By Wendi Reardon Price
Staff Writer
wprice@mihomepaper.com
HARBOR SPRINGS — The Wolves raced through the snow one last time to wrap the winter ski season with fourth place finishes in the MHSAA Division 1 Boys and Girls Ski State Championship at Nubs Nob, Feb. 24.
“It was awesome,” said Brian Popelier, head coach for the Clarkston Boys and Girls Ski teams. “We are truly proud of their accomplishment. To be once again the best team not from Traverse City, and now you can add Marquette because they’re back to being true to self.”
Marquette won the state championship for the boys with 50.5 points scored from the Slalom and Giant Slalom races; Traverse City West, second, 64; Traverse City Central, third, 103; and Clarkston, fourth, 155.

Traverse City Central finished in first place for the girls with 60 total points scored. Traverse City West finished in second place, 93; Marquette, third, 97; and Clarkston, fourth, 163.
“Traverse City and Marquette have some very talented skiers, deep teams with great talent from those individuals on those teams,” Popelier said. “To be able to show up again and be the best team in Michigan not from those areas is pretty cool.”
He added the boys team surprised quite a few teams at the championship.
“I’ve seen how they skied this year. I’ve seen their preparation. They’re so positive and they’re having a lot of fun doing it,” Popelier said. “Just from what I’ve seen from them all year – ‘we’re here, we’re ready to go’ and for them to get fourth place and also be the best team not from Traverse City and Marquette is extremely unbelievable for a lot of people and as I said, they ski really well.”
“Our team did an amazing job competing at states,” added freshman Anthony Ventimiglia. “Both teams did a great job at achieving fourth place amongst the other teams and many put hard work into doing so. Many teams up there have great talent we were able to match each race.”
For the Clarkston Girls Varsity Ski team, Cameron Thomas finished in the top ten in eighth place during the Giant Slalom to make First Team All-State. Jenna Brown finished in 16th place to make the Second Team All-State.
“It’s crazy to watch her eighth place finish in the Giant Slalom. It’s incredible because of the competition are from the Traverse City and Marquette teams that’s a huge accomplishment,” Popelier said of Thomas. “I know she is going to take the experience and remember it for the rest of her life.”
Thomas finished 12th place in the Slalom to make Second Team All-State.
For the boys team, Ryan Bushroe, Anthony Ventimiglia and Nathan Saker were named to Second Team All-State for their finishes in the Slalom race
“It’s a great accomplishment for them and for Clarkston,” said Popelier on the All-State honors. “The entire coaching staff has put a lot of effort into creating an environment where the kids are having fun as well as prepared for doing their best in ski races. We are super proud of their accomplishments.”
The boys began the day finishing in fifth place in the Giant Slalom to earn 94 points. Ventimiglia led the team finishing in 21st place in the combined time of 55.78; Saker, 24th, 56.31; Logan Brown, 31st, 57.25; Bushroe, 38th, 57.94; and Wyatt Janczarek, 39th, 58.06.
“The boys had a day,” said Popelier. “In GS, they raced against six boys from three different teams, all 18 of those boys are probably the best skiers in and around Michigan. For them to walk away in fifth place after GS was great.”
The boys finished in third place in the Slalom race in the afternoon, earning 61 points. Bushroe led the team finishing in 14th place in the combined time of 79.78; Ventimiglia, 16th, 80.46; Saker, 17th, 81.04; Janczarek, 28th, 85.42; Jeremy Nord, 37th, 89.29; and Brown, 53rd, 101.45.
“The conditions on the day of the race were very challenging with the snow being super soft and slushy, but we adapted to and overcame challenges it brought,” Ventimiglia said.
“Slalom, as the weather warmed up, was nuts to watch,” Popelier said. “You need four athletes to finish and finish well in order to point well. Those four athletes came down, and they threw down. It was fun to watch. It was a battle to get down that hill, and they raced well. I think they surprised a lot of guys and a lot of other teams going. They’re all coming back next year, and they’re all going to be in the driver’s seat of where they go from here. They had a lot of fun doing it.”
The girls finished in fourth place in the Giant Slalom race, earning 74 points. Thomas led the team finishing in eighth place in the combined time of 55.32; J. Brown, 16th, 56.46; Julia Verbeke, 22nd, 56.97; Lucy Roeser, 41st, 59.64; Lucy Savoie, 44th, 60.45; and Chloe Cook, 53rd, 63.04.
The girls finished the Slalom race in fourth place, earning 89 points. Thomas finished in 12th place in the combined time of 76.33; J. Brown, 25th, 81.03; Roeser, 32nd, 84.42; Savoie, 40th, 87.09; and Cook, 44th, 93.40.

“It’s sad to watch our leaders and our four-year varsity athletes graduate,” Popelier said. “To be pretty honest Cam is kind of the end of a dynasty. Her sister was a fantastic skier. So Cameron has been a part of that seven-year run the girls have been on, just being fast, deep, competitive skiers throughout the state of Michigan, not just southeast Michigan. She has brought some of that leadership experience of the older generation that’s in college or now graduating from college. She got to watch some of that. It’s fun she was able to bring some of that history and that legacy to this team. She is a fantastic leader. She’s been our MVP for the second year in a row which is fantastic. She’s a scholar athlete with one of the best GPAs and she’s been one of the best leaders we have had in Clarkston during my tenure. To see her continue to be one of the best ski racers in Michigan and perform the challenge is there, the competition is there and she’s showing up day in a day out and been one of the best racers.”
Popelier added Ventimiglia was named MVP as a rookie.
“That’s one for the record book for sure,” he said. “To have a freshman come in and already be a dominant force out there. It will be fun to watch him for the next three years. He’s poised do something very special. We are excited to continue to help him achieve any and all of his goals.”
“Thank you to everyone for the great support and to our great coaches,” said Ventimiglia. “Thank you for a amazing season and a preview of what can come for many years.”

  Clarkston Athletics, Ski