Glen Lake went up north to Mont Ripley in Houghton over winter break to get some practice and racing in before kicking off the season yesterday with its first conference meet at Crystal Mountain.
“We could go up and train for a couple of days. We could go for a race and get some excellent training because it’s much bigger and longer up there,” Glen Lake ski coach John Kasben said.
The trip has been a few years in the making, but the end of winter break has always gotten in the way. This year, it worked out for the first time.
Due to a lack of snow, the Lakers had an opportunity to get out of the gates for the first time.
The Lakers battled against heavyweights Norway, Ironwood, Houghton, and MHSAA Div. 1 Marquette, who nearly scored a perfect 20 points during the race.
Leland junior Willa Murray and Glen Lake senior Justin Thompson had a top-10 finish during the competitive races.
Glen Lake will face Norway, Ironwood, and Houghton at regionals in February at Boyne Highlands in Harbor Springs.
Michigan Technological University owns Mont Ripley, which is only a few miles from campus. The experience was used as a team-building activity. Mont Ripley is located on the canal on the Hancock side, right across the campus for Michigan Tech.
“We got kids coming from five different schools, so it’s a great opportunity to go up there for a camp and get all the kids together with some team bonding and some good training. It was cold up there, which was great,” Kasben said. “Conditions at the resort are great, and the Houghton team and town were welcoming to us up there, so it was a really great experience.”
There were some hiccups and lost skis, but many athletes did well.
“Those long courses help a lot. There’s a difference between 11 and 20 turns; you can fix things and work on your skills,” Kasben said.
The Glen Lake cooperative ski team enters a new era with the addition of Frankfort and Benzie students to join the sixschool team.
Both boys and girls teams will be looking to capture a Northern Michigan Ski Conference Championship and regional championships with a hunger to disrupt the state finals this year.
Men’s slalom results (GL): 10. Justin Thompson 1.22; 11. Miles Luther 1.22.79; 14. Hawthorne Sutherland 1.32; 20. Bart Zunio 2.05
Men’s giant slalom (GL): 12. Luther 1.21.3; 18. Zunino 1.49.
Women’s slalom (slalom): 8. Willa Murray 1.26; 10. Lilly Wolfe (1.29); 18. Moraya Mosher; 23. Kendall McNitt 2.03; 24. Lexi Alysworth 2.06; 25. Elise Carter.
Women’s giant slalom (GL): 11. Willa Murray 1.23; 17. Lilly Wolfe 1.27; 20. Carter 1.34; 22. Moraya Mosher 1.37; 23. Amorie Mosher 1.39; 26. Leni Witt 1.49.
Skiers from Glen Lake practice at Mont Ripley to break in the new year. The Lakers have athletes from Frankfort, Benzie, Leland, and Lake Leelanau St. Mary competing this year. Courtesy photos
