Photo by Vince Fedoroff
PUTTING ON A SHOW – The Arctic Edge Skating Club hosted the Yukon Gold Nugget Competition at the Canada Games Centre on Saturday, which saw 32 skaters compete. Above is Mikayla Kramer.
Photo by Vince Fedoroff
PUTTING ON A SHOW – The Arctic Edge Skating Club hosted the Yukon Gold Nugget Competition at the Canada Games Centre on Saturday, which saw 32 skaters compete. Above is Mikayla Kramer.
Photo by Vince Fedoroff
Pictured Above: Special Olympics skater Michael Sumner.
Photo by Vince Fedoroff
Pictured Above: Tessa Moore.
Photo by Vince Fedoroff
Photo by Vince Fedoroff
Photo by Vince Fedoroff
Figure skaters from three different clubs converged on Whitehorse this weekend to skate in the Yukon Gold Nugget Competition.
Figure skaters from three different clubs converged on Whitehorse this weekend to skate in the Yukon Gold Nugget Competition.
Arctic Edge Skating Club hosted the meet at the Canada Games Centre Saturday, which saw six skaters from Juneau and five from Inuvik, N.W.T., skate against local athletes. In total, 32 skaters participated.
Gold Nugget organizer Valerie Neufeld said the competition meant a lot for local skaters.
"Some kids actually never leave the territory to compete, so the Yukon championships is an important event for them,” she said. "It gets young skaters used to what it's all about. It was really nice having two different clubs, because it did feel more like a real competition versus just skating against their friends.”
Skaters competed to the following levels:
Star 1: Alissa Russell (Arctic Edge) gold; Bronwyn Hayes (Arctic Edge) silver; Jamie Nickel (Arctic Edge) bronze.
Star 2: Gabriella Sloan (Juneau) silver; Lovell Simon (Inuvik) silver; Emilie Perrault (Arctic Edge) silver; Meghan Burmingham (Arctic Edge) bronze; Michaela DeCook (Arctic Edge) bronze; Lenneah Timmermans (Arctic Edge) bronze.
Star 3 Boys: Jackson Ellis (Milton, Ont./Inuvik) gold.
Star 3 A: Emma Jesson (Juneau) gold; Alyssa Cuenza (Arctic Edge) silver; Landyn Blisner (Arctic Edge) silver; Tessa Moore (Arctic Edge) silver; Katherine Fritsch (Juneau) silver; Meredith Fritsch (Juneau) silver.
Star 3 B: Maya Krizan (Inuvik) gold; Abigail Cuenza (Arctic Edge) bronze; Marika Kitchen (Arctic Edge) bronze.
Star 4 Under-13: Mikayla Kramer (Arctic Edge) gold; Winter Ross (Arctic Edge) silver.
Star 4 Over-13: Annika Krizan (Inuvik) gold; Morgan Madden (Arctic Edge) silver; Jenelle Clethero (Arctic Edge) bronze.
Senior Bronze: Rachel Waters (Inuvik) gold; Kelcy Armstrong (Arctic Edge) silver.
Exhibition Skates: Laurie Balstad (Juneau) juvenile; Bryn Hoffman (Arctic Edge) novice; Michael Sumner (Special Olympics).
Preliminary Elements: Emma Jessen (Juneau) gold; Lovelle Simon (Inuvik) silver; Katherine Fritsch (Juneau) bronze.
Bronze Elements: Winter Ross (Inuvik) gold; Mikayla Kramer (Arctic Edge) silver; Annika Krizan (Inuvik) bronze.
Silver Elements: Laurie Balstad (Juneau) gold; Rachel Waters (Inuvik) silver; Kelcy Armstrong (Arctic Edge) bronze.
Gold Elements: Bryn Hoffman (Arctic Edge) exhibition skate.
Introductory Interpretive: Tessa Moore (Arctic Edge) gold; Meredith Fritsch (Juneau) silver; Gabriella Sloan (Juneau) bronze.
Bronze Interpretive: Laurie Balstad (Juneau) gold; Jenelle Clethero (Arctic Edge) silver.
Junior Creative: Emma Jessen (Juneau) gold; Meghan Burmingham (Arctic Edge) silver; Michaela DeCook (Arctic Edge) bronze.
Senior A Creative: Mikayla Kramer (Arctic Edge) gold; Zoey Krause (Arctic Edge) silver.
Senior B Creative : Bryn Hoffman (Arctic Edge) gold; Laurie Balstad (Arctic Edge) silver.
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Local skater Rachel Pettitt, who continues to train in Kelowna, B.C., did not compete in the Gold Nugget championship.
However, the 13-year-old will represent the Yukon in Regina, Sask., this week at the Skate Canada Challenge.
Challenge runs Dec. 5 to 8, with Pettitt competing Friday and Saturday.
Pettitt is the first female skater from the Yukon to compete at Challenge.
The top four skaters from every province will vie for gold in pre-novice, novice, junior and senior divisions. Quebec and Ontario send their top eight skaters. Winners from novice, junior and senior will move on to compete at Skate Canada nationals in January.
"For pre-novice level, this is the end of the competitive season,” said Rachel's mother and coach, Trish Pettitt. "At a pre-novice level, they don't move on.”
Pettitt said her daughter is "doing well” in her preparations to compete against the country's top skaters.
"Her goal this year was to make Challenge,” said Pettitt. "She's skating well and doing what she's supposed to. Realistically, she could be in the top-10.”
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