SN 3-2-2024

Page 16/The Sun and News, Saturday, March 2, 2024

Scots’ Potgeter takes on tough finals ski course

Brett Bremer
Sports Editor
Caledonia’s DJ Potgeter
placed 49th in a group of 80
skiers in the giant slalom at the
MHSAA Division 2 Ski Finals
at Nub’s Nob Monday.
That was his top finish of the
day despite earning his state
finals’ spot for his tenth-place
slalom finish at regionals.
“We are extremely proud of
DJ,” Caledonia head coach
Duane Petrosky said. “He has
really worked hard and
focused on improving his skill
set all season. DJ is the first
Caledonia skier to compete in
the state finals since 2020, and
he really skied hard on some
of Michigan’s most challeng-
ing courses.
According to coach
Petrosky, the MHSAA
changed the qualification pro-
cess a couple years ago to
allow a skier that qualified in
one discipline to compete in
both at the finals, which was
not the case the last time
Caledonia had a skier there.
Coach Petrosky said getting
spots in flights 4.5 for the sla-
lom and 6.5 for the GS were
tough spots.
“Both are challenging
placements, since the snow
can change and ruts can form
as more and more racers run
the course,” Petrosky said.
Potgeter skied well putting
together runs of 30.77 seconds
and then 26.31 seconds in the
morning in the GS.
“In the afternoon, his first
slalom run had him in 32nd
place going into his second
run,” Petrosky said. “The sec-
ond run was an extremely
steep and tight set and he skied
the top half very well, as he
was skiing over the steep tran-
sition area his ski hit a gate and
popped off ending his run.
“This was the most chal-

lenging slalom course that I

have seen in my years of

coaching and DJ really skied it

hard. Ski racing is one of the

most unforgiving sports, one

centimeter off on a line and

you can lose a ski to hit the

wrong area of the line on a

course with no way to redo or

recover. I was impressed by

how DJ handled the loss of his

ski and his immediate focus on

what to do so he can return to

the finals, with his team next

year. He is the kind of athlete

that coaches want on their

team to lead the way for their

team’s improvement.”

Potgeter had a time of 36.

his first run down the hill in

the slalom. He wasn’t the only

guy not to get two times in the

event. Keaton Abraham from

Gaylord had the lead after one

run at 31.53 seconds but didn’t

finish his second run.

Creighton Studt of Notre

Dame Prep was in second with

a time of 31.75 and was dis-

qualified his second time

down.

Gavin Galbraith of Petsokey

ended up earning the individu-

al title in the slalom with runs

of 31.95 and 36.58 seconds.

He trailed only Abraham and

Studt after the first run and

then turned in the fastest time

of that tough second run.

Onekama’s Braydon Sorenson

finished as the runner-up with

runs of 31.12 and 36.95.

Houghton’s Eli Heathman

won the boys’ GS champion-

ship with runs of 26.58 and

23.51. He was one of five guys

with a total time under 51 sec-

onds for the two runs.

Cadillac’s Brady Koenig was

second with runs of 27.54 and

23.20, ahead of Galbraight,

Abraham and Studt in third,

fourth and fifth respectively.

Marley Spence from

Petoskey won both girls’

events. She took the slalom

with runs of 35.02 and 37.17.

In the GS she turned in runs of

26.79 and 24.38 – the fastest

first run and the second fastest

second run of the competition.

Cadillac’s Onalee Wallis was

right behind her with a run one

time of 27.36 and a run two

time of 24.31 which was the

fastest any girl went down the

course all day. Wallis was also

the runner-up in the slalom.

The Petoskey boys won the

state championship with an

overall score of 68 points, well

ahead of second-place Orchard

Lake St. Mary’s which fin-

ished with 102 points. Notre

Dame Prep was third with 134

points ahead of Great North

Alpine 140, Harbor Springs

155, East Grand Rapids 185,

Mattawan/PawPaw 219,

Rochester Adams 228 and

Grand Rapids West Catholic/

Catholic Central 258.

Cadillac won the girls’ sla-

lom and GS with 36 points

each to clinch its state champi-

onship with a total of 72 points.

Harbor Spring was second with

91 points ahead of Mattawan/

Paw Paw 107, Marian 168,

Norway 171, Rochester Adams

177, East Grand Rapids 199,

Bloomfield Hills 211 and Great

North Alpine 215.

The team season ended for

the Fighting Scots last Friday

as they hosted their own

Caledonia Invitational at

Crystal Mountain.

“Friday may have had the

best conditions we have seen

all season,” Petrosky said. “It

helped our Invitational run

smoothly and even a little

ahead of schedule. Crystal

Mountain has really supported

ski racing and help our team

have an incredible season. We

are very happy with the move

north and are excited about the

future of our team at Crystal

Mountain.”

Potgeter earned a medal for

his 11th-place slalom finish.

The Caledonia team also had

medal winning performances

on the boys’ side from Aidan

Brown who was 11th in the

GS and Brayden Smith who

was 12th in the GS.

Smith added a 17th-place

slalom performance, Brown

was 25th in the slalom. Other

scoring finishes for the CHS

boys came thanks to Derick

Pritchard tying for 28th in the

GS, Cohen Broomfield plac-

ing 33rd in the GS and Ben

Diegel 24th in the slalom.

The Grand Rapids Christian

girls and Onekama boys took

championships on the day.

The Caledonia boys’ and girls’

teams finished in fifth place.

“Mya Baldwin, Kyleigh

Thompson and Adia Whisler

have been a part of the team

since middle school,” coach

Petrosky said of his girls.

“Elizabeth Honhart joined the

team as a junior and our

exchange students Zosia

Skrzypek, Tamara Sarkoevia,

and Vicky Brousse are all

incredible young women and

we are going to miss off of

them next year. This is the

largest group of senior girls

that we have had on the

Caledonia ski team in years.”

Baldwin earned a medal in

both events. She was 12th in

the GS and 15th in the slalom.

Thompson placed 18th in the

GS and 21st in the slalom.

Hilton was 30th in the GS and

31st in the slalom for the

Scots. Skrzypek was 28th in

the GS and 32nd in the slalom.

JV teams competed along-

side the varsity squads.

Sarkoeziova led the Caledonia

girls with a 24th-place GS

finish and a 27th-place slalom

finish. Peter Calhoun had the

top performance from two

Caledonia boys’ JV squads.

He placed in a tie for 28th in

the GS and 36th in the slalom.

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Caledonia’s DJ Potgeter is joined by coaches Matt Hilton and Duane Petrosky at the top of the slalom

course at Nub’s Nob Monday, Feb. 26, during the MHSAA Division 2 Ski Finals.

Caledonia’s Aidan Brown makes his way around a gate in the slalom during the

Caledonia Invitational Friday, Feb. 23, at Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville.

The Fighting Scots’ Tamara Sarkoeziovia runs the giant slalom during the

Caledonia Invitational at Crystal Mountain Friday, Feb. 23.