North Shore Storm runners push forward after eligibility ruling
The North Shore Storm raced in its second meet of the season in Superior, Wisconsin, last week, with the girls team placing second overall and the boys team placing third. Both teams compete at the same meets, share time in the weight room and attend the same training camp, but only one will be eligible to compete for a team berth at the state meet this year.
The North Shore Storm is a cooperative of Cook County, Silver Bay and Two Harbors high schools. Last year, the boys team advanced to the state meet, but this year it is ineligible to compete as a team in the section and state meets. The team was also disqualified from team competition at the first meet of the season.
“Our boys had to forfeit our first competition, so if you look at the team results, we’re not listed in the team results. You’ll see the individuals listed as unattached due to the Minnesota State High School League not computing Silver Bay as part of our student-athlete population,” Head coach April Wahlstrom told WTIP. “And because our boys ended up making it to the state meet, they’re having our boys serve some time. We have various thoughts on this, but I’ve been really impressed by how the boys have taken in the news”
Runners on the boys team can still qualify for and compete at the state meet as individuals.
Wahlstrom said the issue stemmed from a clerical error in the representation of the North Shore Storm’s makeup. The issue was first raised after the boys competed at state last year.
“We found out that there was some question back in November, and then we didn’t find out about the ruling until April, and then we wanted to see if we could appeal it, but it’s not an appealable offense because it was like a clerical thing, and so then we just found out the final statement just a couple weeks ago,” Wahlstom told WTIP.
Both the North Shore Storm boys and girls teams attend Mink Lake Camp in August before the start of the season to train, play games and eat together. It is an opportunity for athletes spread across the Highway 61 corridor to come together.
“It is so fun,” Sparrow Schmidt told WTIP. “It was honestly the highlight of my summer. Like, I love getting to meet new friends and getting to run with them and get to know them better. There’s so many awesome activities. We get to play games, eat amazing food. We get to go swimming, and then running, of course. Which you know, it’s fun when you get to do it with friends.”
It was during the camp that Wahlstrom and the coaching staff broke the news to the boys team.
“We were pretty excited where things could go this year and kind of keep up that energy,” senior Eero Moody told WTIP. “I think people have handled it very well, and they’ve still come to practice. You know, like putting the work in — still had the drive.”
Being able to compete at state only as individuals has put added pressure on the boys to perform individually.
“I think the team still will probably work together, like as one, to try and put the individuals up there. But I would say that’s probably true. That the individual pressure is a little more on,” Moody said.
Despite being unable to compete in the team standings at the North Shore Challenge on Sept. 2, the North Shore Storm boys still performed well. Their individual finishes would have resulted in a second-place team score, just two points behind Duluth East.
“So the scoring works with the top five runners are counted towards points. So ideally, the lower your score, the better you do,” Wahlstrom said. “So if you come in first place, you’re just bringing in one point. If you come in fifth place, you’re bringing in five points. And so to be that close with Duluth East is quite a positive start, and our girls were second to Duluth East as well.”
The boys finished third at the Dan Conway Classic in Superior last week.
The girls team has also experienced early success this season.
“The nucleus of the girls team is pretty much the same, and so we have Sierra Geatz from Silver Bay and Sophia Schut from Silver Bay, and Liz Swartz from Silver Bay, along with Ezme Mundell and Sparrow Schmidt, who was injured last year, but we knew she was going to be strong,” Wahlstrom said. “And both of those girls are from Cook County, and Grace Swartz from Silver Bay is also another one.”
Schmidt won the junior varsity race at the North Shore Challenge after spending the previous season injured.
“You do not realize how much you love running until you can’t do it,” Schmidt said. “Sitting and watching my team run was the most painful thing I’ve ever done. So this year, like not being injured, I’m focusing on staying that way.”
The cross country team has two meets this week. The Storm will compete Tuesday in Grand Rapids before traveling to the Twin Cities for the Roy Griak Invitational on Saturday.
WTIP spoke with Wahlstrom, Moody and Schmidt about the 2026 season. Audio of the conversation can be found below.
Josh Hinke September 15, 2026
