNO [email protected] IRONWOOD --- Gogebic fell to United Tribes, which is seeking a second straight trip to the NJCAA Division II national tournament, 90-71 in Sunday afternoon's Region 13 championship game. United Tribes took the early lead, 32-14 after the first quarter, and played from ahead all afternoon. GCC cut it to nine twice - 41-32, late in the first half, and 60-51 midway through the third quarter. But UT had an answer both times and was able to repeat as Region 13...
By JASON JUNO [email protected] IRONWOOD --- The Gogebic women’s basketball team needs one win to win a NJCAA Division II Region 13 championship and the game’s at home. The Samsons will host the Region 13 title game on Sunday at 1 p.m. Their opponent was to be determined on Feb. 28 when Dakota College at Bottineau goes to United Tribes for the only Region 13 semifinal. United Tribes went into the semifinal 11-16 while Dakota College at Bottineau was 14-16. United Tribes won the most recent matchup 76-75 on Feb. 21 while Bottineau too...
By JASON JUNO [email protected] IRONWOOD --- Gogebic has a tough draw as they head to North Dakota this weekend for the NJCAA Division II Region 13 tournament. The Samsons start with tournament host United Tribes Saturday at 2 p.m. If they win that, they advance to Sunday’s Region championship game where they’d play the winner of the tournament-favorite DCTC vs. Dakota College at Bottineau semifinal. United Tribes enters the postseason with a 15-12 record. They got to host the tournament by earning the West’s No. 1 seed with three wins...
By JASON JUNO [email protected] IRONWOOD - With a new athletic director in place, Gogebic Community College is continuing to get coaches in place for its existing programs while planning to add to its offering of sports. Jennifer Sabourin has been the college's vice president of student services and athletics for a couple of months. Since then, Gogebic has hired a women's basketball coach, Cole Schreiner, and it is looking for a new coach for the softball program and another for the...
IRONWOOD - The Gogebic Community College Board of Trustees heard Tuesday a report from six students that attended the National Council on Student Leadership through the college's TRiO Student Support Services program in Orlando, Florida, this past November. The participants included Alyssa Knight, Amber Dwyer, Brianne Bastman, Emaleah Niemi, Corrin Kelly and Adelya Maxinoski. They were chosen to go through an essay competition. "The essay winners each wrote compelling pieces on the qualities and...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Gogebic Community College board focused on staffing during its regular meeting on Tuesday. The board accepted the resignation of Dave Erickson, head of the maintenance and custodial department. He will be retiring Sept. 30. He has worked for the college for 16 and a half years, and led the department for the last four and a half years. “His work ethic and attention to detail are a model to be replicated,” said Erik Guenard, vice president of business services. “During his time at Goge...
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD — The Gogebic Community College Rainbow 6 Seige will compete against Hawkeye Community College of Waterloo, Iowa, in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s esports national championship on Monday. The Samsons earned the right to compete in the championship on Tuesday by beating Snow College of Ephraim, Utah, 2-1 in the semifinals. Members of the Rainbow 6 Siege team include: Keegan Bolen, Captain, James Dickerson, Carson Johnson, Jaidon Jokela, Leandro Narvaez and Cody Sch... Full story
WAKEFIELD, Mich. - John Edwin Smith, of Wakefield, passed away peacefully on Nov. 1, 2020. He is survived by his two daughters, Jayme and Joy Smith; one brother, Robert (Susan) Smith of Corpus Christ, Texas; and one sister Carol (Dan) Niemi of Ironwood; one brother-in-law, Richard "Dutchie" (Jean) Valesano; and one sister-in-law, Anita (Valesano) and Douglas Zychowski; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; Ed and Mildred Smith; two sisters, Marlene... Full story
IRONWOOD - The Gogebic Community College board worked to welcome the new school year with the hiring of four new staff members Tuesday, filling the positions of registrar, career counselor, Nordic ski coach and a networking specialist. The board formerly approved the hiring of Jacqueline Franzoi as career counselor, although she had already started her position. "We're really excited and we're thrilled to have her here," vice president of student services Jeanne Graham told the board as she intr... Full story
By CHARITY SMITH [email protected] IRONWOOD — Esports teams at Gogebic Community College were able to continue to compete in spite of the governor’s stay-at-home order in light of the cornavirus pandemic. According to GCC’s esports coach Jim Halverson, the season continued, but players were required to use their own equipment and play from home. This did result in one of the college’s teams having to withdraw because not all members of the team had their own equipment. When the order was put in place the esports season had only two reg...
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IRONWOOD - More colleges and universities are embracing eSports, or online video gaming, across North America and Gogebic Community College is no exception. This year, GCC has 17 players on its eSports team. The number also includes students attending the Copper Country Center in Houghton who can fully participate in the program, according to director of admission Kim Zechovich. The Gogebic Samsons eSports team is competing at a high level, said Jim Halverson, IT faculty member and team coach....
By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] IRONWOOD - The David G. Lindquist Center at Gogebic Community College in Ironwood was milling with people Thursday evening as the GCC Foundation held its 23rd annual recognition banquet. The event began with a reception in the first-floor student lounge, followed by dinner and a program in the second-floor conference center. Honored were Judge Joel Massie, Class of 1974; Rob Pairolero, O.D., Class of 1997, and Outstanding Staff Member Don Pelkola. "Back...
By IAN MINIELLY [email protected] IRONWOOD - Students and former students from Gogebic Community College and Luther L. Wright High School joined eight members of the community to take a service learning trip March 10-18 to Guatemala. It was in conjunction with Pure Vida Ministries, which works to promote health and education in the Quiche department of Guatemala, according to its website, purevida.org. The trip cost $2,000 per person and over $7,500 in grants and scholarships were...
By PAT KRAUSE [email protected] IRONWOOD - Last Sunday, the Gogebic Community College Lady Samsons won the NJCAA Women's Region 13 Division II Basketball Championship for the first time since the 2008-09 season with a 87-67 victory over United Tribes Tech. After the game, there were a lot of happy, emotional people celebrating the championship on the floor of the Lindquist Center and coach Mark Movrich declared "the drought" was over. "The win meant a lot to the girls," Movrich said....
IRONWOOD - Samsons' coach Dennis Mackey could feel the energy and enthusiasm while watching the women's game before his own team took the court Wednesday night. GCC had a new rival -- Bay College. When his team took the court, there was no doubt. "The guys were excited, it was a good crowd, you could just feel the energy was different than other nights," Mackey said. Gogebic Community College struck first blood in the new rivalry, prevailing 96-89 in a back-and-forth triple overtime thriller....
IRONWOOD --- As a freshman last year, Lori Wardynski was GCC's best player. Yet there were times, she admits, where she would frustrate her coach, where she didn't quite get the message he was trying to send. Wardynski worked and worked and worked through the offseason, lifting weights, becoming faster and stronger, all while getting into the physical shape she needed to be in to lead the Lady Samsons' exhausting offense. This fall, her coach Mark Movrich had an idea for her to take things a...
IRONWOOD — Gogebic Community College is introducing a new sports team to campus. The Gogebic Samsons eSports Team, or online video gaming team, will compete against other accredited college teams throughout North America. The Collegiate Star League is an intercollegiate gaming league open to all accredited colleges and universities in North America, according to Jim Halverson, computer and business faculty member, and team advisor. “Collegiate eSports came into existence around 2009 with a few schools playing one game casually and has now exp...
MILWAUKEE — The Samsons pulled out a 71-67 in their first time playing Bryant & Stratton College Friday night. Gogebic led by as many as 11 points in the second half, but Bryant & Stratton came back and tied it. “Good win for us,” GCC coach Dennis Mackey said. “We’ve been trying to find our way of late. Wednesday night, I thought we played well and hit shots. I thought we shot the ball well tonight, with the exception of our free throws (12-29), which really is tough to take.” The Samsons also missed nearly 10 point-blank shots. “We have to...
HURLEY, Wis. - Clayton A. "AJ" Aijala, 84, of Ironwood, Mich., died peacefully Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 8, 2016, at Villa Maria Health and Rehabilitation Center in Hurley, surrounded by his loving family. He was born Nov. 17, 1931, in Ironwood, son of the late Uno and Luella (Kompsie) Aijala, and graduated from Luther L. Wright High School in 1949. He then attended Gogebic Community College for two years. While a student at GCC, he played basketball for the Samsons. Clayton worked for Moland... Full story
IRONWOOD - The Gogebic Community College Lady Samsons start the volleyball season with a tournament at Vermilion at Friday and Saturday. Coach Aaron Bender just wishes more players were making the trip than the eight currently on the roster. But the Lady Samsons have a good group of setters and outside hitters to make up for that. "Numbers are down," he said. "It's frustrating. But at the same token, it is what is. These are the girls have committed and have shown their dedication to the game.... Full story
IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP - The Ironwood Area Sports Hall of Fame welcomed new inductees at its 2015 induction ceremony on Saturday at the Gogebic Community College Lindquist Center. The new inductees are a diverse group as they entered the sports hall of fame from a variety of backgrounds, ages and sports. The new inductees included individuals Kristen Ruppe-Anderson, the late Theron Peterson, the late John Serbin, Lee Belmas, Shawn McMullin, Pete Kopecko, Andrea Smith and Ironwood's 1943 football... Full story
IRONWOOD - After watching Sam Ofstad play, Fox Valley Tech coach Craig Stevens tipped off Upper Iowa coach Carol Russell to the GCC Lady Samsons' star. "He told her to come watch me," Ofstad said. "I was a little too short (5-4) for her to come to watch me, so he had to call her a couple times." His persistence paid off for Ofstad and Russell. Russell came and she must have liked what she saw because on Wednesday, Ofstad signed a National Letter of Intent to play at Upper Iowa, an NCAA Division...
IRONWOOD - The three-day 24th annual Gogebic Community College Spring Thaw Basketball Classic wrapped up play on a successful note on Sunday. Samson coach Dennis Mackey said there are not a lot of 5-man or 5-women team tournaments around anymore. "We had a good turnout of 30 teams and there was some good basketball played," Mackey said. "The tournament was real successful. It's grown and we get a lot of the same faces, plus we get new ones each year. People look forward to it. Some of the guys... Full story
IRONWOOD - The Gogebic Community College Lady Samsons had high hopes and aspirations for the NJCAA Division II Region 13 tournament, so it was a bitter pill to swallow when they fell to Dakota College of Bottineau 91-82 in the championship game at the Lindquist Center on Sunday afternoon. "It's a tough loss, especially for the sophomores," Gogebic coach Mark Movrich said. "Five months together and all of a sudden-boom-it's over. Both teams played hard, they're playing for the championship. It... Full story
