Mother Nature rules!

Catholic League boys and girls skiers found that out with the cancellation of the season-ending tournament due to a lack of snow. Here’s a rundown of CHSL champions for the other 2016-17 winter sports:

COMPETITIVE CHEER: Divine Child, St. Catherine

For Dearborn Divine Child, winning the Bishop Trophy in competitive cheer was nothing new: it was the Falcons’ 15th consecutive championship. Wixom St. Catherine of Siena defended the Cardinal Trophy for its second crown.

POM-PON: Mercy, Lutheran North

Farmington Hills Mercy won its first Pom-Pon championship in the history of the CHSL competition, dating back to 1985, edging Divine Child by two points for the Bishop Trophy. Macomb Lutheran North took the Cardinal Trophy in its first time in the league competition.

WRESTLING: Catholic Central

For the 23rd year in a row, and for 24 of 25 years the CHSL has held postseason wrestling tournaments, Novi Detroit Catholic Central won.

BOYS BOWLING: De La Salle, Cabrini

Senior Brendan DeSantis nailed three strikes in the 10th frame to give Warren De La Salle a one-point, come-from-behind victory over University of Detroit Jesuit for the East boys championship. It’s the Pilots’ fourth title in the past seven years. Allen Park Cabrini successfully defended its West boys title by beating back a challenge from Riverview Gabriel Richard.

GIRLS BOWLING: Regina, Gabriel Richard

Warren Regina won its third title in a row, and fourth in the last five years, in the East girls competition. Riverview Gabriel Richard won the West girls trophy for the first time since 2011.

GIRLS HOCKEY: Ladywood

Senior Devon Kelly scored a power-play goal late in the third period to nip Mercy, 2-1, for the CHSL championship. Senior Sam Erickson turned away 26 Mercy shots in the net. It was the Blazers’ sixth title in the last eight years.

BOYS HOCKEY: Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, Fr. Gabriel Richard

Senior Ian Rush scored in overtime to give Orchard Lake St. Mary’s a 5-4 win over Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, and its first Division I title since 2005. Ann Arbor Fr. Gabriel Richard defended its Division II title, scoring five goals in the third period en route to a 7-2 victory over Royal Oak Shrine.

GIRLS BASKETBALL: Mercy, Shrine

Farmington Hills Mercy won the A-B Division over two-time defending champ and archrival Bloomfield Hills Marian. Mercy last won the crown in 2014. It was 1994 the last time Royal Oak Shrine won the C-D crown. Led by sophomore Grace Murray’s 27 points, the Knights overcame a 10-point first quarter deficit to knock off Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes, 52-49.

BOYS BASKETBALL: U-D Jesuit, Lutheran North

Detroit U-D Jesuit won the A-B Division for the fifth consecutive year, defeating Warren De La Salle, 63-56. The Cubs’ celebration was muted somewhat by the absence of senior Ike Eke, whose mother was killed the day before when she was struck by a car while walking on a sidewalk in her native Nigeria.  Macomb Lutheran North, in its first time in CHSL post-season tournament, won the C-D title, 70-62, over Riverview Gabriel Richard.

BOYS SWIMMING: Brother Rice

While Brother Rice was doing what was expected — winning the CHSL boys swim title for the 26th year in a row — Warren De La Salle and Catholic Central were waging a fierce battle for second place, a spot the Shamrocks claimed for the last eight years. The Pilots prevailed by a scant 6.5 points, the closest they have been to the top spot since 1970 when they beat Detroit U-D Jesuit.

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Don Horkey may be reached at [email protected].