Local notebook: Grand Forks' Lee Baker to be inducted in North Dakota Track and Field Hall of Fame

GRAND FORKS — The Grand Forks throwing program for track and field has a long history of success.

In a reflection of that success, one of Grand Forks’ veteran throwing coaches will be honored next weekend.

Lee Baker will be inducted into the North Dakota Track and Field Hall of Fame in a presentation in conjunction with the state’s high school meet in Bismarck.

“Lee has a good rapport with this athletes,” said Tim Tandeski, who’s also a long-time throws coach in Grand Forks. “(Baker) works well with all levels of kids.”

Baker has coached 25 North Dakota Class A state champions in the shot put and the discus over his coaching career, and has coached 100 state place-winners in the same events.

Baker coached Bryan Bjerk, the current Class A boys state track discus record holder, overall state meet record holder and owner of the longest boys discus throw ever in the state of North Dakota.

Bjerk threw 192 feet, 8 inches at the 2012 state track meet and 198-1 at the East Region meet in 2012.

Baker also coached Shelby Frank, who was a four-time state champion in the discus and would have been an overwhelming favorite to win her fifth if it hadn’t been for COVID during the 2020 season.

Frank is now one of the top throwers in NCAA Division I with the University of Minnesota.

Baker has coached four girls who rank in the Top 10 for farthest throws of all time in the state in girls shot put and two boys in the Top 10 for farthest throws in the shot put.

Baker, who has coached since 1991, will be inducted May 24.

Former Langdon athlete Julie Dinius will also be inducted. Dinius collected 15 individual region championships and eight state titles.

Greg Kuch from Beulah and Fargo South’s McKenzie Mehlisch will also be inducted. Three athletes from pre-1980 were also voted in to the Hall of Fame by the committee: Cavalier’s Gordon Fisher (1915), Hebron’s Roger Reinbold (1961) and Bismarck’s Randy Lussenden (1968).

Choice Bank, partnering with The Member Impact Fund, has donated more than $600,000 to support affordable housing and community development in North Dakota and that includes a donation to a Grand Forks wrestling club.

The club received a donation of $16,000 that will provide scholarships to those who can’t afford tournament fees, club practice fees or travel expenses.

“At Choice Bank, we make it a priority to invest in the communities we serve by supporting local families and businesses,” said Chris Johnson, Choice Bank Grand Forks Location President. “With this $16,000 donation to the Grand Forks Gladiators Wrestling Club, we are investing in the youth, particularly those who might not otherwise have the opportunity, by providing them with the chance to develop their wrestling skills.

“The donation will fund scholarships that cover various costs associated with the sport, ensuring that financial constraints do not impede the participation of aspiring young athletes.”

East Grand Forks’ Jake Hjelle had to cancel a fishing trip last week. The former Minnesota Crookston standout received his call to start a professional baseball career.

Hjelle has signed with the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks.

“This year, (the UMC) season got finished, and I was sitting around a few days,” Hjelle said. “I was planning to go on a fishing trip and then (UMC coach Steve) Gust called me and said it sounds like (Redhawks coach Chris) Coste wants to sign you. That was a no-brainer in my eyes.”

HJelle said Coste has told him to take practice repititions at first base and outfield.

“As I was growing up, the biggest goal was to get paid to play this game,” Hjelle said. “I want to keep getting better and moving up. I want to take my opportunity and run with it and see how far it takes me.”

The 23-year-old Hjelle graduated the first week of May from UMC with a degree in natural resources.

Grand Forks Central product and University of Minnesota track and field athlete Jak Urlacher won the Big Ten Championship in the pole vault last weekend, clearing a personal-best 18 feet, 1 inch.

Urlacher’s mark tied the fourth-best in Gophers program history.

Urlacher’s mark is also the No. 6-ranked performance in the NCAA Division I West Region.

As a high school senior, Urlacher broke the North Dakota state record in the pole vault at 15-7.5 in 2021.

The college junior was fifth at the Big Ten Championships as a sophomore in 2023.

Former Grand Forks Central athlete Joey Grabanski, now at Concordia (Neb.), became the NAIA’s all-time home runs leader earlier this spring.

Now, he’s also the NAIA’s all-time RBI leader. Grabanski passed this mark during the NAIA National Tournament, where his team was eliminated earlier this week to halt a 42-win season.

Grabanski finishes his Concordia career with 88 home runs, 300 RBIs and program records in career batting average (.382), total bases (626) and walks (129).

Grabanski’s 88 home runs are tied for the third-most in college baseball history across all divisions: Division I, Division II, Division III and NAIA.

After recording two All-Summit League performances at the 2024 Summit League Outdoor Championships, UND distance runner Luke Labatte was named the Men’s Most Outstanding Performer of the Championship, the conference offices announced Wednesday.

Labatte took the track in the 3,000-meter steeplechase on Friday night and claimed the title in a time of 8:50.89. His race was not close, with him winning by over 8 seconds.

With the win, Labatte successfully defended his titles from the 2022 and 2023 Summit League Outdoor Championships and became the first steeplechase runner to become a three-time steeplechase champion at the meet since Jeff Mettler of South Dakota did it from 2012-14.

On Saturday, Labatte had his second All-Summit League performance of the meet and earned the bronze medal in the 5,000 meters in 14:29.10.

UND had 11 athletes named to the All-Summit League Team, which is accomplished by finishing in the top three in respective events at the Summit League Outdoor Championships.

Those athletes include Yonca Kutluk (1,500, 5,000 and 10,000), Labatte (3,000 steeplechase, 5,000), Kenna Curry (shot put, hammer throw), Tiffanie Magnusson (heptathlon, long jump), Jadyn Keeler (3,000 steeplechase), Frida Giersdorff (3,000 steeplechase), Justice Dick (800), Jesse Middendorf (800), Malene Kollberg (heptathlon), James Weninger (high jump) and Justina Esangbedo (triple jump).

Devils Lake’s Ashley Abrahamson was one of 25 players named to the All-USA Today HSSA Girls Hockey Team on May 9.

Abrahamson led the state of North Dakota with 69 points, while nobody else reached 50. The second-highest mark was another Firebird, Siri Olson, with 49.

Abrahamson scored 52 goals, while nobody else had more than 27 goals.