Tillsonburg skaters excel at provincials

Four Tillsonburg Skating Club competitors took to the ice at the provincials. From left are: Claire McCutchen, Morgan Condie, Elizabeth Heleniak and Scott Boyd. (Jeff Tribe Photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

Four Tillsonburg Skating Club competitors took to the ice at the recent provincials held in Hamilton March 20-21.

Scott Boyd competed in gold men and Star 9 men, finishing second in both competitions. He was judged on how well his jumps and spins were executed as well as his foot work and presentation.

“I had a clean program, and landed all my jumps,” he said. “My spins were good, my footwork was good, and it was an amazing skate.”

For Boyd, who is 17, this will be his last competition as he is off to post-secondary school next year.

“It was a good skate to end off with,” he reflected.

Intending to study robotics or mechanical engineering, he still intends on skating, and hopes to coach one day.

“I don’t want to give up skating quite yet,” he said. “I want to find some time once or twice a week to keep skating.”

Claire McCutchen, 17, has one more year for the provincials. She finished second in Star 10 women , and was judged on her skate, and how she executed three spins and 10 jumps.

“I skated clean, all my jumps went well,” she said.

McCutchen skated first of the 18 in the group, which she said can be a challenge, but her score held up.

Next year, McCutchen, who has been skating since she was four, will try skating at the gold level. She may try out for the varsity team at university, but hasn’t decided yet.

It was the third year at the provincials for Morgan Condie, also 17. She skated in Star 8 women and Star 7 women over 12, finishing 10th and 17th respectively.

“I skated fairly well,” she said. “I made a couple of mistakes, which cost me or I could have placed higher.

Last year, she finished 18th in Star 8. The road to the competition was smoother, with five golds and one silver in four different competitions.

Next year, Condie is headed to Trent University to study accounting and plans on continuing skating at the recreational level.

Elizabeth Heleniak was the youngest of the Tillsonburg skaters at the provincials, being 12. She finished ninth in pre-juvenile under 13 and 18th in Star 7 under 12.

She said her pre-juvenile skate went well, but she fell in the Star 7 skate.

“On the first day, I didn’t do good, but on the second day, I did well but everyone else was also really good,” she said.

Heleniak had two seconds and two thirds in other competitions to qualify for the provincials.

These skaters will be part of the annual carnival on April 17 and 18. See next week’s more Post for more information.