Traverse City Central, after five straight second-place finishes in the state meet, won the girls’ Division 1 ski championship February 25 at Boyne Mountain. It’s the first girls’ title for the school since 2005.
“It feels good,” said coach Jerry Stanek. “I think the girls got the monkey off their backs for awhile and hopefully we can keep it going.”
Senior Monica Hessler of Traverse City West won the slalom race, while Mallory Slicker of Walled Lake Central prevailed in the giant slalom.
Central scored 38 in the slalom and 43 in the giant slalom for 81 total. Walled Lake Central was second with 56 and 36 for 92, while Marquette was third with 69 and 44 for 113. Marian High School of Bloomfield Hills took fourth with 54 and 62 for 116, and Traverse City West, the defending champions, finished fifth with 67 and 61 for 128.
Hessler competed on last year’s team state champion team. Her previous best individual finish was a sixth in the slalom. “I knew I had a shot at it,” she said. “There’s probably eight girls who also had the same chance. We’ve all been back and forth all season.”
Shannon Weaver led the Central effort by placing second in both the slalom and the giant slalom. Her time in the slalom was 1:05.77, and she was followed by defending champ Kelsey Griffin of Huron Valley Lakeland at 1:06.84 in third. Slicker at 1:09.03, Hanna Johnson of Marquette at 1;09.89, Haley Goeckel of Marian at 1:10.57, Hannah Brassell of Walled Lake Central at 1:10.65, Kathryn Streng of Marian at 1:12.59, Lauren Rhoads of Fenton at 1:13.43, and Lauren Henry of Adams at 1:13.56 rounded out the top 10.
Slicker was third last year in giant slalom.
“It feels awesome,” she smiled. “I don’t even know, I wasn’t expecting that. It really feels awesome.”
Slicker was coming off a torn meniscus in her right knee.
DIVISION 2
Petoskey was first and Harbor Springs second in the Division 2 meet for girls.
Kingsford junior Mandy Haferkorn was the Upper Peninsula’s lone champion, taking slalom in 1:24.2.
St. Francis freshman Carlee McCardel was crowned giant slalom champion in 1:02.24.