White Lake Township – Life without Katie is just fine for the Bloomfield Hills Marian ski team.

“Oh, we do miss her,” said Coach Rob Rhodes.

It would be hard not to. Katie Thibideau’s accomplishments on Michigan’s prep snowy slopes are legendary: three years in a row CHSL slalom and giant slalom winner; 2010 and 2011 state giant slalom champion; 2011 state slalom champion, leading Marian to state Division 1 team championships the last two winters.

In the aftermath of Marian’s fourth consecutive CHSL ski title last Monday at Alpine Valley, seniors Kelly Lunghamer and Morgan Kavanaugh credited “hard work” for the team’s success this year. “We have a tradition of winning at Marian, and we want to continue it.”

“Our young kids stepped up,” said Rhodes.

Lunghamer, sophomore Kat Streng and junior Haley Goeckel were 1-2-3 in the slalom. Goeckel and Lunghamer flip-flopped finishes in the giant slalom. Streng took second again for another 1-2-3 finish for Marian. Sophomore Madison McCready took fifth in both races to round out Marian’s top four and account for its winning 23-point total.

Caroline Grubbs placed fourth in both races to pace the Pontiac Notre Dame Prep’s runner-up finish with 58 points.
On the boys side, Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, also coached by Rhodes, reclaimed the CHSL title it lost a year ago to Novi Catholic Central.

Graham Berry, Matt Wellman, Robbie Cort and Geoff Becker were 2-3-6-7 for the Warriors 18 points in the giant slalom. Berry, Cort, Griffin Dahl and Wellman finished 3-4-8-13 for 28 points to give Rice its winning total of 46 points, nearly doubling the 83 for another runner-up finish by Notre Dame Prep.

Catholic Central’s Damon Rotermond won both slalom and giant slalom races. He is the defending state giant slalom champion.

In last week’s regionals, Brother Rice won the boys title, and Marian finished runner-up among the girls’ teams. Both will proceed to the state finals Feb. 27 at Nubs Nob, where Marian will be out to defend its 2011 championship.

GIRLS TEAM STANDINGS:

Marian 23, Notre Dame Prep 58, Farmington Hills Mercy 99.

BOYS TEAM STANDINGS:

Brother Rice 46, Notre Dame Prep 83, Catholic Central 84.5, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 108.5, Detroit U-D Jesuit 123.

GIRLS SUPER SIX RACERS(combining slalom and giant slalom):

Lunghamer (BHM) 77.36; Streng (BHM) 77.53; Goeckel (BHM)78.93; Grubbs (NDP) 80.87; Rachel Dawson (NDP) 81.17; McCready (BHM) 81.41.

BOYS SUPER DOZEN RACERS(combining slalom and giant slalom):

Rotermond (CC) 72.94; Berry (BHR) 74.00; Becker (BHR)74.71; Cort (BHR) 74.73; Matt Recker (OLSM) 75.21; Ian Pierce (CC) 75.60; Kevin Ziegler (NDP) 75.47; Andrew Lauer (NDP) 76.85; Brandon Fagnani (OLSM) 77.12; Nick Lipinski (U-D) 77.31; Ken O’Brien (U-D) 77.66; Wellman (BHR) 77.69.