The Varsity figure skating team’s season came to a strong close this past weekend at the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) competition in London, Ontario. Toronto placed third overall, while the host University of Western Ontario team dramatically stole the title from Queen’s, who has held onto it tightly for the past six years.

As in the previous two competitions of this season, the Varsity Blues had a strong performance in individual and pairs free skate events. Francis Lee continued her reign of the short program, with her third consecutive victory of the season. Rebecca Salisbury, in what coach Kimberly Graves describes as “an inspired performance,” conquered the long program with a textbook triple toe jump, earning her a third season victory as well.

Salisbury and Lee teamed up for the Senior Similar Pairs free skate and were rewarded with another well-earned first-place finish.

Alyssa Hall and Jennifer Leek, who placed a disappointing last in the Toronto Open in January, seized the Intermediate Similar Pairs event by finishing in the top spot at the OUAs.

In a saucy moment of skating humour, Leek and Hall kissed the ice following their performance, making light of pairs skater David Pelletier’s actions at the Olympics in Salt Lake City.

In ice dance events, Vivienne Macy and Laura Milne received their third consecutive second-place finish in the Senior Silver Similar Dance. Milne’s effort in the Gold Similar Dance earned her a third place finish, and in the Bronze Rhythm Dance with four skaters, the Blues also placed third.

Head coach Kimberly Graves says she is extremely pleased with the team’s progress and performance in the 2001-2002 season. “They’ve worked really hard all year. It seemed that everybody was peaking at the right time. The weekend [before the competition] everything was coming together. That was really nice.”

Graves says plans are already in the works for the 2002-2003 figure skating season. “We’re hoping to carry this momentum through to next season as well,” says Graves.

The coaches want returning skaters to challenge themselves by raising the technical difficulties of their individual programs. Graves also emphasizes the skaters have responded well to the off-ice training for the precision event, and hope to add weekly off-ice practices to strengthen their performance in that event.

Overall, she is thrilled with their hard work and dedication this year.