The U of T figure skating team has turned over a new sheet of ice. It has been a season of change for the Blues, and for university skating in general.
In the last few months, the Blues have gone through coaching, teammate, program, and even costume changes. Former dance coach Sylvia Gryniewski was named head coach for the 2004-2005 season. Allen Chung and Miranda Hall, who specialize in freeskate and synchronized skating, respectively, round out the staff. The team has also welcomed a bevy of new athletes and donned made-to-measure velvet halter dresses. Everyone has been hard at work perfecting his or her routines to a ‘T.’
Ontario University Athletics (OUA) decided to do away with the lower-level events in an attempt to make figure skating more competitive. Also, the placing in the men’s freeskate event now counts towards a team’s overall standing.
The Blues most recently showed off their carefully honed spins and spirals at the Wilfred Laurier Invitational on January 28 and 29, where they won a bronze medal. Brock took the silver, while Queen’s skated circles around the competition to claim gold by a huge margin.
Toronto athletes Christina Hall and Caitlyn Paget started things off on the right blade, taking first place in the Junior Silver Similar Dance Category. The Blues added another first place finish when Aimee Artinian and Laura Stoveld won the Dance Variation with a technically sound routine that was executed with artistic flair.
On the freeskate side, Shabiki Crane placed third in the Junior Silver category. Meanwhile, Eleanor Fung and Candice Skelton dazzled the crowd and shocked themselves, as they delivered a solid program to finish third in the Senior Similar Pairs event.
An excellent synchronized skating routine is required at all university-level competitions, if any team wants a realistic chance of winning. The Blues debuted a sleek new program, set to a medley of 70’s funk tunes and choreographed by Miranda Hall. They ended up fourth, which is an improvement over last year’s constant fifth-place finishes.
Team captain Erin Hyland was proud of the way the team performed, especially with all the difficulties it has had to face the past few weeks. Last minute substitutions were made on the team, and a few athletes skated through injuries and sickness. She believes the team can improve upon their bronze medal and go for silver or gold this season.
“It was close ’til the end and our result came down to our skate in synchro,” she said. “Our focus for OUA’s is to refine the routine by adding and sharpening head and arm movements.”
Hyland wouldn’t rule out an OUA championship for her team. She pointed out that the team won a silver medal in the fall at the Queen’s Invitational, and that at the Laurier competition this year they “were competing many of our backup skaters so that they could gain valuable experience for the upcoming years.
“After a month of hard training I see no reason why we do not have the ability to overcome the current Queen’s domination,” Hyland added.
Yet, skating is a tricky sport, so rife with pressure and politics that it’s comical at times. Knowing that it’s impossible to control the decisions the judges make, Hyland wants her teammates to come off the ice pleased and happy with the way they skated.
The OUA championships are hosted by The University of Western Ontario and take place from March 2-3. With silver and bronze medal finishes at their backs, the only colour the Blues are lacking now is gold.
