After each taking Regional titles both the Notre Dame Boys and Girls Varsity Ski teams traveled Shanty Creek Resorts Schuss Mountain for the MHSAA Division II State Finals on Monday. From the first run in hard-frozen icy tracks in the morning, through heavy slush in the afternoon, the Irish fought a committed battle against the toughest skiers in the state.
On the girls side, it was an incredibly close battle with Notre Dame (88 points) racing to a 2nd place position, finishing barely behind the eventual champions Houghton/Hancock (84 points. Meghan Kozole earned the state runner-up position in Slalom, barely edging out her sister Katelyn, with both girls receiving 1st-Team All-State honors. Katelyn Kozole also earned 1st-Team All-state honors with a top-10 finish in Giant Slalom.
On the boys side it was a similarly close battle. Led by a strong senior class the Irish were in the running throughout the day. In the end, Notre Dame laid everything on the line and skied away with a strong 3rd place finish. Joey Warseke earned 1st Team All-state honors in the Giant Slalom event. Petoskey again took the state title for the boys, the 8th straight year they have done so.