The Glen Lake cooperative ski team had two athletes compete at the MHSAA Div. 2 Ski State Championships at Harbor Springs Monday.
Frankfort junior Ben Stoop finished 39th GS and 24th in slalom. Panther junior Miles Luther recovered from his GS session to finish 38th overall in slalom at 1:12.
“We are happy with their performances, that field is tough. You’re picking the 60 skiers out of the whole state,” Glen Lake coach John Kasben said. “Even to get there is a huge accomplishment.”
The Lakers have completed the 2024-25 ski season with their new partnership with Benzie, Frankfort, Lake Leelanau St. Mary, and Leland.
“For weather, it was an awesome season; we didn’t have any warm days until the last one. We just had a really good group of kids. I think the merger with Benzie and Frankfort this year went well. The kids got along better than we expected,” Kasben said. “I think we collaborated well, and the kids got a lot of benefi ts from it. I’m looking forward to another great year next year.”
The cooperative will continue for at least one more season.
Both the boys and girls will enter next season as defending Lake Michigan Ski Conference Championships.
Lake Leelanau St. Mary senior Jacqueline Hearne completed her four-year career on the ski team this season.
Luther and Stoops will both be senior leaders next season.
Lakers win LMSC
In a thrilling showdown at Crystal Mountain Wednesday, the Glen Lake cooperative ski team, alongside Onekama and Caledonia, battled for the Lake Michigan Ski Conference title Wednesday.
The Lakers swept the conference, claiming first place in slalom and giant slalom for the girls and the boys to win the outright conference championship. The Glen Lake ski team includes student-athletes from Leland, Lake Leelanau St. Mary, Frankfort, and Benzie Central, with Crystal Mountain as the home course.
“It means everything to me, “ Frankfort junior Miles Luther said.
Caledonia finished second, and Onekama followed in third place for boys and girls during a competitive racing season with more than ideal conditions.
The Laker boys were led by Frankfort juniors Ben Stoops and Luther, Glen Lake junior Justin Thompson, and sophomore Hawthorne Sutherland, who performed well.
Glen Lake girls Lilly Wolfe and Willa Murray led the way for the Lakers during the conference championships.
“I felt pretty solid today, it was a good race,” Murray said.
The Lakers will wrap up the regular season Friday at Crystal Mountain for the Caledonia Invitational.
Murray and Wolfe will soak up the season’s last race and give it a “full send.”
The bond has grown between the skiers over the short yet eventful ski season.
“It’s been nice having the team combined … Our team is winning, and I feel like that’s brought us all together,” Murray said, and Wolfe added. “We have good team chemistry, and everybody gets along well.”
Boys GS top 10: 1. Stoops; 2. David Potgeter (Caledonia); 3. Luther; 4. Thompson; 5. Hawthorne Sutherland (Glen Lake); 6. Phil Putney (Onekama); 7.Aidan Bron (Caledonia); 9. Derick Pritchard (Caledonia); 10. Jake Potgieter (Caledonia).
Boys slalom top 10: 1. Thompson; 2. David Poteger; 3. Stoops; 4. Luther; 5. Allee (Onekama); 6. Bron; 7. Jake Poteger; 8. Putney (Onekama); 9. James Pritchard (Caledonia); 10. Bryce Cundiff (Glen Lake).
Girls GS top 10: 1. Marta; 2. Blackmore; 3. Wolfe; 4. Murray; 5. Suzanna Poradzka; 6. Elsa Carter (Glen Lake) 7. Avalynne Allee; Kylee Zimmerman 9. Moraya Mosher (Glen Lake); 10. Jacqueline Hearne (St. Mary). Girls slalom top 10: 1. Marta; 2. Blackmore; 3. Murray; 4. Wolfe; 5. Carter; 6. Hearne; 7. Amorie Mosher; 8. Poradzka; 9. Piper Putney (Onekama); 10. Liz Hilton.
Leland junior Willa Murray finished her season with an impressive third place finish in slalom at the Lake Michigan Ski competitions.
Ben Stoops finished his junior season at the state championships Monday.
Frankfort’s Lilly Wolfe jumps out of the gate during the Lake Michigan Ski Conference Championships Wednesday. Enterprise photos by Brian Freiberger
