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Whitehorse native Bryn Hoffman continued her rapid rise up the figure skating ranks last weekend.

Alongside pairs partner Bryce Chudak, Hoffman finished fourth at a Junior Grand Prix event in Colorado Springs, Colo., a circuit organized by the International Skating Union (ISU).

鈥淏ryce and I are pretty happy with our performance,鈥濃�圚offman said this morning from the University of Calgary, where she is now attending part-time to study bioscience.

鈥淭he programs that we skated weren鈥檛 the best we could do, but overall we were quite happy.鈥�

Hoffman, 18, and Chudak, 20, were the sole Canadian pairs entry competing at what marked their first international assignment.

Representing the country was special, Hoffman said. She and Chudak were fitted with Team Canada jackets 鈥� a significant moment for both.

鈥淭here was a lot of nerves, so I鈥坖ust tried to stay in my own zone,鈥� she said of the event. 鈥淏ut there was a lot of pressure. It was pretty big.鈥�

The duo finished fifth in the short Thursday and fourth in the free skate Saturday for an overall fourth-place finish. The two had trouble with their three throws, none of which Hoffman landed cleanly.

However, their points total of 129.34 was less than five behind Russian duo Elena Ivanova and Tagir Khakimov, who won bronze.

Fellow Russians Anastasia Gubanova and Alexei Stintsov won gold with 140.16 points, ahead of American duo Joy Weinberg and Maximiliano Fernandez.

In total, eight pairs competed.

The event was significant in many ways, said coach Annabelle Langlois.

鈥淔irst off, just being selected to go is a really big honour,鈥� she said. 鈥淪kate Canada does not have to fill the spots they have for the Junior Grand Prix. So they come in and monitor skaters and select the best in the country to go.鈥�

The pair also strung together a short and long program that qualified them for the ISU鈥圵orld Junior Championships, set for March 14 to 20, 2016, in Debrecen, Hungary.

This year, Canada has three pair entry positions at junior worlds, and the final three teams will be determined at nationals.

Hoffman and Chudak also earned another date on the Junior Grand Prix circuit for later this month in Torun, Poland.

They will join fellow Canadian duo Hope MacLean and Trennt Michaud Sept. 23 to 27.

The two Ontario skaters finished ahead of Hoffman and Chudak at nationals last season 鈥� placing fourth.

Hoffman and Chudak skated to seventh place in the junior pairs program at the Canadian championships in Kingston, Ont. The duo got right back at it however, training all summer at Calgary鈥檚 Calalta Figure Skating Club.

鈥淚鈥坉on鈥檛 even think they understand the potential that they have,鈥濃�坰aid Langlois. 鈥淭hey had no idea where they stood at this competition, and with mistakes, they were in fourth place.

鈥淭hey could have won. If they competed what they train every day, they could have medalled pretty easily, which is incredible.鈥�

Hoffman, alongside 16-year-old singles standout Rachel Pettitt, is a graduate of the Yukon capital鈥檚 Arctic Edge Skating Club.

And the local figure skating program is benefitting from the duo鈥檚 success on the big stage, coach Michelle Semaschuk told the Star.

Hoffman and Pettitt鈥檚 continued success has had a major impact on up-and-coming skaters.

鈥淭hose girls are putting Whitehorse on the map,鈥� said Semaschuk. 鈥淭he two of them are huge role models for our skaters 鈥� I can guarantee it.

鈥淚t proves to them that just because you鈥檙e in a small town growing up, anything is possible.鈥�

Watching Hoffman excel on the Junior Grand Prix circuit also serves as validation to the many coaches who log plenty of hours at the Whitehorse rink each season, Semaschuk added.

鈥淚 have to say when I watched them skate, I got kind of teary-eyed,鈥� she said. 鈥淭o see an athlete that you鈥檝e coached representing Canada is probably one of the best feelings you could ever have as a coach, especially coming from a small town.

鈥淚t goes to show what hard work, dedication and perseverance can do ... and it鈥檚 inspiring even for us coaches to continue.鈥�

Semaschuk noted Mikayla Kramer 鈥� another rising 麻豆社区from Whitehorse 鈥� recently joined Pettitt in Kelowna, B.C., for six months of training.

Hoffman鈥檚 mom, Cheryl Van Blaricom, was in the arena bleachers in Colorado Springs over the weekend.

Van Blaricom has been marvelling at her daughter鈥檚 talents ever since Hoffman joined CanSkate when she was just two years old.

鈥淚t was a really hard decision to let her go away to skate and go to school when she had just turned 16,鈥� she said.

鈥淏ut she鈥檚 excelled academically and in her skating. She loves pairs. It鈥檚 why she left and what she wanted to do. ... It鈥檚 really gratifying.鈥�