.jpg)
by Tom Coombe
Big changes are in store for Ely’s high school girls basketball program.
After the graduation of three key seniors who fueled three consecutive appearances in the Section 7A semifinals, the Timberwolves are in a rebuilding mode during the 2024-25 season, which started with Friday night’s home game against Cromwell.
And the Wolves will not only have a new look on the floor but on the sidelines as well, with Tomi Cole stepping in as head coach.
Cole, the former Tomi McDonald, is the daughter of longtime boys basketball coach Tom McDonald and has a decorated basketball history of her own.
She graduated from Ely in 2008 with nearly 2,000 points and went on to play in college, both at Vermilion Community College and Oklahoma Panhandle State.
Cole also followed her family’s tradition and took up coaching as well, spending three years as the head coach at Vermilion in the mid-2010s.
Now she’s back in Ely and ready to take over the high school program.
“I obviously took some time away when I left Vermilion a few years ago to chase my professional career,” Cole said this week. “But now I’m back in Ely and I work from home and this opportunity came up and it was a hard one to pass up. These are a good group of kids, I couldn’t say no.”
Cole steps in during a time of transition for the Ely program, as the Wolves rebuild after going 22-7 last year and making the final four in the section for a third consecutive season.
But three key cogs in the Ely girls basketball machine - Grace LaTourell, Sarah Visser and Hannah Penke - have all graduated.
They combined to lead the Wolves in numerous facets of the game and Cole said the Wolves “have hard shoes to fill.”
“That’s the challenging part,” said Cole. “You lose a lot from those three.”
Yet the new head coach added that “I think the best part of it this year is we have a little bit of both - some upperclass players who have experience at the varsity level and some sophomores stepping in. We have a mix of of both, good athletes in all positions and it will be a matter of learning from one another. Me learning them and vice versa.”
Senior Clare Thomas is a returning starter for the Wolves while classmate Maija Mattson played in a reserve role. Both will be counted on for leadership this winter, as will junior Zoe MacKenzie.
“Zoe has had some experience at the varsity level, and I think the ask of her is more than what she’s been used to,”said Cole.
The Wolves will also rely on a host of sophomores, several who will step into new roles this winter.
Audrey Kallberg came on strong for Ely late in the 2023-24 season and fellow sophomore Amelia Penke came off the bench to provide a boost. A third, Lydia Shultz, will handle guard duties.
“Audrey and Amelia are going to have to contribute a lot too both in size and ability to score,” said Cole. “Lydia is going to handle the ball quite a bit for us. The sophomores as a whole are athletic and skilled.”
Sophomores Gretta and Ruby Lowe could both step into more significant roles at the varsity level, as may Kaylin Visser, Julia Zgonc and newcomer Lillie O’Neill. Eighth graders Kaija Shultz and Lindi Zemke are also on the varsity roster.
Cole, who is assisted by Tom Omerza, is looking for the Wolves to make strides early on as new players step into new roles.
“Our start of the year is two tough teams in the first three so it’s a matter of going in with the expectation they play hard and work hard and we’ll see how things shake out,” said Cole.
