 |
 Gloucester
Skating Club member Hana Cheikali skates below a mural
of Elizabeth Manley at the Elizabeth Manley Classic
on Feb. 24. STAFF PHOTO |
More than
600 skaters from across the province gathered at the Bob MacQuarrie
Recreation Conplex on Feb. 22, 23 and 24 to compete in the
third annual Elizabeth Manley Classic hosted by the Gloucester
Skating Club.
There
were almost as many reasons for competing in the Classic
as there were skaters. Some of the skaters were hoping to
post a score that would qualify them for next month's provincial
championships, while others who have already safely qualified
at a previous Super Series event were there to fine tune
their routine in advance of the provincials.
The StarSkate
program is a pre-competitive program for skaters at all
levels. It runs from Star 1 to Star 10, but also includes
the Gold; Diamond; Pre-Juvenile and Juvenile levels. The
level a skater competes at is determined by their ability
to successfully complete a pre-determined list of jumps,
spins and other elements.
The provincial
championships start at the Star 5 U10, U13, and 13 and over
age groups.
One of
the Gloucester Skating Club members who was hoping to move
further up the provincial rankings was Emma Guo whose previous
best result in the U13 pre- juvenile division was 23.51
which had her ranked 22nd. On Sunday, she managed to improve
her score to 23.81 which was good enough to win the event
and move her up a notch to 21st in the provincial rankings.
Fellow
GSC member Madelyn Wensley improved her provincial ranking
by nine spots in the Star 10 division, moving 33rd to 24th
with a score of 25.75, and is now in position to qualify
for the provincial championships with two more Super Series
events remaining on the schedule.
Alexa
Scully took full advantage skating on home ice, registering
a score of 21.92 in the Star 6 division which was good enough
for second place, but more importantly it improved her provincial
ranking from 125th to 34th, just four spots out of the top
30 cutoff. With two events left before the provincial championships,
she still has a chance to improve on her ranking.
GSC
members Monica Finlay and Ewa Kulik were among the skaters
who were using the meet to fine tune their programs. The
pair are ranked fourth and fifth respectively in the province
in the Star 9 division. Neither one was able to improve
on their existing scores, but they did gain valuable experience
in finishing behind Toronto skater Holly Campbell who is
the top ranked Star 9 skater in the province.
Alicia
Primiani was unranked heading into the competition, but
a well-earned 29.46 now has her ranked 14th in the province
in the Star 8 division.
Clubmate
Grace Elliot is also hoping to join Primiani at provincials,
but a 26.73 was only good enough to move her from 35th to
34th in the rankings, less than half a point outside the
top 30. Like Scully, she will be hoping to improve on her
ranking in one of the two remaining Super Series events.
Mila Marleau
placed second in the Star 7 division on the weekend with
a score of 20.75 which moves her from 17th in the provincial
rankings to 10th. The StarSkate provincial championships
will be held in Mississauga from March 7-10.
(This
story was made possible thanks to the generous support of
our local business partners.)
CUMBERLAND FARMERS MARKET from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the R.J. Kennedy Arena in Cumberland Village with 85 local farmers and vendors ready to showcase their freshest produce, handmade goods, and unique finds! FREE ADMISSION 
THE ORIGINAL NAVAN MARKET from 9 am to 2 pm at the Navan Fairgrounds, 1279 Colonial Road in Navan. Over 100 vendors in attendance. For more information 
TRIVIA NIGHT every Tuesday night at the Royal Oak Pub Orléans from 7:30 p.m. Free to play and prize for the winning team! The Royal Oak is located at 1981 St. Joseph Blvd. near the corner of Jeanne d'Arc Blvd. For more information visit 
MUSIC IN THE PARK SERIES featuring members of the Opus Academy music school under the Domes on the Navan Fairgrounds presented by the Navan Community Association starting at 7 p.m. RAIN OR SHINE Refreshments will be available for purchase..
ORLEANS FARMERS MARKET every Thursday from 11 am to 4 pm in the parking lot at the Ray Friel Recreation Centre on Tenth Line Road. Shop the freshest seasonal produce, meat and dairy, baked goods, prepared foods, crafts and more while getting to know the folks who grew and made it. 
