Kelowna figure skaters put on performance at Skate Canada Challenge

Over the weekend the Kelowna Skating Club showed that they match up very well against the best skaters in the country.

Ten Kelowna Club skaters traveled to Pierrefonds, Quebec last week to take part in the 2017 Skate Canada Challenge. They qualified for the event on the basis of top four placements at the B.C. and Yukon Sectionals last month.

For the Novice and Junior levels, the Challenge serves as the final qualifying round for the Canadian Championships. The skaters at each level compete against each other, with the top 18 skaters in each category advancing to the Canadians.

In the Pre-Novice Women’s division, Kelowna’s Daria Carr scored 103.86 points to win the event, capturing the fifth National Title in KSC history. Her club mates Maya Rose and Vienna Harwood placed 10th and 15th , respectively, in the field of 66 skaters.

Three local skaters competed in the Novice Women’s division. Thirteen-year-old Emma Bulawka skated 2 strong programs including 5 triple jumps to score a personal-best 118.13 points, good for the silver medal and a trip to the Canadians.

Mikayla Kramer and Ashley Sales finished 23rd and 25th , respectively, in the field of Canada’s top 60 novice skaters.

A highlight of the event occurred at the Junior level, where three Kelowna skaters were set to compete.

Thirteen-year-old OKM student Olivia Gran skated two personal-best programs to capture the Junior Women’s crown. She landed eight triple jumps in total to finish with 161.52 points, which is the most scored by a BC Junior female. It is less than three points shy of the Skate Canada national record, set by Alaine Chartrand at the 2014 Junior World Championships.

Kelowna’s Mckenna Colthorp also had strong performances, scoring 151.57 points and winning the bronze medal. Ajsha Gorman finished 28th overall in the field of 54 skaters. In the Senior Dance event, Haley Sales and her partner Nik Wamsteeker skated two strong segments to score 147.72 points, which secured the bronze medal.

The team, along with Gran and Colthorp, will join Bulawka for the Canadian Tire National Championships at Ottawa next month.