Andover Boys, Girls Ski Teams Finish Strong at State Finals

The Andover Barons finished a memorable 2012-13 season with strong runs at the Division 2 State Finals on Marquette Mountain Monday.

The boy's team finished second overall behind Petoskey, and 10 points better than third-place Houghton/Hancock, according to MHSAA.com. They were runner-up state champions in both slalom and giant slalom events, said Coach Rob Brown. J.T. Stewart led the team with third-place finishes in both the slalom and giant slalom events. Braden Cleary (12th) and Ryan Stewart (13th in giant slalom, 18th in slalom) also helped pace the Barons.

Girls Make Their Mark

The Andover girl's team won the state championship in slalom and finished third in the giant slalom event, earning third place overall, behind Harbor Springs and Petoskey.

Highlights included:

• Jean Klochko-Bull — Third in slalom, and giant slalom. and 3rd in GS    
• Sammy Swiss — Sixth in slalom
• Elli Thomas —Ninth in slalom and 15th in giant slalom
• Pria Shoha — 16th in slalom
• Grace Klochko-Bull — 20th in giant slalom

A strong second run in the giant slalom punctuated Jean Klochko-Bull's overall finish after she fell in her try, an update from Andover Athletic Department stated.

Both boys and girls teams looked for strong finishes following their sweep of the regional crowns for the first time in school history. 

Though it was not a huge motivating factor during the season, Brown said the significance of the feat — considering the pending merger with Lahser to the new Bloomfield Hills High School next fall was not lost on the senior leaders or the students returning next year as Bloomfield Hills High School Black Hawks.

"These kids have worked harder than any group I've worked with in coaching, and for them to be able to do this in the school's final year is great," Brown said.

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