Figure skaters from both the Border and Emo clubs performed their jumps, spins, and routines during the Sunset Country Regional Interclub Competition hosted by Fort Frances over the weekend.
Many brought home medals while others had very good placings.
“I thought the kids skated well,” said Emo Figure Skating Club coach Gerry-Lynn Cousineau, adding she was especially proud of the CanSkaters (beginners).
Cousineau, who also coaches some members of the Border Skating Club in Fort Frances, noted many of the skaters were first-time competitors. “They didn’t know at all what was going to happen,” she remarked.
“I think the skaters surprised themselves at how well they skated,” Cousineau added. “They learned a lot. I think some of them thought it was going to be a lot harder, especially for the younger ones.”
“Our kids did well,” echoed Border Skating Club coach Nicole Campbell. “[We] won the Don Wilton Trophy, which is awarded to the club with the highest points at the end of the competition.
“We had a couple get their first gold medal ever, so that’s always nice when that happens,” she added. “I would think that every single one of our kids walked away with at least one medal . . . or very good placings anyway.”
Campbell also was impressed by the good sportsmanship of the local competitors.
“They were there to support each other over the weekend,” she remarked. “There were a lot of ups and downs and they stuck by each other. With competition, you just never know which way it’s going to go.”
But Campbell admitted hosting the annual competition is a lot of work—a task that only comes up every few years.
“It’s nice when you have it in your town, but it’s a lot of work. A lot of hours were put in for so many skaters to come,” she noted, adding 235 skaters were on hand from across the region, including Kenora, Dryden, Ignace, Sioux Lookout, and Balmertown.
“It takes so many people to run one event and we had a lot of help this year,” Campbell noted. “Without everyone, it definitely wouldn’t have run smoothly, but it did.”
She called this year’s competition a “definite success.”
“It was a good competition overall and I’m glad our kids accomplished what the set their goals for,” she said.
The local results are as follows:
< *c>Border
•Alicia Adair—Preliminary Elements Flight 2 (4th), Preliminary ‘A’ Free Skate Flight 1 (6th), and Preliminary Jump Flight 1 (3rd);
•Kimika Alexander—Preliminary Elements Flight 3 (6th), Preliminary ‘A’ Free Skate Flight 2 (10th), and Preliminary Spins (8th);
•Jillian Bobczynski—Junior Bronze Elements Flight 1 (2nd), Junior Bronze Free Skate Flight 1 (1st), and Junior Bronze Jump (1st);
•Alexa Buttner—Senior Silver Dance (2nd), Gold Interpretive (6th), and Junior Bronze Spins (2nd);
•Calin Campbell—CanSkate Beginner Flight 1 (2nd);
•Lexi Caul—Pre-Preliminary Jump Flight 4 (6th) and Introductory Spins Flight 1 (3rd);
•Paige Chambers—Silver Interpretive (1st);
•Angela Cole—Introductory Elements Flight 4 (3rd), Introductory ‘A’ Free Skate Flight 1 (4th), and Introductory Spins Flight 3 (2nd);
•Kelli Cole—Junior Bronze Dance (2nd), Introductory ‘B’ Free Skate (5th), and Introductory Spins Flight 2 (2nd);
•Sierra Cousineau—Preliminary Elements Flight 1 (3rd), Preliminary ‘A’ Free Skate Flight 1 (4th), and Preliminary Spins (4th);
•Christine Cridland—Preliminary Elements Flight 2 (3rd), Preliminary ‘A’ Free Skate Flight 2 (3rd), and Introductory Interpretive Flight 2 (4th);
•Ashley Croswell—Introductory Elements Flight 1 (1st), Junior Bronze Dance (4th), and Introductory ‘B’ Free Skate (1st);
•Taylor Croswell—CanSkate Level 4 Flight 2 (1st);
•Sarah DeGagne—Preliminary Elements Flight 1 (6th), Preliminary ‘B’ Free Skate (4th), and Preliminary Spins (3rd);
•Karleigh Ford—CanSkate Level 3 Flight 1 (2nd);
•Kiela Ford—Preliminary Elements Flight 3 (1st), Junior Silver Dance (2nd), and Preliminary ‘A’ Free Skate Flight 1 (2nd);
•Maggie Gurski—CanSkate Level 4 Flight 2 (2nd);
•Danielle Gustafson—Junior Bronze Free Skate Flight 2 (7th);
•Joleigh Hayes—Introductory Elements Flight 2 (1st), Introductory ‘A’ Free Skate Flight 3 (1st), and Pre-Preliminary Jump Flight 4 (1st);
•Amber Hoszowski—Introductory Elements Flight 5 (2nd), Introductory ‘A’ Free Skate Flight 2 (3rd), and Introductory Spins Flight 1 (2nd);
•Chloe Hudson—Preliminary Elements Flight 1 (1st), Preliminary ‘A’ Free Skate Flight 2 (2nd), and Preliminary Jump Flight 2 (1st);
•Alexa Kadikoff—Preliminary Elements Flight 2 (6th), Preliminary ‘A’ Free Skate Flight 1 (3rd), and Preliminary Jump Flight 1 (3rd);
•Emma Keeler—Introductory Elements Flight 2 (7th), Pre-Preliminary Jump Flight 1 (1st), and Introductory Spins Flight 3 (3rd);
•Emma Kunkel—Introductory Elements Flight 1 (3rd), Introductory ‘A’ Free Skate Flight 3 (2nd), and Introductory Spins Flight 2 (3rd);
•Samantha Loveday—Junior Bronze Free Skate Flight 1 (5th), Gold Interpretive (3rd), and Junior Bronze Spins (5th);
•Hailey McEvoy—CanSkate Level 5 (1st);
•Samantha McKinnon—CanSkate Level 3 Flight 2 (1st);
•Hannah McLeod—Introductory Elements Flight 4 (1st), Junior Bronze Dance (3rd), and Introductory ‘B’ Free Skate (3rd);
•Sydnee McLeod—Introductory Elements Flight 5 (1st), Junior Bronze Dance (1st), and Introductory ‘B’ Free Skate (2nd);
•Cassandra Moffitt—Introductory Elements Flight 3 (3rd), Introductory “A” Free Skate Flight 1 (2nd), and Introductory Spins Flight 3 (4th);
•Erika Moffitt—Preliminary Elements Flight 3 (2nd), Preliminary ‘A’ Free Skate Flight 2 (5th), and Preliminary Jump Flight 2 (2nd);
•Chelsea Mosley—Pre-Preliminary Elements Flight 2 (3rd), Pre-Preliminary ‘A’ Free Skate Flight 2 (2nd), and Pre-Preliminary Spins Flight 3 (1st);
•Mike Nelson—Junior Bronze Elements Flight 1 (3rd), Junior Bronze Men Free Skate (1st), and Junior Bronze Jump (4th);
•Ashlee Nordstrom—Senior Bronze Elements (3rd), Senior Bronze Free Skate (4th), and Silver Interpretive (3rd);
•Megan Poirier—CanSkate Level 5 (2nd);
•Sophie Potvin-Begin—Preliminary ‘C’ Free Skate (1st), Junior Bronze Jump (5th), and Preliminary Spins (1st);
•Chelsey Skirten—Introductory Elements Flight 2 (2nd);
•Brandy Strachan—Preliminary Elements Flight 2 (5th), Preliminary ‘B’ Free Skate (2nd), and Preliminary Jump Flight 1 (1st);
•Bailey Whitefield—Junior Silver Dance (1st), Pre-Preliminary ‘A’ Free Skate Flight 3 (5th), and Pre-Preliminary Spins Flight 1 (2nd);
•Jenna Wilson—Preliminary ‘B’ Free Skate (3rd), Bronze Interpretive (3rd), and Preliminary Jump Flight 2 (3rd);
•Avery Wilson-Hands—Introductory Elements Flight 3 (1st), Introductory ‘A’ Free Skate Flight 4 (1st), and Pre-Preliminary Jump Flight 2 (2nd); and
•Jayde Wright—CanSkate Level 2 Flight 1 (2nd)
< *c>Emo
•Emo—Junior Line Skating (5th);
•Madeline Adams—CanSkate Level 1 Flight 2 (5th);
•Matraca Adams—CanSkate Level 1 Flight 1 (2nd);
•Ashlyn Beck—CanSkate Beginner Flight 2 (5th);
•Madison Boisvert—Junior Bronze Elements Flight 1 (4th), Junior Bronze Free Skate Flight 2 (5th), and Silver Interpretive (2nd);
•Connor Carlson—Introductory Elements Flight 3 (8th) and CanSkate Level 5 (3rd);
•Jade Carlson—Pre-Preliminary Elements Flight 1 (3rd), Pre-Preliminary ‘A’ Free Skate Flight 1 (1st), and Preliminary Jump Flight (5th);
•Kailey Paige Croswell—CanSkate Level 3 Flight 1 (1st);
•Dana Drennan—Senior Bronze Elements (2nd), Senior Bronze Free Skate (3rd), and Senior Bronze Spins (3rd);
•Kyra Gouliquer—CanSkate Level 3 Flight 2 (7th);
•Karrigan Johnston—CanSkate Level 1 Flight 2 (1st);
•Kelsey Jonassen—Junior Bronze Free Skate Flight 1 (4th), Gold Interpretive (5th), and Junior Bronze Jump (2nd);
•Janissa Judson—CanSkate Level 3 Flight 1 (7th);
•Kennedy Latimer—Junior Bronze Elements Flight 2 (9th), Preliminary ‘C’ Free Skate (2nd), and Junior Bronze Spins (1st);
•Courtney Morken—Introductory Elements Flight 4 (2nd), Introductory ‘A’ Free Skate Flight 1 (1st), and Pre-Preliminary Jump Flight 4 (2nd);
•Caitlin Rittau—CanSkate Level 1 Flight 1 (1st);
•Destiny Sadewasser—CanSkate Level 3 Flight 2 (8th); and
•Drew Smith—Introductory Elements Flight 5 (6th), Introductory ‘A’ Free Skate Flight 2 (4th), and Pre-Preliminary Jump Flight (5th)
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
