Prince of Wales SC

A compilation of news from the 2008-09 season

Roland Eddy passed his Baby Blues preliminary dance test at the conclusion of our adult skating for the year. Roland will be 71 this summer!

Congratulations to Skate Canada Newfoundland and Labrador award winners Olvia Drover-Martin – Skate Canada STARSkate Athlete Award; Allie Winter -Skate Canada Program Assistant Award and Christine Morgan- Section Volunteer award [Photos].

In recent test results, Nicole Burt passed gold freeskate elements, and introductory and bronze interpretive, Grace Clarke paseed Dutch waltz/ Canasta preliminary dances, Jenny Bilesand Erin Maher passed their preliminary freeskates, and Philip McDermott passed both European and Senior Bronze freeskate.

Olivia Drover-Martin competed at the Homesense National STARSkate Championship in New Brunswick, and brought home the silver medal in bronze triathlon – perhaps the club’s first medal at the national level. She followed 26.20 in the skills part with 29.73 in interpretive and an excellent freeskate to total a provincial record 80.02. Stephanie Nevin of Silver Jets, who has been skating with us this year won the gold triathlon event. Many congratulations to both on this superb achievment [Competition web site | Photos]

Congratulations to Julia Mercer, recipient of a Premier’s Athletic award, presented to her by Premier Williams at a ceremony at the Capital Hotel [Government media release]

The ice show was marked by a series of great performances and culminated in presentation of club awards. The first recipient of the John Hall Memorial Award for club volunteer work was Donna Burt and we were honoured to have John’s parents and sisters there to present the award. Our other new award, the Olivia Burke memorial CanPowerSkater of the year, was presented to Dawson Langdon by Olivia’s parents. The PA of the year was Yvonne Chan, and the PA award of excellence went to Megan Burt. A special presentation was made to retiring coach Chris Pitcher. The BMO Financial Group Canskater of the Year is Alison Jeon, and BMO Financial Group CanSkate Champions medals were presented to Shannon Finn & Breauna Reid. The Canpowerskate PA Award was presented to Shane Roberts. Gold test pins were presented to Yvonne Chan, Carly Austin and Ashley Morgan. Thanks to our coaches for a great production and Lesley Herridge as ice show chair [Photos | Past award winners].

Congratulations to Mikayla Downey and Amber Boutcher who join Lauren Stringer on the Provincial Junior team after their performances at Junior Provincials.

At the Junior Provincial Championships in Grand Falls, Ashley Stringer, Mikayla Downey, and Amber Boutcher all won gold medals in pre-preliminary, with Laura Couturier placing 4th and Jenny Biles finishing 5th. [full results].

At Avalon Interclub in CBS the club’s skaters had some great performances to earn a bunch of medals, and the Sportsbeat Trophy for club with most points for the third year in a row. Medalists included: Maria Downey (silver, CanSkate Stage 4), Abbey Dolomont (gold, CanSkate Stage 4), Elin Maskova (silver, CanSkate Stage 5), Serena Piercey (bronze, CanSkate Stage 5), Catherine Barrett (silver, CanSkate Stage 6), Ashley Stringer (gold, CanSkate Stage 6), Erin Mckinnon (bronze, CanSkate Stage 6), Melanie Taylor (gold, special Olympics), Catherine Power (bronze, PrePreliminary), Mikayla Downey (gold, PrePreliminary), Lauren Woodruff (silver, PrePreliminary), Laura Couturier (silver, PrePreliminary), Hannah Budgell (gold, PrePreliminary), Laura O’Keefe (bronze, PrePreliminary), Meghan Murphy (silver, PrePreliminary), Erin Maher (gold, PrePreliminary), Julia O’Keefe (silver, PrePreliminary), and Katie Goulding (gold, PrePreliminary). Congratulations to them and our other competitors [Photos].

The club was proud to host the World’s Finest Provincial Championship at the NE Avalon arena Feb 27- March 1, and this turned out to be an outstanding event for us. The club won the most points trophy for the fourth year in a row. Congratulations to Stephanie Fagan on the Withers Most Outstanding performance award, Nicole Burt on winning the Balish Cup (most artistic), and Olivia Drover-Martin on qualfying for STARSkate nationals by winning Bronze triathlon (the first skater from our club to do so)! Olivia also won gold in bronze interpretive to tally four medals in all. Stephanie Fagan won her 2nd gold medal in Novice long, with Nicole Burt 2nd and Yvonne Chan 3rd. Julia Mercer finished 2nd in Prenovice long with Anna Stylianides 3rd. Valerie Ball won bronze in Silver skills. Julia Howley and Breauna Miller finished 2nd and 3rd in Juvenile women, and Josh Robinson won Juvenile men with Dylan Short 2nd. Maggie Walsh won silver in Senior Bronze. Tiffany Whynot finished in 3rd place in gold triathlon. Philip McDermott with partner Kaitlyn Dawe of CBS won gold in Juvenile dance.

On Day 2 Julia Mercer won gold in Pre-Novice short, with Anna Stylianides 5th, Nicole Chan 6th and Ashley Morgan 8th. Stephanie Fagan won gold in Novice short, with Carly Austin silver, Yvonne Chan 4th and Nicole Burt 5th. Olivia Drover Martin won gold in Bronze skills, and bronze in Junior Silver freeskate. On the first day Philip McDermott won gold in Junior Bronze men, and Lauren Stringer silver in Preliminmary women. In Junior Bronze women Gillian Bowering finished 6th, and Spencer Wilkins 10th [Full results | Photos]

Club member Nicole Chan is one of three winners of bag-maker Zuca’s International Design Contest! [Nicole's design]

Olivia Drover-Martin was named most artistic skater at Skate Mount Pearl. Olivia won a silver medal in open ladies; other medalists included Lauren Stringer (gold), Laura Stevens (silver), Maggie Walsh (bronze), Dylan Short (gold), Julia Mercer (gold), Nicole Chan (silver) and Carly Austin (silver).

At the Provincial Championships in Corner Brook, Synergy, our Junior team, won the Cornel Trophy (best team), last awarded to a club team twenty years ago. Synergy won gold in Junior, and the Princelles set a provincial record in winning the novice event. Our prejuvenile team, the Pop Stars, had a good skate to finish 5th. The Princettes Juveniles finished 3rd and Insync (masters) won silver, less than a point away from gold [Results | Photos].

Club member Stephanie Fagan won bronze medals in both short and free Novice women at Skate Dartmouth, landing her double axel for the first time in competition.

Synergy, our junior synchro team, travelled to Halifax to compete in the Eastern Festival of Synchronised Skating. They finished in 8th place, with scores of 58.35 and 50.62, just short of their provincial record [event web site | Photos]

Congratulations to club members Beth Liverman on her promotion to Novice Singles Judge, and to Tanya Young, Samantha Sooley and Valerie Ball on their appointments as Primary Judges.

At Avalon Regionals club skaters performed well, with 21 medals won and some excellent skates from others. Maggie Walsh won the mini-Balisch Cup for most artistic performance. Medalists included Amber Boutcher (silver, pre-preliminary), Jenny Biles (silver, pre-preliminary), Lauren Stringer (gold, preliminary), Phillip McDermott (gold, Junior Bronze, juvenile dance), Gilian Bowering (gold, Junior Bronze), Spencer Wilkins (silver, Junior Bronze), Maggie Walsh (gold, Senior Bronze), Dylan Short (gold, PreJuvenile), Josh Robinson (silver, PreJuvenile), Iona Stylianides (silver, PreJuvenile), Breauna Miller (silver, Juvenile), Julia Howley (gold, Juvenile), Olivia Drover-Martin (gold open 1A, gold, bronze skills, silver, bronze intepretive), Ashley Morgan (gold open 1B), Nicole Chan (bronze open 1B), Julia Mercer (gold, open IIB), Nicole Burt (silver, open IIB), and Carly Austin (bronze, open IIB).

Congratulations to club member Kimberly Crocker on her promotion to Juvenile level judge.

In 2007-08, the Club won the Skate Canada President’s Canskate challenge award for the greatest increase in CanSkate numbers in the Province. The award included two all-event tickets to the Canadian Championships, being held later this month in Saskatoon. The club’s executive decided to donate the tickets to the Saskatoon Chapter of the Children’s Wish Foundation, and we’re pleased to learn that they will be used by a wish receipent. We’ve been told “We started a new wish just before Christmas and she is crazy about skating. We were able to pass these wonderful Skate Canada tickets to her and she is absolutely ecstatic about this. The smile on her face was a mile wide.”

The club’s head CanpowerSkate coach, Chris Pitcher is stepping down as of December 2008. Chris has been with the club over 20 years and has played a large part in creating a very successful programme. Chris’ efforts were rewarded by the Section with the coach of the year award in 2008. We wish Chris all the best, and offer him our thanks for those many years of great coaching. Craig Squires will be taking over in the lead role with the CanPowerSkate programme.

The club’s annual fun and family skate was held on December 28 at Twin Rinks [Photos]

At Test day on December 20th the folowing skaters recorded passes:- Dutch waltz – Jenny Biles, Erin Maher; Canasta & Baby Blues – Erin Maher; 14 Step & 10 Fox Philip McDermott; Preliminary skills – Jenny Biles, Katie Goulding, Erin Maher, Amber Boutcher; Junior Bronze skills – Spencer Wilkins; Preliminary free skate – Laura Stevens, Sarah Jane Downton; Junior Bronze Freeskate – Spencer Wilkins, Gillian Bowering. Congratulations to all!

The 2008 BMO Skate Canada Eastern Challenge Competition was held in Mississauga, Ontario. In Novice women, Stephanie Fagan finished 17th (placing 13th in the free skate), Yvonne Chan 25th, and Carly Austin 29th. In Prenovice women Julia Mercer finished 14th, and Ashley Morgan 19th (with a personal best score of 63.96). [Results]

Congratulations to our skaters who participated in the ifrst ever Southern Shore Christmas Sakte- all returned with medals! Olivia Drover Martyin won gold in both Junior Silver free and Bronze interpretive. Lauren Stringer won gold in Preliminary and Ashley Stringer gold in Canskate Stage 6. In PreJuvenile, Dylan Short won gold and Josh Robinson silver. Sarah Jane Downton won bronze in prepreliminary. Lauren Stringer and Dylan Short won gold in preliminary dance [Results]

Congratulations to Olivia Drover-Martin who passed her Introductory Interpretive, Bronze Interpretive, Junior Silver Elements and Junior Silver Freeskate tests.

Following Sectionals 13 skaters were named to Provincial teams. Stephanie Fagan, Julia Mercer, Yvonne Chan, Ashley Morgan, & Carly Austin were named to the Senior A team; Nicole Burt, Julia Howley, Breauna Miller, Iona Stylianides, Anna Stylianides, Nicole Chan, Dylan Short and Josh Robinson were named to the Senior B team. In addition fourteen skaters were named to the PEP team – Catherine Barrett, Claire Bennett, Jenny Biles, Grace Clarke, Abbey Dolomount, Maria Downey, Mikayla Downey, Keira Hancock, Elin Maskova, Serena Piercey, Catherine Power, Sophia Stylianides, Chloe Whitridge Ashley Stringer and Lauren Woodruff

14 club skaters entered the 2008-09 BMO Sectionals at Kelligrews November 8 & 9 with exceptional success. The Bank of Montreal Sectional Merit Award for the most outstanding performance went to Julia Mercer and the Polaris Artistic Cup was awarded to Stephanie Fagan (Stephanie also won this award in 2006)

Dylan Short won pre-juvenile men with Josh Robinson taking the silver. Iona Stylianides placed 2nd in pre-juvenile women, and Lauren Stringer placed 6th in preliminary. Stephanie Fagan won Novice women, with Yvonne Chan 2nd, Carly Austin 3rd and Nicole Burt 5th. Yvonne landed a triple toe in her short programme, the first time she has accomplished this in competition. Julia Mercer won pre-novice, with Ashley Morgan 4th, Anna Stylianides 5th, and Nicole Chan 6th. in Juvenle, Julia Howley won silver, Breauna Miller bronze. Stephanie, Yvonne, Carly, Julia & Ashley qualify for Eastern Challenge, and a chance to qualify for Junior Nationals – the largest number of club skaters to attend the challenge since it was instituted. [Results | Photos on Skate NL site | More photos (Prince of Wales skaters)]

Sample photographs for the Synergy fund-raising calendar are being put on-line [more information]

Programmes in the brand-new NE Avalon arena are underway [photos]

Health Canada has issued a notice with respect to a recall on certain models of RBK and CCM helmets. For complete information on this recall visit the Health Canada Website

With Canskate now underway we are as always grateful for the efforts of our skaters who volunteer as programme assistants. Part of their committment is attendance at an annual training session which was held on Thanksgiving Monday under the direction of coaches Wendy Mercer and Jennifer Osmond. We welcome five new PAs this year! [photos]

Congratulations to Yvonne Chan, Carly Austin & Ashley Morgan who all passed their gold skills test at Fall school test day [Gold test skaters]

Ashley Morgan was presented with the Rebecca Pack Memorial award at the Rebecca Pack Memorial Skate was held at the Glacier, Mount Pearl. The award is presented to the competitor, who in the opinion of the Competition Judges, demonstrates tenacity, a love of skating, and good sportsmanship, all of the endearing qualities we will remember when we think of Rebecca Pack. Congratulations to Ashley, a very deserving recipient. Ashley also won silver and bronze medals in pre-novice short and long. Other club skaters met with success, notably Yvonne Chan and Julia Mercer each with double gold in novice / prenovice short and long programmes. Julia Howley won gold in Juvenile with Breauna Miller silver. Nicole Burt won silver in novice short, Carly Austin bronze in novice long [Full results]

Congratulations to club member Corey Sutherland, who has been promoted to Canadian Singles Technical Specialist by the Skate Canada Technical Officials Committee. Corey, currently attending univeristy in Montreal was technical controller for the Rebecca Pack skate, and will be back for sectionals in November.

Julia Mercer, Yvonne Chan and Synergy were featured at Skate Canada Newfoundland & Labrador’s “Evening of Champions” show, September 20 at Mile One; in addition our provincial team members took part. It was a real thrill for all to share the ice with the likes of Kurt Browning, Jeff Buttle, and Jamie Sale and David Pelletier [Photos]

The competitive season got underway with Summer Skate, held at Twin Rinks August 23. The club had a succesful competition with medals for Iona Stylianides (silver, prejuvenile), Julia Howley (silver, juvenile), Breauna Miller (bronze, juvenile), Julia Mercer (gold, prenovice short and long), Ashley Morgan (silver, prenovice long, bronze prenovice short), Anna Stylianides (bronze prenovice long), Yvonne Chan (gold novice short, bronze novice long), Nicle Burt (silver novice short), and Carly Austin (silver novice long, bronze novice short) [full results | photos]

We are delighted to welcome Barb Kirkland as club administrator. Barb brings many years of administrative experience in the skating world and will be operating out of our new club office, now upstairs at Twin Rinks!

Julia Mercer won a bronze medal in her flight of PreNovice short at Minto Summer Skate and a silver in prenovice long [Minto web site]

A new club executive was elected at the Club AGM, and we look forward to a new season under their direction [Executive | President's Report]

At the end of Spring school, many of our skaters passed tests. They include Josh Robinson (Swing, Fiesta, Junior Bronze Skills), Ashley Morgan (Harris Tango, Sr. Silver Skills), Kayla Kennedy (Harris Tango, Killian), Victoria Porter (American Waltz), Lana McCaw (Paso Doble, Starlight Waltz), Carly Austin (Killian), Julia Howley (Juvenile Comp. Test, Willow, Sr. Bronze Skills), Olivia Drover Martin (Sr. Bronze Skills, Fourteen Step, European), Samantha Sooley (Sr. Bronze Skills, Fourteen Step), Maggie Walsh (Junior silver skills and European waltz), Sarah Jane Downton (Canasta tango and Baby blues, and preliminary freeskate elements), Amber Boutcher (Dutch & Canasta), Meg MacKay (Dutch & Canasta), Jenny Biles (Dutch), Iona Stylianides (Willow to complete Jr. Br. Dance test), Philip McDermott (Willow to complete Jr. Br. Dance test), Breauna Miller (14 Step & European to complete Sr Br dance Test), Valerie Ball (Keats Foxtrot and Jr Silver Skills), Nicole Chan (American and Rocker Foxtrot), Anna Stylianides (Keats Foxtrot and Rocker Foxtrot), Julia Mercer (Harris Tango and Rocker Foxtrot to complete Jr. Silver Dance Test), Nicole Burt (Harris Tango & American Waltz to complete Jr. Silver Dance Test), Yvonne Chan (Starlight Waltz) (full list to follow).

The Goulds Recreation Association held a special reception this evening, at the beginning of Volunteer Week, to recognize the contributions make by youth in the Goulds. Maggie Walsh, Alexandra Vaughn-Jackson and Ashley Morgan were presented with a Volunteer Certificate in appreciation of their dedication to their community through their efforts during the Prince of Wales Skating Club CanSkate Session Thursday evenings at the Goulds Arena. Congratulations to all! All our Program Assistants play a very important role with our club and we just can’t say thank you enough!![Photos]

At the Skate Canada Newfoundland & Labrador AGM, Susan Thistle was presented with the Section Volunteer award, and Chris Pitcher recieved the Volunteer coach award. Congratualtions to both on their recognition by Skate Newfoundland and Labrador. In addition, the club was presented with the Skate Canada President’s CanSkate Challenge award for the greatest increase in CanSkate numbers in the province this year.