Fifteen-year-old figure skater Rachel Pettitt saved her best for last.

The Yukon product capped an outstanding season with the best free skate of her life, scoring 76.98 points to propel her to a gold medal at the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George, B.C.

The medal is the Yukon’s seventh of the multi-sport tournament.

It is also the first won by a Yukon figure skater in the history of the Canada Winter Games, said Pettitt’s mom and longtime coach, Trish Pettitt.

The performance pushed her combined score to 115.87 – also a new high. Her total was the highest overall score by skaters across all categories at the Canada Winter Games.

Winning the medal for the Yukon was very meaningful, she said.

“I’m really proud to be on Team Yukon, and it was so nice to have so many people there supporting me and cheering me on. I’m so thankful.”

Ontario’s Alison Schumacher led the competition after the short program after scoring 38.97 points compared to Pettitt’s 38.89.

Schumacher’s top-place ranking meant she was the final skater to complete her free program after Pettitt.

However, Schumacher was unable to match Pettitt’s flawless skate at Lakewood Dental Arena, stumbling briefly on her way to a score of 70.10, relegating her to a silver medal.

British Columbia’s McKenna Colthorp took bronze.

After Schumacher received her final scores, Pettitt graciously entered the kiss-and-cry area to embrace her Ontario rival.

Battling nerves prior to her skate, Pettitt said the large crowd actually settled the butterflies.

“I was quite nervous going into my free program, I’m not sure why,” she told the Star. “But I got out there and I saw the big crowd and I said: ‘No, this is good. I loved the crowd.’”

Pettitt said she had trouble sleeping last night as her latest major victory slowly began to sink in.

“I’m keeping my medal in my pocket,” she acknowledged. “It’s pretty exciting.”

Last month, Pettitt became the first Yukon figure skater in history to win gold at the Canadian championships in Kingston, Ont.

There, she scored 75.87 points in her free program – then a personal best – skated to the music of Lara’s Theme from Doctor Zhivago.

“I’m really, really happy with how my season turned out,” she said today. “Last year, I had a few ups and downs, but that’s what training is all about.”

As of press time today, the Yukon held down eighth place in the medal standings, ahead of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, Prince Edward Island and Nunavut.

Whitehorse fans will have a chance to witness the national champion in action at the Canada Games Centre on March 7.

Pettitt, along with Yukon pairs skater Bryn Hoffman and partner Bryce Chudak, will be part of the Arctic Edge Skating Club’s Ice Show.

They, along with local skaters and members of the Special Olympics team, will perform at 2 and 7 p.m.