Arctic Edge Skating Club closed out an outstanding season with fantastic results over the weekend.
The Whitehorse figure skating club raked in 18 medals at the Vancouver Island Super Series Invitational in Parksville, B.C.
“It was fantastic,” said Arctic Edge coach Michelle Semaschuk. “I think this is the most positive (results) the club has had as a whole ... It wasn’t one, two or three athletes who did really well, it was a combined event for everyone.”
Arctic Edge skaters collected seven gold, seven silver and four bronze medals at the season-ending competition.
Half of the dozen Yukoners won more than one medal, but only one took three.
Lenneah Timmermans captured gold in elements, silver in Star 3 under-13 and silver in pre-juvenile solo dance. She also claimed fifth in pre-introductory interpretive.
Teammate Alissa Russell skated to gold in Star 5 under-13, silver in elements and placed eighth in introductory interpretive.
Yukon’s Sarah Milton won gold in pre-juvenile solo dance and silver in elements.
Bronwyn Hays scored two silver, one is Star 4 and another in elements.
Jamie Nickel didn’t grab any silver but took gold in introductory interpretive and bronze in Star 5 - her first Star 5 competition.
Mikayla Kramer, who represented Yukon at the Canada Winter Games, took gold in pre-novice interpretive and bronze in open elements.
Skating in her first Vancouver Island competition, Chloe Van Lankveld won silver in pre-introductory interpretive and bronze in Star 2.
Arctic Edge’s Landyn Blisner and Janelle Clethero competed despite having injuries.
Blisner overcame her injury to win gold in Star 5 under-13 and also grabbed seventh in introductory interpretive.
Clethero placed fourth in Star 5 over-13 and sixth in bronze interpretive.
“Landyn injured herself further in her off-ice warm-up before she went on, and she went on and skated well,” said Semaschuk. “It wasn’t the best she could have done, but under the circumstances she did a great job. The fact that she went out - the same with Janelle - that they went out and performed the best they could was fantastic.”
Mikayla McCain, who was competing in Star 2 for her first time, took gold.
Anika Kramer took silver in Star 2 and Tessa Moore bronze in introductory elements.
“We had a lot of compliments from various judges and the B.C./Yukon director of skating saying they’re noticing Arctic Edge and we’re doing a great job and to keep up the great work,” said Semaschuk. “To hear that from judges and the director means a lot and it makes you get excited for next season.
“It was a really great way to end the year.”
This past season was arguably Arctic Edge’s best ever, and a big part of that was Whitehorse’s Rachel Pettitt. Pettitt became Yukon’s first national skating champ with a gold in novice ladies at the 2015 National Skating Championships in January. She then followed that up with Yukon’s first gold in figure skating at the Canada Winter Games in February.
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com