By Angela Brown

Youth show skills, artistry in figure-skating competitions

Feb 24, 2018 | 5:09 PM

Young figure skaters took centre stage Thursday afternoon to show their skills on the ice on the fourth day of the Saskatchewan Winter Games competitions in North Battleford.  

The eager athletes from across the province competed as duos in dance while the younger set took part in a free-skate competition. Some of the younger free-skate participants included Claire Knelsen, with Team Rivers West, and Ashlyn Schmitz, with Team Lakeland, both 11.

“They’ve had a couple of practices just to get out the kinks. I think they are feeling good,” Team Lakeland coach Janine Leblanc
said.

The younger participants taking part in Free Skate competition demonstrated their jumps and spins as part of their performance, while the older youth competed Friday afternoon.

Leblanc said everything has been going well.

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“We have a little tight-knit team, and they are all here cheering each other on,” she said. “That’s what the Winter Games is all about.”

Team Rivers West head coach Susan Walsh said four girls from the district were participating in competitions during the week – hailing from Meadow Lake, Glaslyn, North Battleford, and Kindersley respectively.

“The girls are excited,” Walsh said, adding the district team members were also having lots of fun in the Athletes’ Village during their stay.

She added the team has also been keeping up with the news in the world of skating, and following the Winter Olympics taking place in South Korea, watching the figure-skating competitions on TV.

“We’re actually hoping to catch the Olympics,” Walsh said Thursday. “(Canada’s) Kaetlyn Osmond is skating… We’re hoping to catch her long-program today before we have to go to bed.”

Results update:

The results from the Saskatchewan Winter Games figure skating competitions Thursday afternoon were as follows:

Free Skate – Class 1, Female: Gold – Ashlyn Schmitz (Team Lakeland); Silver – Madison Bowtell (Team Parkland); Bronze – Bella Russell (Team Prairie Central).

Free Skate – Class 1, Male: Gold – Shane Benko (Team Prairie Central); Silver – Eric Swalm (Team Southwest); Bronze – Rowan Gray (Team Southwest).

Dance – Class 1, Mixed: Gold – Jillian Benko and Shane Benko (Team Prairie Central). There were no other competitors in this category. 

Dance – Class 2, Mixed: Gold – Andelina Romanchook and Michael Romanchook (Team Parkland); Silver: Camryn Ferguson and Aden Fawcett (Team Southwest). 

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @battlefordsNOW