麻豆社区

Local figure skaters finished their competitive season in style at the 2013 Super Series Vancouver Island meet in Parksville, B.C. earlier this month.

Fourteen Yukon skaters attended the meet, which took place at Oceanside Place Arena from April 12 to 14.

"It's the last competition that all the girls go to,鈥� Arctic Edge Skating Club coach Charlene Donald told the Star.

"It gives us a chance to wind up the season, and all the girls were excellent.鈥�

Coaches Trish Pettitt and Michelle Gorczyca also attended the competition.

Star skaters Rachel Pettitt and Bryn Hoffman both finished first following their long and short program performances.

Hoffman finished with a score of 88.82 in Junior Ladies, while Pettitt had a net score of 79.86 to top the Novice Ladies category.

Landyn Blisner scored a first-place ranking in the Pre-Intro Interpretive category, while Rasheeda Slater also earned a first in Bronze Interpretive.

Jenelle Clethero skated to a second-place finish in Star 4 13-and-over girls.

Donald lauded her skaters' hard work and skating quality for their top performances.

"Neither Rachel nor Bryn skated their personal best, but because their skating quality is so strong and so above all the rest of their category, it was an easy shoo-in for them,鈥� Donald said. "They both skated their long programs much better than their short programs.鈥�

The meet also marked the first competitive skate for Star 1 skater Anika Kramer, and the first competition Outside of the Yukon for Star 2 skaters Meghan Birmingham, Bronwyn Hays, Jamie Nickel and Alissa Russell.

While Kramer skated to a merit result, Birmingham achieved bronze, Hays and Nickel earned silver, and Russell took home a gold standing.

"This was the first competition for a lot of them, and they really shone,鈥� said Donald. "It really shows the quality of the coaching they're getting up here. Trish did a fantastic job with them.鈥�

Other participating skaters included Morgan Madden (ninth in Star 4 13-and-over), Kayla Armstrong (fifth in

Introductory Interpretive), Kelcy Armstrong (fourth in Silver Interpretive) and Mikayla Kramer (fourth in Pre-Juvenile Ladies U-11).

"We were very pleased with our skaters' performances in Parksville,鈥� said publicity director Stacey Hays.

"There were a lot of different goals set and met by the skaters. For many, their experience at Vancouver Island Skating Invitational left them with a sense of pride and joy.鈥�

For some, goals included achieving required elements, while others wanted to incorporate new elements into their performances, Hays said.

"One thing that attending this competition fostered in our skaters was a real sense of camaraderie,鈥� she added.

"Skaters from all levels watched each other to cheer them on and offer moral support. Younger skaters learned from and were inspired by watching the more experienced skaters.鈥�

The club expressed thanks to Yukon Lotteries, YRAC, and YS4L for the financial support that makes skill development, competition and travel possible.

Hays also lauded the coaches for their "dedication, patience and expertise,鈥� as well as the parents and figure skating community for their continuous fundraising, organizing and support of local athletes.

The skating club will hold its final test day at the Canada Games Centre this weekend.