Small numbers, big success: Despite fielding just 8 skaters, Marquette Senior High School girls figure skating team finishes as runners-up at state finals
MARQUETTE — The Marquette Senior High School girls varsity figure skating team finished as runner-up in the individual points competition at the first day of the Laura Maki Michigan High School Figure Skating State Championships held at the Novi Ice Arena on the weekend of March 23-24.
Competing in a field of 35 teams with just eight skaters, MSHS totaled 99 points to champion Plymouth Canton’s 115. Downriver United was third with 86.
The Redettes had won the same title for the past three years, though in 2018, that team included nearly twice as many competitors with 15.
This year’s Marquette girls followed their second-place finish up with a 15th place in the team event on the second day of competition.
MSHS qualified for the state finals by tying for the top spot at its district tournament held Feb. 17 at the Berry Events Center in Marquette, according to Redettes head coach Jamie Weigold. Escanaba also qualified for states as Houghton was third at the meet.
Four Marquette skaters were medalists at the state tourney — Paige Hendrickson was a state champion in Pre-Bronze Dance, Olivia Klumpp was runner-up in High Beginner Freeskate, Samantha Heikkila was also a runner-up in Preliminary Artistic Showcase and Janel Voss placed third in Preliminary Freeskate.
Here are all the finishes of the eight team members:
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Jordan Bouchard — 4th place, Bronze Dance; 6th, Preliminary Artistic Showcase
Jasmine Burke — 1st place, Prejuvenile Freeskate Group B; 4th, Prejuvenile Freeskate final round; 5th, Juvenile Artistic Showcase
Mari Davis — 8th place, Prejuvenile Freeskate; 3rd, Prejuvenile Artistic Showcase Group B; 6th, Prejuvenile Artistic Showcase final round
Kelsey Freeman — 3rd place, Preliminary Freeskate Group A; 8th, Preliminary Freeskate final round; 5th, Preliminary Artistic Showcase
Samantha Heikkila — 2nd place, Preliminary Freeskate Group B; 5th, Preliminary Freeskate final round; 2nd, Preliminary Artistic Showcase Group A; 2nd, Preliminary Artistic Showcase final round
Paige Hendrickson — 1st place (state championship), Pre-Bronze Dance; 3rd, Pre-Pre Freeskate Group A; 9th, Pre-Pre Freeskate final round
Olivia Klumpp — 2nd place, High Beginner Freeskate Group B; 2nd, High Beginner Freeskate final round; 4th, High Beginner Artistic Showcase
Janel Voss — 3rd place, Preliminary Freeskate Group C; 3rd, Preliminary Freeskate final round; 4th, Preliminary Artistic Showcase
Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.