2014 ALL-NORTH OAKLAND AREA GIRLS SKIING: Clarkston, Lake Orion lead postseason squad
BY DAN STICKRADT
SENIOR EDITOR
Dan.Stickradt@northoaklandsports.com
Twitter: @LocalSportsFans
It’s been eight years since a girls skiing team from North Oakland County has captured a state championship. It has been longer since a local team finished second.
Still, the pipeline of talent has not dried up in recent years. There’s plenty of team and individual prospects on area slopes to keep several area teams quite competitive.
The 2014 All-North Oakland Area Girls Ski Team, selected by NOS staff, features a first and second team of seven standout individuals, plus nine honorable mentions. The coach of the Year is John Sync of Clarkston.
Making the cut was no easy task, as a second team was added this season.
Below are the profiles for each member named to the first team:]
FIRST TEAM
ALEX BERGQUIST, Lake Orion: While the Dragons did not reach the state meet as a team, they did send three skiers to the finals as individuals and Bergquist was one of them. This season Bergquist was steady, pacing 12th in the slalom and 14th in the GS at the Pine Knob Divisional meet and following that up by placing 11th in the GS and 17th in the slalom at the Pine Knob regional. At the Division 1 state finals, Bergquist finished 41st in the GS.
AMANDA CASETTI, Clarkston: This sophomore was another steady performer and aided the Wolves’ fine season. Casetti finished ninth in the slalom and 17th in the GS to kickstart the championship season, then followed that up with a third-place finish in the GS and 12th-place showing in the slalom at the Pine Knob regional. After missing the SEMSL meet, she came back to finish 59th in the slalom and 62nd in the GS at the D-1 state finals.
MADELINE DECLERCQ, Clarkston: A junior in her third varsity campaign, Declercq was perhaps her team’s most consistent performer down the stretch. She was the GS champion and 11th-place finisher at the Pine Knob Divisional meet, then placed second in the GS and third in the slalom at the Pine Knob regional. She claimed top honors in the GS and finished 12th in the slalom at the SEMSL meet and placed eighth in the GS and 48th in the slalom at the D-1 state finals. Declercq garnered All-State Second Team status in the GS.
CAROLINE GRUBBS, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep: This senior was one of the top performers at Pine Knob this winter and backed that up with many fine performances during the championship season. She was fourth in the slalom and fifth in the GS at the Pine Knob Divisional and fourth in the slalom and seventh in the GS at the Division 2 Cannonsburg regional. At the SEMSL meet, she claimed third in the slalom and eighth in the GS, while she capped her prep career by placing 11th in the slalom and 18th in the GS at the D-2 state meet. She earned All-State Second Team honors in the slalom.
HALEY HERSHEY, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep: The other half of the Fighting Irish 1-2 senior punch, Hershey racked up seven top-20 finishes at championships meets. She began with a fifth-place showing in the slalom and sixth-place finish at the Pine Knob Divisional, while she followed that up with a fourth-place finish in the slalom and 11th-place finish in the GS at the D-2 Cannonsburg regional. At the SEMSL meet, she was eighth in the slalom and 12th in the GS, while she ended the season by finishing 20th in the slalom at the D-2 state finals.
EMILY HEWITT, Lake Orion: A freshman, Hewitt debuted on the scene as one of the premier ski racers in Southeastern Michigan for her age group. She was 18th in the slalom and 22nd in the GS at the Pine Knob Divisional meet and followed that up with an 11th-place showing in the GS at the Pine Knob regional. She also finished 36th in the GS at the D-1 state finals.
CAROLINE SPYTMAN, Clarkston: This junior rang up six top-20 finishes at the end of the season to make the first team. A third-year varsity performer, Spytman won the slalom and finished second in the GS at the Pine Knob Divisional meet, leading the Wolves to the team title. She was second in the slalom and 17th in the GS at the Pine Knob regional, finished ninth in the slalom and 47th in the GS at the SEMSL meet and ended the campaign by finishing sixth in the slalom and 40th in the GS at the D-1 state finals. She garnered All-State First Team honors in the slalom.
COACH OF THE YEAR
JOHN SYCH, Clarkston: Clarkston’s girls were the most consistent of teams in northern Oakland County with Sych getting the nod as top coach. The Wolves finished 7-1 in dual at Pine Knob, won tne Pine Knob Divisional meet and overall Pine Knob title. Clarkston also finished second at the Division 1 Pine Knob regional, placed seventh at the SEMSL championships and seventh at the D-1 state finals.
2014 ALL-NORTH OAKLAND AREA
GIRLS SKIING TEAM
FIRST TEAM
Alex Bergquist Lake Orion Senior
Amanda Casetti Clarkston Sophomore
Madeline Declercq Clarkston Junior
Caroline Grubbs Pont. Notre Dame Senior
Haley Hershey Pont. Notre Dame Senior
Emily Hewitt Lake Orion Freshman
Caroline Spytman Clarkston Junior
COACH OF THE YEAR
John Sych Clarkston First Season
SECOND TEAM
Clarkston: Karoline Holsbeke, sr.; Lauren Martin, jr.; Holly-Oxford Unified: Emma Ford, soph.; Lake Orion: Katie Tyrell, jr.; Sydnee Reid, jr.; Rochester: Natalie Krauss, sr.; Rochester Adams- Rochester Stoney Creek Unified: Abby Smith, sr.
HONORABLE MENTION
Clarkston: Megan Gasser, fr.; Holly-Oxford Unified: Montana Taure-Whitt, jr.; Olivia Upoham, fr.; Sopi Que, fr.; Lake Orion: Madison Reid, jr.; Pontiac Notre Dame Prep: Nina Michielutti, jr.; Madeline Meek, jr.; Meg Bauer, sr.; Rochester Adams- Rochester Stoney Creek Unified: Shelby Rosalik, jr.
Category: All Area Teams, Clarkston, Featured Articles, High School, High School (M-Z), Holly, Lake Orion, Most Recently Updated Stories, Ortonville Brandon, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Prep Wraps, Rochester, Rochester Adams, Rochester Stoney Creek, Skiing, Sport, Stats / Area Leaders, Top Stories, Uncategorized
