It is entirely plausible that height provides little advantage in the sport of figure skating.
This weekend at the Yukon Gold Nugget Interclub Competition, held at Takhini Arena, sisters Kelcy and Kayla Armstrong, who even had others tower above them as they stood on the top tier of the podium, raked in the medals.
“I think I did pretty well,” said Kelcy, 10, who said she can improve on her interpretive performance. “I didn’t really do a lot of things (in my interpretive).”
The siblings took home six medals between them, including five golds, with Kayla, 12, taking two and Kelcy taking three. Kelcy, an Arctic Edge Figure Skating Club member like her sister, also took a bronze in a creative event.
Performing to a jazzy number, Kelcy’s first gold came in the program event, completing a single axel and such spins as the flying camel.
“It’s really exciting and, at the end, you get really tired and it’s really fun,” said Kelcy of the following interpretive event, in which she got her second gold.
Kelcy ended her gold rush in the elements event, which requires skaters to perform certain moves depending on their level. For the top spot Kelcy accomplished an axel, toe loop/loop, lutz loop, and a layback spin.
Other notable accomplishments made by Kelcy include an outside spread eagle, a half-loop, a haircutter and a Biellmann spin.
Kelcy may have been skating since she was three and has competed in other events, but not all of the day’s skaters were so well experienced. Abigail Cuenza, eight, in her first year of competitive skating, managed to earn a spot on the podium, finishing second in the Canskate ladies’ freeskate.
“I practiced my landings and jumping on two feet,” said Abigail.
“To tell you a secret, I skipped a little on my program,” admitted Abigail, who’s unsure whether she will pursue a career in competitive skating.
“I’m not sure, ask my mother,” she said.
With 22 skaters competing, numbers are down by a third from past years. As a result, some skaters were left without others to compete against. However, none were so stranded in lonesome divisions as Kevin and Teneil Caron, a brother and sister who could only do exhibition skates because of a lack of comparable skaters.
The event was still beneficial for the siblings, having a long sitdown with the judges who were flown in from BC for the weekend.
“It’s very good practice,” said Kevin, who was not only the only male to skate at the Gold Nugget, but is also the only male in the Arctic Edge club. “It’s good that they informed me on what I can improve on, where are my faults. (They said) to keep my head up — that sort of thing.”
Kevin competed at the BC Sectionals last month in Nanaimo, earning a position as an alternate for nationals with a fifth-place finish.
Results
Canskate Ladies’ Freeskate
1st Morgan Madden
2nd Abigail Cuenza
3rd Kristen Legrow
4th Marika Kitchen
5th Maria Peters
6th Katelyn Holway
Pre-Preliminary Ladies’ Freeskate
1st Kayla Armstrong
2nd Rasheeda Slater
3rd Brittany Au
4th Zoey Krause
5th Jenelle Clethero
Preliminary Ladies’ Freeskate
1st Kelcy Armstrong
2nd Mikaela Lane
3rd Jessica Diakow
Junior Bronze Ladies’ Freeskate
1st Nikita White
2nd Maya Austin
3rd Ariel House
Pre-Preliminary Ladies’ Elements
1st Kayla Armstrong
2nd Brittany Au
3rd Rasheeda Slater
4th Zoey Krause
Preliminary Ladies’ Elements
1st Jessica Diakow
2nd Mikaela Lane
Junior Bronze Ladies’ Elements
1st Kelcy Armstrong
2nd Nikita White
Pre-Introductory Interpretive
1st Kelcy Armstrong
2nd Rasheeda Slater
3rd Jessica Diakow
Introductory Interpretive
1st Rachel Pettitt
2nd Maddison Jarvis
Bronze Interpretive
1st Bryn Hoffman
2nd Ariel House
Pre-Preliminary Creative
1st Zoey Krause
2nd Maria Peters
Preliminary Creative
1st Mikaela Lane
2nd Jessica Diakow
3rd Kelcy Armstrong
Junior Bronze Creative
1st Rachel Pettitt
2nd Maya Austin
Exhibition Skates
Novice Ladies – Teneil Caron
Juvenile Ladies – Bryn Hoffman
Pre-Juvenile Ladies – Rachel
Pettitt
Junior Men Short – Kevin Caron
Junior Men Long – Kevin Caron
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com
