This Week In High School Sports: 1/18/22

By Jon Ross
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties

January 18, 2022

This week's edition highlights a strong start for the Midland Dow girls basketball team, awards Game Balls to high achievers in wrestling, basketball and hockey; and celebrates retiring coaches who are among the winningest in Michigan's girls basketball and baseball history. MI Student Aid

The 5-minute program each week includes feature stories from around the state from the MHSAA’s Second Half or network affiliates, along with "Be The Referee," a 60-second look at the fine art of officiating.

"This Week in High School Sports" is powered by MI Student Aid, a part of the Office of Postsecondary Financial Planning located within the Michigan Department of Treasury.

Listen to this week's show by Clicking Here.

Previous editions

Jan. 11: Battle of the Fans X "Challenge Round," officiating on the islands Listen
Jan. 4: Onsted boys basketball, Oxford Strong Listen
Dec. 15:
Winter championship calendar, KLAA/MIHL Memorial Showcase Listen
Dec. 8:
2021 Bush Award honorees, remembering Tom Rashid Listen
Dec. 1: 11-Player Football Finals review Listen
Nov. 23: Volleyball, LP Girls Swimming & Diving, 8-Player Football Finals review Listen
Nov. 16:
Lower Peninsula Cross Country continued, weekend preview Listen
Nov. 9: Lower Peninsula Cross Country, Boys Soccer Finals review Listen
Nov. 2: Title IX at 50 celebration, Fall championship broadcasts Listen
Oct. 27: Upper Peninsula Cross Country Finals review, soccer/volleyball playoff update Listen
Oct. 20: Lower Peninsula Girls Golf & Boys Tennis Finals review Listen
Oct. 13: Middle school/junior high cross country Regionals, football playoff selection Listen
Oct. 6: Upper Peninsula girls tennis champions, football broadcast update Listen
Sept. 29: Girls swimming & diving "Meet of Champions," Schoolcraft's star kicker  Listen
Sept. 22:
Spartan Invitational "elite" races, John U. Bacon's "Let Them Lead"  Listen
Sept. 15:
Volleyball powers face off, Tiger Teusink's tennis legacy Listen
Sept. 8:
Fall sports rules changes, Adrian Lenawee Christian inspiration – Listen
Sept. 1: 
Boys soccer seeding process, Beaver Island athletics – Listen
Aug. 25:
 Return of Fall sports, “enhanced strength-of-schedule” football playoff format – Listen

Notre Dame Prep's Studt Repeats Individual Sweep, Country Day Claims 1st Team Title

By Nick Cooper
Special for MHSAA.com

February 24, 2026

BELLAIRE – A lot can change in a year, but that was not the case at Monday’s Division 2 Girls Ski Finals.

Pontiac Notre Dame Prep’s Maren Studt won her second consecutive championships in both the slalom and giant slalom. 

While the competition was tight, Studt’s dominated the field as she won the giant slalom with a time of 48.27, nearly a full second quicker than second-place Sophie Hicks of East Grand Rapids (49.22).

Studt won the slalom in a combined time of 66.92 seconds, just ahead of Detroit Country Day’s Annie Way.

“It feels really good. Definitely a lot of stress coming into the postseason, but I’m really happy with my skiing today. It feels great to end my high school career that way,” Studt said.

Studt credited those around her for the success and motivation to pull out the repeat.

Detroit Country Day’s Annie Way slides past a gate on the way to finishing second in the slalom.Finishing third in the giant slalom was Houghton’s Laura Lucak (49.54), followed by Annie Way of Detroit Country Day (49.95) and Grace Rowe of Great North Alpine (50.02).

In the slalom, Houghton’s Lucak finished third as well with a time of 68.98 followed by Great North Alpine’s Schaffler (69.57) and Detroit Country Day’s Avery Siudara (70.25).

While Studt’s dominating career crescendo appeared to come easily, the skiing star acknowledged the persistence that has gotten her to the top of the Michigan skiing mountain.

“I know it’s challenging, but you just gotta keep working. Results don’t come immediately, it’s a process, but you have to enjoy the process while it’s happening,” Studt said.

Detroit Country Day who took home the school’s first team Finals championship with a combined total of 91 points, 20 points better than second-place finisher Harbor Springs (111).

Country Day’s dominant slalom performance (38 points) all but sealed the win for the up-and-coming program. The Yellowjackets’ finished with 33 fewer points than second-place finisher Harbor Springs (71) in the slalom, led in large part by Way (67.43) and Siudara.

“Going into the race I was going to be happy with third. Beyond happy, but never really thought that we could have come out in first. Our late coach (Daniel) Costigan was looking over us today,” Country Day coach Geoffrey Becker said.

Finishing third in the team standings was Norway with a combined score of 114, followed by East Grand Rapids (128), Great North Alpine (139), Cadillac (163), Clare (216), Bloomfield Hills Marian (229.5) and Grand Rapids Christian (230.5).

Click for full results.

PHOTOS (Top) Pontiac Notre Dame Prep’s Maren Studt races to the giant slalom championship Monday at Schuss Mountain. (Middle) Detroit Country Day’s Annie Way slides past a gate on the way to finishing second in the slalom. (Click for more from Todd VanSickle.)