AYLMER, Ont. – A total of 23 student-athletes from the Guelph Gryphons varsity figure skating team made their way to Aylmer, Ontario for a two-day conference championship event, as the McMaster Marauders served as hosts of the 2022 OUA Figure Skating Championships (March 29-30). A successful two-days of competition saw the Gryphons represented on the podium on five different occasions, highlighted by a gold medal performance from
Helene Carle and
Olivia Farrow in the senior similar pair freeskate.
Helene Carle and Olivia Farrow
The Gryphons, who ultimately placed 6th in the final team standings out of nine universities, ended the OUA Championships on a high note, claiming bronze in the Team Synchro event.
"I was really pleased with how our team was able to come together after having to deal with so many challenges throughout the course of the year," says
Janet Gibson, now in her 16th season as head coach of the varsity figure skating team at the University of Guelph. "It wasn't until January 31 until we were finally able to get back on the ice after six weeks off. Leading up to the OUA's, there was so much switching in-and-out of programs for our student-athletes, it made things difficult. But I'm proud of the way they competed over the two days here, and it was so exciting to see our 16 skaters claim bronze in the synchro to cap it off."
The result in the synchro was one of four bronze medal results for the Gryphons at the 2022 OUA Figure Skating Championships, with U of G also having reached the podium in the freeskate fours, gold freeskate and intermediate similar pair. The lone gold medal for the Gryphons was produced by a promising pair of skaters for the Gryphons in
Helene Carle and
Olivia Farrow. For both Carle, a second-year real estate major from Georgetown, and
Olivia Farrow, a third-year human kinetics major from Oakville, the gold medal came in what was their first-ever appearances at an OUA Figure Skating Championship. Prior to arriving at the University of Guelph, the dynamic duo had competed against each other at the senior national level, but the two are now poised to form one of the top pairs in OUA figure skating in future years. The Toronto Varsity Blues were ultimately crowned 2022 OUA Champions, finishing 1st in the overall team standings. See below for full results or head to oua.ca for more information.
Gryphons Medalists at the 2022 OUA Figure Skating Championships
GOLD
Helene Carle &
Olivia Farrow (Open Pair)
SILVER
-
BRONZE
Helene Carle,
Laura Dawson,
Olivia Farrow,
Ashley Goodliff (Open Pair/Freeskate Fours)
Emily Desjardins &
Natalie Schmuck (Intermediate Similar Pair)
Laura Dawson (Gold Freeskate)
Team Synchro
Final Team Standings:
- Toronto Varsity Blues
- Western Mustangs
- McMaster Marauders
- Brock Badgers
- Queen's Gaels
- Guelph Gryphons
- Carleton Ravens
- Waterloo Warriors
- Ryerson Rams
OUA Coach of the Year: Laura Kilpatrick, Carleton Ravens
Spirit Award: Brock Badgers (unanimous)
Medalists - 2022 OUA Figure Skating Championships
MEDALLISTS STAR 8/9 SIMILAR DANCE
Gold – Maggie Chen, Chyna Hui (Toronto)
Silver – Laura Vancer, Hillary Baran (McMaster)
Bronze – Jasmine Wu, Erica Lumsden (Western)
STAR 10 FREESKATE
Gold – Katherine Mitchell (Toronto)
Silver – Gratiana Chen (Western)
Bronze – Daniella Scurto (Brock)
OPEN RHYTHM DANCE
Gold – Keelee Gingrich, Olivia McIsaac (Queen's}
Silver – Bridget Le Donne, Hannah Whitley (Carleton)
Bronze – Camille DeThomasis, Trinity Males (Brock)
SENIOR SIMILAR PAIR FREESKATE
Gold – Helene Carle, Olivia Farrow (Guelph)
Silver – Taia Steward, Alyssa Cross (Brock)
Bronze – Clara Campbell, Hannah Gray (Western)
STAR 10 SOLO DANCE
Gold – Chyna Hui (Toronto)
Silver – Jasmine Wu (Western)
Bronze – Juliana Ye (Queen's)
NOVICE SHORT PROGRAM
Gold – Isabella Mancini (McMaster)
Silver – Hannah Gray (Western)
Bronze – Taia Steward (Brock)
DANCE FOURS
Gold – Colleen Tordoff, Keelee Gingrich, Olivia McIsaac, Anna Ljungberg (Queen's)
Silver – David Birinberg, Robyn Hoogendam, Bridget Le Donne, Hannah Whitley (Carleton)
Bronze – Payton Beckett, Victoria Morgado, Alyssa Evans, Kaitlin Lees (Western)
FREESKATE FOURS
Gold – Keiko Marshall, Katelyn Pavlidis, Karisa Wang, Marta Sellaroli (Toronto)
Silver – Clara Campbell, Hannah Gray, Julia LaBella, Madison Shaw (Western)
Bronze – Laura Dawson, Olivia Farrow, Ashley Goodliff, Helene Carle (Guelph)
STAR 10 SIMILAR DANCE
Gold – Sarah Raynsford, Emma Curtis (McMaster)
Silver – Stephanie Carroll, Emma Jianopoulos (Toronto)
Bronze – Colleen Tardoff, Shaundra Buelow (Queen's)
INTERMEDIATE SIMILAR PAIR FREESKATE
Gold – Gratiana Chen, Leah Kuo (Western)
Silver – Emily Cleghorn, Katherine Mitchell (Toronto)
Bronze – Natalia Schmuck, Emily Desjardins (Guelph)
GOLD SOLO DANCE
Gold – Hannah Whitley (Carleton)
Silver – Emma Jianopoulos (Toronto)
Bronze – Camille DeThomasis (Brock)
GOLD FREESKATE
Gold – Clara Campbell (Western)
Silver – Alyssa Cross (Brock)
Bronze – Laura Dawson (Guelph)
MEN'S FREESKATE
Gold – Alistair Lam (McMaster)
Silver – David Birinberg (Carleton)
Bronze – Denis Margalik (Toronto)
TEAM SYNCHRO
Gold – Toronto
Silver – Western
Bronze – Guelph
