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Coach impressed with young skaters

Glengarry Skating Club members spun to solid results in the Autumn Leaves Super Series on Oct. 18.
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JORDANA MCEACHERN of the Glengarry Skating Club enjoyed a personal best skate during the Autumn Leaves event in Chilliwack on Oct. 18.

Glengarry Skating Club members spun to solid results in the Autumn Leaves Super Series on Oct. 18.

Judges for the event, held in Chilliwack’s Prospera Centre, rewarded strong performances by Nadia Snyman and Sabrina Fortunato with podium finishes. Fortunato, a Star 4 category skater, took silver.

“She skated really, really well,” said head coach Trevor Buttenham. “She had one fall. She went down on the last axel, otherwise she skated a clean skate. It was her first time competing this program.”

Buttenham said they are bumping Sabrina up to Star 5, which is big. The reason is because she  has consistently landed her double Sal Chow in practice.

“We want to get her up into that next level,” he said. “After you finish well, you want to move up, you want to challenge yourself. She’s one of those kids who is always looking for the next steps.”

Snyman, competing in the Star 5 category, enjoyed a personal best performance that helped her finish third.

“I was really proud of her,” said Buttenham.

Snyman performed toe and Sal double jumps with a slight under rotation, which cost her some points. However, Buttenham isn’t concerned. The two have six weeks before their next event, the Okanagan Interclub competition in Winfield Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, to get the routine right.

“If we can clean up those two jumps, and get them fully rotated, I think we can look for another bump in points,” he said of Snyman’s routine.

Buttenham said all the skaters performed well with several skaters earning personal bests, includng Jordana McEachern, Snyman and Meagan Pankratz, who finished fourth among 17 skaters in the senior bronze. Buttenham said Pankrantz’s result was awesome.

Under the Star 2 category, Samantha MacNally (silver assessment), Joycey Cheng (bronze sssessment) and Kaylee Fortunato (bronze assessment) made their competition debuts. Buttenham said the girls showed great composure and was impressed at how they handled themselves.

“Our girls are holding their own,” he said. “That is something they should be really pleased with.”

In Star 4, Patricia Fortunato finished fourth, while Angelina Veltri performed her new program for the first time.

In other news, to celebrate Glengarry Skating Club’s 60th birthday, there will be a skate in December and the club is asking all alumni to join. In addition, adults are welcome to continue the tradition for drop-in skating at McLaren Thursday evenings from 7:15 to 8 p.m. Please contact the Glengarry Skating Club for more information at 250-486-0244.