Page 10 — Thursday, February 24, 2022 — The Hastings Banner
VanDemark finally breaks
through to Finals
Brett Bremer
Sports Editor
After a couple seasons on the edge of state
qualification, Plainwell/Thornapple Kellogg
junior Lucy VanDemark is finally headed to
the state finals.
VanDemark qualified for the MHSAA
Division 1 Ski Finals with her tenth-place
slalom finish at the Division 1 Regional meet
at Cannonsburg Ski Area Tuesday (Feb. 15).
The top three teams at the regional qualify
for the state finals, as well as a minimum of
four other individual qualifiers from both the
slalom and giant slalom races. Whatever else
happens, everyone on the top ten in each
event is guaranteed a spot in the state finals.
VanDemark just missed out during her fresh-
man and sophomore seasons being fifth
among the girls considered possible individu-
al state qualifiers in the GS, but not among
the top ten.
“My first year, I didn’t really know what it
would take to go to state. I wasn’t quite sure
how likely it was, and there were actually a
lot of really talented skiers. I wasn’t quite
expecting to be there. It was a bit of a surprise
my freshman year. After I saw all of the real-
ly good skiers and I was so close I was kind
of really motivated and I thought it would be
so cool to go to state.”
She thought having been at a regional race
at Cannonsburg before was a big plus for her
this time around. She also said she was better
set up mentally for last week’s regional.“I was kind of like whatever happens, hap-
pens,” VanDemark said. “I think before I put
too much pressure on myself, and I always do
better when I don’t have that pressure. I was
able to go into the meet with kind of like an
open mind. Especially knowing I had been so
close, I was like you know what I am just
going to go out there and ski my best and see
what happens. I think that was a mental shift
that I had, giving myself a little bit more
grace, which actually worked out.”
With dominant teams from Traverse City
West, Traverse City Central, Forest Hills
Northern/Eastern and Marquette in the region,
getting through is never an easy task.
VanDemark flew down the hill in a time of
30.22 seconds in her first GS run, which was
the ninth-best time of the opening run Tues-
day. She had the 12th-best run two time at
27.07 seconds, which was good for tenth
overall in the end.
“The first run, I didn’t feel like it was my
best run, but when I got down to the bottom I
saw that I was in ninth place overall,” VanDe-
mark said. “The times were all super-duper
close, especially because that course was on a
lot flatter section of the hill. They have the
‘Face’ they call it that has the steeper GS
course and then along the side there is another
not so steep course, and that was the one I was
on so it was a lot less technical. It was easier
for everyone to go faster on that course.”
The competition was so tough that VanDe-
mark was actually tied with two other girls inninth place as all three turned in times of
30.22 on that first GS run.
“Which was pretty crazy, because that
doesn’t happen that often in skiing,” VanDe-
mark said. “I was a little optimistic after that,
but I was also a little nervous because I was
like, ‘I actually did pretty good on that run.
Now I have a little bit more pressure to do
well on the second run.
“I felt great on my second run in the GS.
That was the one on the ‘Face,’ so it was a lot
steeper. On both runs I felt really strong on
my starts, and that is kind of crucial at Can-
nonsburg. They have a really flat top and then
it kind of drops off, so I got in some really
good skates at the top in both of my GS runs,
so I think that really helped me out a lot.”
The MHSAA Division 1 State Finals will
be held Monday, Feb. 28, at Boyne Mountain.
VanDemark also placed 16th overall in the
slalom with runs of 34.52 and 33.43. The
33.42 time on her second run was the
12th-best second-run slalom time by any girl
Tuesday. She was seventh in the list of possi-
ble additional state qualifiers in that event.
Qualifiers in one event get to compete in both
events, the slalom and GS, at the state finals.
The Traverse City West girls took the
regional championship with 69 points, ahead
of Traverse City Central 75 and Forest Hills
Northern/Eastern 87 among the three state
qualifying teams. Marquette placed fourth
with 113 points, ahead of Grand Haven 164,
Rockford 246.5, Portage Central 259.5, Loy
Norrix 312, Plainwell/TK 329, Okemos 343.
and Hudsonville 435.
Maddy Stern from Marquette was the indi-
vidual champion in the girls’ slalom with runs
of 31.63 and 31.76.
Forest Hills Northern/Eastern’s Katie
Grzelak was the slalom champion with runs
of 29.00 and 25.79. Those were the best times
of each run at the girls’ GS on the day. Lila
Warren from Traverse City West was the run-
ner-up in the girls’ GS with times of 29.
and 26.62.
The Plainwell/TK Trojan Ski team also had
Madison Nagel 44th in the GS, Sarah Russell
46th and Abigail Warnez 52nd. Ella Way and
Whitney Johnson also competed and weren’t
far behind their teammates.
In the slalom, Nagel was 42nd, Warnez
49th and Way 60th. Anna Davis and Russell
made runs at the slalom hill for the Trojans.
VanDemark was happy to see Trojan team-
mates, even ones who weren’t skiing in the
regional, cheering on the team and helping
run coats to the bottom of the hill and things.
She was also impressed with some teammates
who bounced back from falls and with her
teammate Nagel battling a bloody nose
throughout her last three runs of the day.
“She actually broke a gate when she was
going down, so she got a re-run, but she got
to keep that broken [slalom] gate as a tro-
phy, so that was really fun to see,” VanDe-
mark said.
Traverse City West took the boys’ regional
championship with a final score of 34 points,
ahead of Traverse City Central 51, Forest
Hills Northern/Eastern 144, Grand Haven
161, Marquette 190, Rockford 240, Saginaw
Heritage 271, Mattawan 286, Okemos 318,
Hudsonville 381, Plainwell/TK 382, Portage
Northern 432 and Loy Norrix 492.
Charlie Licht from Traverse City West had
the two fastest boys’ slalom runs, notching
times of 31.52 and 29.02 and his teammate
Caleb Lewandowski had the two fastest GS
runs with times of 26.10 and 26.88.
The Plainwell/TK boys were led in the
slalom by Dillon Vlietstra who was 39th,
Liam Troutner who was 40th, Eli Korreck
49th and Robby Jones 57th. Vlietstra was
38th in the GS, Troutner 42nd, Korreck 52nd
and Matteo Garbarino 65th. Sam Bacon and
Colin Gritter also competed in both events for
the Trojan team.Three Saxons grapplers
punch ticket to State
Valerie Slaughter
Contributing Writer
A trio of Saxon wrestlers punched their
tickets to the Michigan High School Athletic
Association Individual State Finals at Ford
Field on March 4-5 at their Division 2 region-
al tournament Saturday at Allendale High
School.
Hastings senior Robby Slaughter will
make his second state appearance after quali-
fying as a sophomore last year. Joining him
this year will be senior Jackson Dubois and
freshman Isaac Friddle from the Hastings
varsity wrestling team.
“Really excited how we did,” Hastings head
coach Jason Slaughter said. “You always wish
you could have gotten more out, but we are
happy that we got those three through. Robby
had a great day, winning regionals at a tough
weight class. He has continued to improve and
become more and more dominant each week.
It shows the work he has put in this season.”
Jason Slaughter was the only regional cham-
pion for the Saxons. Slaughter, at 160 pounds,
made his run to the regional finals after pin-
ning Parker Lindstrom from Reeths Puffer in
round one. Slaughter won a tight 6-5 decision
over Greenville’s Nayte Dobson in the semifi-
nals. In the finals, Slaughter had a rematch
from last weeks district final’s match with
Thornapple Kellogg’s Austin Chivis. Slaughter
was up 6-4 after the second period, choosing
bottom for the third round, Slaughter managed
the escape, and then with just over a minute
left in the match scored another takedown.
Chivis scored an escape with 13 seconds left in
the match to make the final score 9-5.
Dubois, wrestling at 285 pounds, also start-
ed his final regional appearance off with a pin
in 1:13 over Allendale’s Jarred Nyboer,
before losing to eventual regional champion
Ira Jenkins from Whitehall in the semifinals.
Dubois came out strong in the blood round,
the consolation semifinals, against Domineco
Tejeda from Allendale winning on a pin in 21
seconds to earn his consolation finals spot
and to punch his first ticket to the state finals.
In the consolation finals for third place,
Dubois faced Bryson Vandermeulen from
Lowell, and again managed a pin in the first
period to cinch his third-place standing.
Coach Slaughter added, “I’m really proud
of Jackson getting a ticket to state as a senior.
It has been his goal all year. This year he has
been focused and committed to reach this
point.”
At 215 pounds, Friddle’s day started with a
pin as well, but the Saxon wrestler was down
14-7 at the end of the second period against
Parker Williams from Zeeland East before
Friddle grabbed a hold of the takedown and
scored the pin with 16 seconds left in the
match to earn the first-round win. In the
semifinals, Friddle fell to Whitehall’s Shane
Cook in the first period, but he came back in
the blood round to earn a pin in the second
period against Ryan Morren of Allendale,
earning his ticket to Ford Field and his spot in
the consolation finals.
In the consolation finals match for third
place, Friddle was pinned by Hamilton’s
Isaac Sterenberg.
Coach Slaughter noted that “Isaac did real-
ly well too, it is quite an accomplishment to
be a state qualifier as a freshman.”
The remaining regional qualifiers for the
Saxons were unable to earn their ticket to
State. Dillon Neal and Keegan Sutfin, both
wrestled at 112 pounds, and went 0-2 on the
day. Cohen Smith at 140 pounds also finished
0-2. Saxon sophomore Colton Smith won one
match in the first round of the consolation
with a 4-2 overtime win, before losing in the
blood round. Mason Denton, a senior in his
first regional showing, won a 8-1 decision in
the first round of consolation before falling in
a rematch against TK’s Jackson Curtis in the
blood round.
The MHSAA Individual State Finals will
take place on March 4-5 staring at 10 a.m. on
Friday at Ford Field in Detroit. Tickets can be
purchased at the door for $18 a session or $
for all three sessions, including the finals on
Saturday evening.Plainwell/TK Trojan Ski senior Lucy VanDemark races down the slalom course at Cannonsburg Tuesday during the MHSAA
Division 1 Regional meet. VanDemark qualified for the state finals for the first time with her slalom finish.175918HASTINGS CHARTER TOWNSHIP
2022 NOTICE OF BOARD OF REVIEW
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Board of Review will meet at the
Township Hall, 885 River Rd., Hastings, MI 49058 to examine and
review the 2022 assessment roll. The board will convene on the
following dates for the hearing of appeals of assessments or taxable
values, poverty exemptions, parcel classification appeals and/or
current year qualified agricultural denials:Tuesday, March 8, 2022, 1:00 pm Organizational Meeting
Wednesday, March 16, 2022, 9:00 am to Noon and 6:00 to 9:00 pm
Thursday, March 17, 2022, 9:00 am to Noon and 1:00 to 4:00 pmAnd on such additional days as required to hear all persons who have
given notice of the desire to be heard until assessment rolls have been
revised, corrected and approved.APPEALS ARE HEARD ON FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS;
letter appeals will be accepted and must be received no later than 5:
pm March 11, 2022Tentative ratios and estimated multipliers for 2022 are as follows:
Agricultural 49.63% 1.
Commercial 50.56% 0.
Industrial 53.91% 0.
Residential 49.07% 1.
Personal Property 50.00% 1.Tentative equalization factor of 1.0000 for all classes is
expected after completion of Board of Review.Jim Brown, Supervisor Hastings Charter Township
Kevin Harris, Assessor Hastings Charter TownshipHastings Charter Township Board Meetings are open to all without
regard to race, color, national origin, sex or disability.American with Disabilities (ADA) Notice
The township will provide necessary reasonable auxiliary aids and
services, to individuals with disabilities at the meeting/hearing upon
seven (7) days’ notice to Hastings Charter Township. Individuals with
disabilities requiring auxiliary aids or services should contact Castleton
Township by writing or calling.
Hastings Charter Township Clerk
885 River Rd.
Hastings, MI 49058
269-948-9690 175924TOWNSHIP OF PRAIRIEVILLE
2022 NOTICE OF BOARD OF REVIEW
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Board of Review will meet at the Township
Hall, 10115 S. Norris Rd. Delton, Michigan 49046, to examine and review the
2022 assessment roll. The board will convene on the following dates for the
hearing of appeals of assessments or taxable values, poverty exemptions,
parcel classification appeals and/or current year qualified agricultural denials:Tuesday, March 8, 2022, 10:00 am Organizational Meeting
Monday, March 14, 2022, 1:00 to 4:00 pm and 6:00 to 9:00 pm
Tuesday, March 15, 2022, 9:00 am to noon and 1:00 to 4:00 pmAnd on such additional days as required to hear all persons who have given
notice of the desire to be heard until assessment rolls have been revised,
corrected and approved.APPOINTMENTS ARE SUGGESTED; letter appeals will be accepted and
must be received no later than 5:00 pm March 11, 2022Tentative ratios and estimated multipliers for 2022 are as follows:
Agricultural 50.70% 0.
Commercial 50.31% 0.
Industrial 52.09% 0.
Residential 45.79% 1.
Personal Property 50.00% 1.Tentative equalization factor of 1.0000 for all classes is
expected after completion of Board of Review.Jim Stoneburner, Supervisor Prairieville Township
Kevin Harris, Assessor Prairieville TownshipPrairieville Township Board Meetings are open to all without regard to race,
color, national origin, sex or disability.American with Disabilities (ADA) Notice
The township will provide necessary reasonable auxiliary aids and services,
to individuals with disabilities at the meeting/hearing upon seven (7) days’
notice to Prairieville Township. Individuals with disabilities requiring auxiliary
aids or services should contact Prairieville Township by writing or calling.
Rod Goebel
Prairieville Township Clerk
10115 S. Norris Rd.
Delton, MI 49046
269-623-Hastings junior Robby Slaughter works on top of Thornapple Kellogg's Austin Chivis
during their 160-pound championship match at the MHSAA Division 2 Individual
Regional hosted by Allendale High School Saturday. (Photo by Valerie Slaughter)