Trio medal at sectionals

Jane Gray skated the free program of her life while Geerthana Somas and Joel Braganza took bronze as the small but mighty Canmore Skating Club placed three athletes on the podium at Sectionals, Nov. 9 in Calgary.

All three will now move on to the Skate Canada Challenge, which attracts the best skaters from across the country.

After a disappointing short program that left her in fifth, Gray pulled out a grand performance in the free skate to win the day in the senior women division.

“Everything as an overall was so much better. My spins were solid, and once I got into the program, I got a chance to perform it. To me, it's like the whole package,” she said.

“It was a real victory for her. She skated her heart out,” said coach Cynthia Ullmark. “There were five or six really good skaters in the event who all had a chance to win. If Jane skates that well at Challenge, she will have no problem making nationals,” Ullmark said.

Gray's raw talent ranks amongst the best in Canada, however, she's struggled to perform in big competitions. At sectionals, this wasn't the case, as she found success.

“Her execution of more difficult elements was much better,” Ullmark said.

Gray said she used the poor performance in the short program as motivation, and truly hit her stride. She won gold at Sectionals for the last three years in a row, but felt she skated better this year.

“I feel I really connected with the program for the first time. It's a new year for this routine and it's taking me a while to get to that point,” Gray said. “To me, it's like the whole package. You're landing the jumps and performing the spins well, but on top of that, you're selling the music and skating to the audience. You make it interesting for them to watch instead of just landing cool jumps.”

Working with Greg Folk in Calgary, Robin Forsythe and Devan Nychka in Canmore, Gray said she's added more style to her skate routine, and is improving thanks to her time with the Canadian Sport Institute.

Somas improved her Sectionals result from 2014, moving up from fourth to third to land on the podium in the novice women division. She's confident she can do better as she continues to compete.

“My triple sow and double axle weren't as good, but my spins were pretty good,” Somas said. “My goal this year is to go to nationals.”

Ullmark said the dedicated skater is learning new elements rapidly, and that is showing in her points. If she skates to her potential, she has the ability to reach nationals in a very competitive field.

“Last year, she had to skate her best to get to fourth. This year, she didn't skate her best and got third,” Ullmark said. “She has more content than last year. She did not have a triple (jump) last year. Now she has a triple in her short and free program.”

The novice ladies division is extremely competitive, as there were a dozen skaters with the talent to win it, Ullmark said. But Somas ensured she performed on the right day.

“It's not who is the best, but who skates the best that day,” Ullmark said.

Brazanga skated well to finish third in the men's category. The tall skater continues to grow, and his fire and passion will help him on the ice, Ullmark said.

“Joel skated his best in his free program. He's been working in the gym a lot, trying to get stronger, and he wants to bring that to the ice,” Ullmark said. “He has the desire.”

The club had strong results throughout the competition. Lucie Laferriere finished 13th in the novice women's division, and Savina Somas was seventh in the pre-novice women's division. She has also been selected as a wild card entry for the Challenge. Annika Fuefener finished 24th, while Kana Noguchi was 44th. In the pre-juvenile division, Lisa du Plessis finished fifth overall.

Challenge, a mini-nationals competition, takes place in Edmonton during the first weekend of December. The top 18 from Challenge move on to Canadian Nationals, to face the best in the nation.