Vikings Weekly: Football advances to section championship, three Storm runners qualify for state

Welcome to Vikings Weekly, where we track the latest results from Cook County high school athletics.

Volleyball

The Cook County Vikings’ volleyball season came to an end Oct. 26 with a 3-2 loss to the Floodwood Polar Bears in the Section 7A South Subsection quarterfinals.

The Vikings dropped the first set 25-19 before rallying to win the next two. However, Floodwood took the final two sets, 25-19 and 15-10, to secure the victory.

Despite the loss, Cook County finished a successful season that included an On the Edge tournament championship and its first home playoff match since 2022.

Senior Lauren Berglund, the team’s lone senior, will graduate, but much of the roster is expected to return for the 2027 season.

Cross County

The North Shore Storm boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams competed in the Section 7AA championships Oct. 29, with three runners qualifying for the state meet.

Sophia Schut led the girls’ team with a fourth-place finish and a time of 19:43.8, earning a trip to state. The girls finished fifth among 13 teams.

For the boys, Sam Swartz and Atley Beckstrand finished eighth and ninth, respectively, earning individual state qualifications.

Swartz finished in 16:37.0, just 0.2 seconds ahead of Beckstrand, who crossed the line in 16:37.2. The pair also finished back-to-back at the Polar League Conference meet earlier this month.

The boys’ team was disqualified from the section meet, but would have finished third.

The Minnesota State High School League Class AA cross-country championships will take place Nov. 7 at Majestic Oaks Golf Course in Ham Lake.

Two Harbors Agates Swim Team

The Two Harbors Agates girls’ swim team placed first at the Iron Range Conference championships Oct. 29 in International Falls.

Cook County’s Elizabeth Larson competed on the 400-yard freestyle relay team, which finished second with a time of 4:09.63.

Natalia Smith placed third in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:38.27. She also competed on the 200-yard medley relay team, which finished third in 2:08.56.

Quinn Johnson finished sixth in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:47.97.

The Section 7A meet begins Nov. 12 at Hibbing High School, with the section finals scheduled for Nov. 14.

Football

The Cook County Vikings defeated the Bigfork Huskies 49-0 Saturday in the Section 7 nine-player football semifinals, advancing to the section championship game.

The Vikings relied on big plays and a dominant defense, continuing a trend that has defined their undefeated season.

Quarterback Graham Oberholtzer connected on a long touchdown pass in the first quarter to extend Cook County’s lead to 19-0.

Cook County will face the South Ridge Panthers in the section championship game Friday, Nov. 6, in Hibbing.

The teams met earlier this season, with the Vikings earning a 46-6 victory over the Panthers.

Josh Hinke November 1, 2026