Glen Lake senior Colin Kasben, and Leland sophomore Willa Murray competed at the MHSAA Div. 2 Skiing State Championships hosted at Nub's Nob in Petoskey on Monday for the Glen Lake Cooperative ski team.
Murray proved she belonged on the big stage in her first state competition finishing 23rd in slalom and 24th in giant slalom (GS).
“The nerves didn’t compare to regionals because I knew if I wanted to make states I had to perform my best,” Murray said. “I thought it was nice being around a bunch of racers that were super competitive. I wasn’t thinking too much a bunch of competition.”
After racing at Crystal Mountain for most of the year, the switch to Nub's Nob bigger and steeper hills presented a different challenge for Murray and Kasben.
“I’m hoping to make some big improvements for next year,” Murray said. “I think one thing is to not psych myself out and continually maintain how I’m skiing to make me faster... I’m thankful for my teammates and friends I have on the team and in the conference. It was a great supportive environment.”
Kasben finished 34th in GS and 51st in slalom during the boys competition to cap off an impressive Laker skiing career in his first state championship appearance.
“It was pretty exciting,” Kasben said. “It was the best of the best racers. So there was like, no one that really wasn’t good. So it was like all the really experienced racers that all know how to ski really.”
Glen Lake coach John Kasben is happy to see Murray and his son, Colin, compete at the highest level this year.
“It was a great season for both of them they skied really well all year and kept getting better and better,” he said. “(Murray) has two more years to keep working ... Colin’s had a blast and done some great things. A lot of accomplishments over the last four years.”
The Laker competed in its final regular season match of the 2024 ski season at the Caledonia Invitational hosted by Crystal Mountain Friday, Feb. 23.
Kasben finished eighth with a time of 21.92, 23.45 for a total time of 45.37 in Giant Slalom (GS). Laker sophomores Hawthorne Sutherland and Jaiden Thompson finished 21 and 39 with combined times of 47.46 and 52.04, respectively.
In the slalom race, Kasben finished fourth with a two-run combined time of 1:06 (32/.06, 34.12). Sutherland finished with a time of 1:08, and Thompson with 1:18 finishing seventh and 27th, respectively.
On the girls side, Leland sophomore Willa Murray took first place in GS with a combined time of 48.32 (23.99, 24.33).
Lake Leelanau St. Mary junior Elena Grant finished 25th with a time of 1:03, and Kendall McNitt finished 33rd with a time of 1:11. Murray turned around and finished third in slalom with a time of 55.23, Grant finished 26th with a time of 1:12, and McNitt finished 30th with a time of 1:18.
In the team results, Glen Lake girls cooperative finished seventh, and the boys finished sixth to end the regular season.
