Whitehorse Daily Star

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ADDS TO THE TROPHY CASE – Rachel Pettitt, pictured skating last season, earned a bronze medal for Yukon at the 2015 Super Series Autumn Leaves figure skating competition in Chilliwack, B.C., last weekend.

Pettitt skates to third at Autumn Leaves

Four Yukon figure skaters twirled to some impressive results in Chilliwack, B.C., last weekend.

By Marcel Vander Wier on October 21, 2015

Four Yukon figure skaters twirled to some impressive results in Chilliwack, B.C., last weekend.

Once again, 16-year-old Rachel Pettitt led the way, earning a bronze medal for junior women.

Not to be outdone, Mikayla Kramer logged the top short program in her pre-novice women division en route to a fourth overall finish.

Alissa Russell and Tessa Moore also competed in U13 divisions, earning solid results.

All four skaters represented Whitehorse’s Arctic Edge Skating Club.

While it wasn’t Pettitt’s finest showing, she told the Star she was pleased to earn another medal.

“It was a good training competition leading up to sections,” she said yesterday, noting she will continue to work on her jumps and consistency in the coming weeks.

Pettitt scored 40.33 points in her short – good for fourth, then added 75.11 in her free skate for an overall total of 115.44.

“It wasn’t quite the score I was looking for,” Pettitt said of her short skate. “I gave up some easy points on some spins.

“My free skate once again wasn’t my best, but I earned a decent score and finished third.”

Pettitt won the national novice figure skating championship last season.

Meanwhile, Kramer got off to an early lead in her U14 pre-novice group, collecting 29.37 points in her short program, just ahead of eventual gold-medal winner Leah Lee of Vancouver.

However, Kramer finished fourth in the free skate after scoring 46.89, and was ultimately edged off the podium by less than a full point.

Additionally, Russell finished third in her pre-juvenile women grouping with 19.14 points, alongside a fourth-place finish of 18.41 in her introductory interpretive group.

Finally, Moore finished fourth in her pre-juvenile women group at 19.09 and eighth in her inaugural bronze women skate with 18.84 points.

The competition was held at Twin Rinks in Chilliwack, Oct. 16 to 18.

For Russell and Moore, the performances marked their first foray into the competitive stream of skating, said Arctic Edge coach Michelle Semaschuk.

“For their first time out in pre-juvenile, they did a really amazing job ... It’s a big jump. They’ve both been working really, really hard at home on their new programs.”

Pettitt and Kramer are both training in Kelowna, B.C. this season. The duo will next skate at the B.C.-Yukon section championships in Coquitlam, B.C., Nov. 5 to 8.

The event is a qualifier for Skate Canada Challenge in Edmonton Dec. 2 to 6.

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