Three State Qualifiers and a Boys Breakthrough: The 2025-26 Season in Review
Canton United sent three racers to the MHSAA Division 1 State Finals in 2025-26, and the boys posted the program's best regional finish to date.
Season three was a reload year. With two front-runners graduated out of the lineup, a notably young roster — one senior and four freshmen — held its own, sent three athletes to the State Finals, and produced the program's strongest boys results to date.
League championship — Jim Noeker Divisionals, February 5
At the MBHSSA league championship the girls finished 6th of 11 in both slalom and giant slalom, 6th combined, with Jessica Nemes taking a top-ten finish in GS. The boys were 8th of 12 combined — up from 10th the previous season — including 7th of 12 in giant slalom, the program's best league-championship discipline result to date.
KLAA Championship — February 9, Alpine Valley
At the conference championship the girls placed 5th of 6 in both disciplines and the boys 6th of 6. Hailey McMahon was 7th in slalom and Jessica Nemes 9th in giant slalom.
Regionals — February 11, Alpine Valley
The MHSAA Division 1, Region 3 Championship produced the season's headline. The boys finished 6th of 12 — the program's best boys regional result — with a 5th-place team finish in giant slalom. The girls were 7th of 12 overall and held 4th in slalom.
Three racers qualified for the State Finals, all through slalom:
- Jacob Shingles — 9th, 51.19
- Jessica Nemes — 10th, 58.71
- Hailey McMahon — 11th, 59.12
Jacob also finished 11th in giant slalom, missing a second qualifying berth by one place and 0.18 of a second.
SEMSL Championship — February 17
Jessica Nemes was Canton's only entrant, listed in both girls varsity disciplines. No official results file for the race has been published.
State Finals — February 23, Boyne Mountain
Hailey McMahon finished 45th in slalom (91.61) and 58th in giant slalom (87.56). Jessica Nemes finished 57th in slalom (112.94) and 51st in giant slalom (83.78). Both completed two runs in both disciplines — no small thing on a state-final course.
Looking ahead
Canton United has now sent at least one athlete to the MHSAA Division 1 State Finals in every season of the program's existence. With one senior graduating and four freshmen returning, season four starts from a deeper base than season three did.
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