Marquette’s Sam Dehlin races on the slalom course at the MHSAA Division 1 Finals in boys skiing held at Boyne Highlands in Harbor Springs on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024. (MHSAA.com photo by Tori Burley)

By Journal Sports Staff

RIPLEY — A pair of seniors and a freshman from Marquette won their races and led the Sentinels to a sweep of team titles at the Houghton Invitational high school downhill ski meet held at Mont Ripley on Thursday.

Senior Lucy Stern won the slalom and freshman teammate Stella Dehlin won the giant slalom as MSHS posted just 25 points to win the girls meet. Norway was runner-up with 66 points, while the host Gremlins had 112, Ironwood 116 and downstate Maple City Glen Lake 130.

Senior Sam Dehlin led the Marquette boys by winning his slalom race and taking second place in the GS as the Sentinels had a similar margin of victory as the girls. MSHS scored 24 points as Houghton had 68, Ironwood 122 and Glen Lake 131.

Stern’s two-run combined time in the slalom was 1 minute, 17.86 seconds, more than 2 1/2 seconds ahead of teammate and runner-up Ava Stern’s 1:20.44. Lucy Stern had runs of 38.33 and 39.53 seconds, while Ava Stern’s were 40.24 and 40.20.

Stella Dehlin actually had the second-fastest single run of 38.82, but wasn’t able to finish her second run and didn’t post a combined time.

Also in the girls slalom, the Sentinels’ Madalyn Croney was fourth in 1:21.78, Anna Bernard seventh in 1:24.66 and Jillian Star 15th in 1:33.80.

For the girls GS, Stella Dehlin posted a nearly second-and-a-half victory in 1:17.60, making individual runs of 38.60 and 39.00 seconds, the two fastest runs.

Croney was runner-up in 1:19.09 on runs of 39.17 and 39.92. Ava Stern placed third in 1:19.56, Lucy Stern fifth in 1:20.62, Bernard 10th in 1:22.48 and Lyla Isaacson 12th in 1:23.93.

In JV races, Isaacson won the girls slalom by nearly eight seconds in 1:23.51, while Marquette’s Laura Markey took the girls GS by more than 3 1/2 seconds in 1:31.20.

For the boys, Sam Dehlin was a nearly four-second winner in the slalom, posting the two fastest runs of 32.73 and 33.06 for a 1:05.79 total.

The Sentinels really dominated this race, taking the top four spots and six of the first seven.

MSHS’ Luke Skytta was runner-up in 1:09.65 on runs of 35.06 and 34.59, Ben Kuhl third in 1:13.13, Brady Audette fourth in 1:13.16, Connor Dunn sixth in 1:15.01 and Conner Henry seventh in 1:15.11.

Sam Dehlin missed a double victory by just over half a second in the boys GS, making the second- and third-fastest runs of 35.65 and 35.49 seconds to post a 1:11.14 total.

Houghton’s Eli Heathman, with the fastest and fourth-fastest runs, finished in 1:10.51 on runs of 35.70 and 34.81.

Despite not winning, the Sentinels still had six of the top eight finishes. Skytta was third in 1:13.36, Kuhl fourth in 1:13.46, Henry fifth in 1:13.47, Audette seventh in 1:17.19 and Dunn eighth in 1:17.51.

For the boys JV, Sam Uchytil and Jameson Bishop dominated with each winning one race and finishing second in the other. Uchytil triumphed in the slalom in 1:22.48, while Bishop carted off the GS title in 1:22.12.

Marquette gets back on the slopes Monday at Big Powderhorn Mountain near Ironwood.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.