Banner Season: Blues looking to add to banner streak as OUA’s championship season winds down
Burlington, Ont. – The Toronto Varsity Blues have skated through the conference competition for several consecutive seasons – six to be exact – and are among those in contention for the OUA title once again. But as they venture for a seventh straight win this week, their young roster will be faced with plenty of talented provincial performers looking to glide atop the podium themselves when the 2023 OUA Figure Skating Championship hits the East Elgin Community Centre ice from Tuesday, March 7th to Wednesday, March 8th.
Championship Details
When: Tuesday, March 7 to Wednesday, March 8
Where: East Elgin Community Centre
Participating Schools (10): Brock Badgers, Carleton Ravens, Guelph Gryphons, McMaster Marauders, Queen’s Gaels, Toronto Varsity Blues, TMU Bold, Waterloo Warriors, Western Mustangs (host), York Lions
Defending Champions: Toronto Varsity Blues
Student-Athletes to Watch:
Victoria Bockneck, McMaster Marauders | A rookie Marauder, but experienced skater, Bockneck will compete at her first OUA Championship this week. The Richmond Hill, Ont. local was the 2018 junior sectional silver medalist and the 2018 junior national bronze medalist, while this year, in her first taste of varsity action, she won gold in the gold freeskate at the 2023 Winter Invitational. Bockneck has proven to be a resilient athlete and heading into her banner season debut, values her sport more than ever before.
Clara Campbell, Western Mustangs | Campbell was the gold medalist in the freeskate last season, but her hardware haul didn’t stop there. The senior skater from Toronto, Ont. was also part of the silver-medal winning freeskate fours and added a bronze in the senior similar pair freeskate alongside Hannah Gray. With a bevy of banner season success already under her belt, the kinesiology major will be a key part of the host Mustangs aspirations to stand atop the podium this year.
Helene Carle, Guelph Gryphons | Looking to help bring her team up the standings following a sixth-place result last year, Carle will be one to watch for the Gryphons squad. A podium threat in multiple events heading into this year’s festivities, the real estate and housing student from Georgetown, Ont. is looking to skate her way to some top finishes in her second championship outing.
Alyssa Cross, Brock Badgers | Cross has been an incredible asset to the Brock team, earning two second-place results in the novice women’s short program, to go along with a gold and silver in the senior similar pairs event (alongside partner Madeline Wilk) this season. The Badgers are expecting to see the sport management major’s love of competition shine through when she takes the ice this week.
Sophie Dunkley, TMU Bold | This year’s OUA Championship will be Dunkley’s last time competing with TMU, as she will be switching schools next year. Set to compete in the free skate fours event, the Victoria, B.C. native has also stepped in for a fellow Bold skater who is unable to compete last minute.
Regina Figueroa Bautista, TMU Bold | A second-year skater from Mexico City, Mexico, Figueroa Bautista has taken on a leadership role on a very young TMU team, both in terms of supporting the squad and teaching new skaters their routines. When hitting the ice this week, she will be skating in the Star 10 similar dance event.
Keelee Gingrich, Queen’s Gaels | Gingrich was an OUA all-star and double gold medalist in open rhythm dance and dance fours at the 2022 conference finale. She will be competing once again in those same events in 2023, albeit with different partners this time around, eyeing similar triumphs therein. The arts and science student from Calgary, Alta. also competed in freeskate and was the pre-novice and novice Canadian champion in pairs prior to competing in dance.
Alistair Lam, McMaster Marauders | The reigning gold medalist in the open men’s freeskate event, Lam will look for more of the same type of success in his second championship outing. With ample accolades throughout his skating career, the second-year kinesiology student was the 2017 novice national bronze medalist and the 2019 junior Skate Canada Challenge gold medalist. Earlier this season, Alistair won gold in the open men’s freestake at both the fall and winter invitationals, and offers up a tremendous skill set on the ice that includes a triple axel.
Bridget Le Donne, Carleton Ravens | A third-year humanities major, Le Donne has competed in one OUA Championship to date, taking home a pair of silver medals therein in rhythm dance and dance fours, respectively. She leads the Ravens dance team into the provincial finale and will compete in the gold solo dance, open rhythm dance, and dance fours for the black birds.
Katherine Mitchell, Toronto Varsity Blues | With a young contingent hitting the ice for Toronto this week, third-year standout Katherine Mitchell will be relied up for her experience and leadership on the ice. The kinesiology student will look to put those assets, and her strong skating ability, to good use for the Blues when she competes in the gold freeskate and the Star 10 similar dance with partner Emily Cleghorn. Performances like those at the Winter Invitational in January, that saw Mitchell produce gold in the latter as well as bronze in the dance fours, would go a long way for Toronto’s 2023 championship aspirations.
Erin Ng, Toronto Varsity Blues | A third-year skater for the defending champion Blues, Ng will help lead the team to another strong showing when she pairs up with Cassandra Chow in the open rhythm dance and join a trio of teammates in the dance fours. The chemical engineering major from Thornhill, Ont. is coming off a bronze-medal performance in the latter at the Winter Invitational, while also placing sixth therein in the novice short program.
Daniella Scurto, Brock Badgers | Scurto has been a crucial member of the Badgers for five years, serving as captain for four. As she finishes off her Masters, the kinesiology major will be competing in intermediate similar pairs, dance fours, and synchro at this OUAs. Scurto, alongside her partner Olivia Hussey, will be seeking a first-place finish after winning the intermediate similar pairs event at the winter invitational.
Kaitlin Wilk, Waterloo Warriors | After a great rookie season in 2021-22, Wilk came back even stronger for the 2022-23 year. She regained her double axel, which she landed in competition at the Fall Invitational hosted by Brock, and found further success at the winter event alongside her three teammates, winning won gold in the fours freeskate. The first-place finish marked the Warriors’ first gold in a few seasons and they’ll hope that the Mississauga, Ont. local can do more of the same on the banner season stage.
Storylines to Keep an Eye On:
Ahead of the OUA season finale, the Brock Badgers have earned third and fourth-place finishes at the year’s invitationals, and have been diligently training and putting in the work on and off the ice to secure a spot on the podium this week. Having also earned their first ever first-place showing in the open synchro event at the winter invitational, the Badgers are hoping to carry over their success into a banner season best as well.
The Carleton Ravens are looking to build on its showing at the fall and winter invitationals, excited to showcasing the programs they’ve been practicing all season with the hopes of replicating the success in the STAR 8/9 dance category and intermediate similar pair from those events.
The Marauder squad is comprised of former competitive figure skaters from clubs across Ontario that have a re-sparked passion for their sport. Each student-athlete is excited to put that spark to good use as the reigning bronze-medal winning McMaster group gets excited to wear the maroon and grey and work towards achieving the team’s banner season goals.
Queen’s competitive season began with the Brock Invitational in November with the team placing sixth overall therein. The Gaels earned three podium finishes (two silver and one bronze) in Star 10 solo dance, open rhythm dance, and gold solo dance, before raising their haul to a trio of silver medal performances as part of a sixth-place result at the Waterloo Invitational in January. The Tricolour will look to continue their upward trend and put their best foot forward while competing for an OUA banner.
The Toronto Varsity Blues will be vying for their seventh consecutive OUA title when they hit the ice in Aylmer, Ont. this week, but are entering with a much younger roster than previous years. With several of their past all-stars and medal winners having graduated, the Blues will turn to a new crop of skaters and a few key returnees to help extend their banner-winning ways. Entering the final weekend of conference competition, the Blues have previously claimed silver medals at both the Brock and Waterloo Invitationals in January.
Post pandemic, the TMU Bold have a brand new team made up of several first and second-year student-athletes, to go along with a brand new coach (after a year without one). The young group is focused on rebuilding the team for the years to come, with a goal for the 2023 finale – and in general – being one of bonding as a group and skating personal bests when they step onto the ice at the East Elgin Community Centre.
Building toward the OUA Championship all year long, the Waterloo skaters have continued to gain momentum at the various lead-up events. The Warriors have been achieving more and more points at each subsequent competition, and in eyeing even more of this upward trend, are hoping to soar up the standings amongst their provincial competition with another season-best performance.
While welcoming the rest of the OUA figure skating contingent to Aylmer, Ont. this week, the Western Mustangs are once again anticipating a competitive two days of skating. The reigning silver medalists are expecting a tough fight from the Blues along with the full slew of strong skaters hitting the ice, but have their eyes set on taking home the OUA title in their own backyard.
What They’re Saying:
“It is so rewarding to coach a team that is so dedicated to succeed. We are looking forward to watching our events shine through and compete just as well as they have been practicing this season. Go Badgers Go!” – Emily McCarthy, Head Coach, Brock Badgers
“It’s been amazing training as a team all season, supporting one another as skaters and friends. We are so grateful for the opportunity to celebrate and showcase the hard work we put in this season, alongside our talented, hardworking, and supportive competitors.” – Bridget Le Donne. Student-Athlete, Carleton Ravens
“Being on the Carleton University skating team over the past few years has given me so many wonderful memories. Because figure skating is mostly an individual sport, it has been such a great experience competing as a university team with so many talented and hard-working skaters. It takes a big commitment to train almost every morning, but this has taught us how to balance our lives as student-athletes. As my time as a Raven comes to an end this year, I look forward to competing at this year’s OUA Championship alongside my teammates, who are now lifelong friends. I hope to skate well for my team and leave with a successful outcome for the Ravens team.” – Chloe Sills, Student-Athlete, Carleton Ravens
“I am very proud to call myself a Carleton Raven. Heading into my last OUA Championship, my experience has been nothing but positive and I’m really excited to be able to compete with some of the best friends I’ve made at university. – Jaden Vieveen, Student-Athlete, Carleton Ravens
“We have been training super hard to strengthen our programs so we can leave all on the ice at OUAs.” – Laura Vancer, Student-Athlete, McMaster Marauders
“I’m so excited to demonstrate the hard work we’ve put in all season and skate our hearts out at the OUA Championship!” – Catalina Costiuc, Student-Athlete, McMaster Marauders
“I’m so proud that our team has come so far this season. I can’t wait to compete at OUAs and cheer on my team.” – Tiffany Yuen, Student-Athlete, McMaster Marauders
“We’ve had a great start to our season, especially considering two thirds of the team are rookies. There’s definitely been a bit of a learning curve for all of the new skaters transitioning from the competitive to varsity world, but overall, everyone has adapted very well and the camaraderie this team has built is absolutely fantastic. I can honestly say I am most looking forward to just watching everyone perform to their fullest ability and seeing all of the new athletes absorb all that is the OUA Championship.” – Brittany de Lapeyre, Head Coach, Toronto Varsity Blues
