HARBOR SPRINGS — Pontiac Notre Dame Prep junior Maren Studt had to watch last year's MHSAA Division 2 Girls Skiing Final from the sideline with a broken collarbone she suffered two days before the big race. 

This time around, she competed and took advantage of the opportunity.

After contributing to a team championship as a freshman, Studt was especially determined to reach the pinnacle again, this time as an individual.

"I've been nervous about it for the race this whole season. Today, I decided I was going to go out and do my best and see what happens," she said. "This season, I had no expectations because I don't know how I would have ended up, and so I just went out and did my best this season."

After her first run in slalom Monday at Boyne Highlands, Studt knew she had to rip her second – which led to the first-place finish with a two-run combined time of 1:16.10. She was in high spirits heading into her favorite event, giant slalom. 

"GS is my favorite discipline, so I was just ready to go to and had to put the morning aside and just try to go do it again. Then the second run, the snow was a little rough, but I willed through and I was happy with the finish," Studt said. 

Studt won the giant slalom with a two-run time of 66.79 seconds.

The junior cherished the accomplishment but now has a crown to defend. 

"I hope to do it again, two-peat, and the (2025-26) season starts tomorrow," she said. 

Meanwhile, Harbor Springs earned its first girls Finals championship in 10 years behind a complete team performance.

"They believed they could, and they did it," Harbor Springs coach Ellen Beatty said. "They all played their part and stepped it up, and it was an awesome day."

Harbor Springs claimed first place with 68 points, and East Grand Rapids finished runner-up with 91. Bloomfield Hills Marian finished third, followed by Cadillac, Detroit Country Day, Grand Rapids Christian, Rochester Adams, Great North Alpine and Norway.

The Rams skied smart and fast despite the slushy conditions. All six skiers finished all 24 runs without any falls or disqualifications.

"I think they were fired up and ready to go and proved they could do it," Beatty said. "They're an extraordinary group of girls, and it was amazing to watch them grow over the season. Their competition was themselves. So they pushed each other to this level and won a state championship because of it."

Throughout the entire season, different Rams took first places, and even Monday, the whole roster was primed to run their best races.

The last time Harbor Springs won a Finals championship was 2015.

Harbor Springs senior Tara Shouldice took second in GS with a two-run time of 1:07. Keeler Brainard finished 11th, while Drew and Mackenzie Bowman finished 15^th and 16^th, respectively. Teammate Quinn Myers finished 17^th overall to round out a stellar team GS section.

"I know a lot of people were watching us because we were the team to beat, and I think everybody skied well, and we stepped up to the competition," Shouldice said.

Mckenzie Bowman finished seventh overall in the slalom race, and Shouldice finished 16^th, while Quinn Myers, Elliott Baetens, and Drew Bowman finished 25^th, 29^th, and 30^th, respectively.

"I feel like we have pretty high expectations of ourselves, and we fulfilled those," Mckenzie Bowman said.

Baetens added: "I'm just really proud of our team. We did a good job, even with the sticky snow, and we all finished our runs. We just did a great job coming together as a team."

East Grand Rapids put on a stellar show to place second. 

"The girls stuck together, even having those little problems, and gave Harbor Springs a battle. We'll be back with the ladies," East Grand Rapids girls and boys coach KC McGovern said.

EGR freshman Sophie Hicks led the Pioneers with a second-place finish in slalom (1:16). The top five spots in slalom were decided by 1.5 seconds.

"I'm really happy with slalom, but not so much GS. … I'd love to win states in the future," she said.

Hannah Darooge finished fifth in GS to round out her senior season and high school career.

"It's always good to end your season on a good note, but to end it all on a good note, just like, makes you happy. makes you feel like you did something good," Darooge said.

Brayden Winkel finished fourth overall in slalom and ninth in GS to conclude a stellar sophomore year.

"The experience helps because hopefully we're back here for the next two years until I'm a senior,” Winkel said. “Hopefully next time we bring it home all the way.”

Click for full results. Click to watch NFHS Network broadcasts: Slalom | Giant Slalom

PHOTOS (Top) Eventual champion Notre Dame Prep's Maren Studt approaches a gate during a giant slalom run Monday at Boyne Highlands. (Middle) Harbor Springs' Tara Shouldice races in GS on the way to finishing second to lead the team champion. (Below) East Grand Rapids' Sophie Hicks cuts into a turn in slalom; she finished runner-up. (Click for more photos by Sarah Shepherd - more will be added throughout this week.)