(September 25, 2005)

Michelle Cronin / Brian Shales

The pair team of Michelle Cronin and Brian Shales, both from Mississauga, Ont., skated a strong free program on Saturday evening to take home the bronze medal from the ISU Junior Grand Prix event in Montreal.

Cronin and Shales, who were standing fifth after the short program, skated an impressive program that included many elements with a high level of difficulty. They opened with a good triple twist followed by a throw triple loop with a slightly two-footed landing. The duo went on to complete a side-by-side double toe loop-double toe loop series, and a strong throw triple Salchow.

Their program earned them a total of 78.72 points, which placed them second in the free skate. Cronin and Shales combined points total of 118.75 vaulted them into the bronze medal position.

Pair Medallists (L-R) Ekaterina Sheremetieva / Mikhail Kuznetsov (RUS) - Silver, Valeria Simakova / Anton Tokarev (RUS) - Gold, Michelle Cronin / Brian Shales (CAN) - Bronze

Russians Valeria Simakova and Anton Tokarev won the gold medal.

In the Ice Dance event, Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir built on the lead they established in the compulsory dance with a great performance in the original dance. The duo skated a passionate latin routine with very solid elements that had high levels of difficulty. Their component scores were also strong, and they were awarded 55.55 points for the original dance portion of the event. Virtue and Moir's combined point total of 88.85 landed them solidly in first-place with just over a fourteen point lead over the Russian team of Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev, who currently stand in second-place, heading into the free dance.

Canadians Mylene Lamoureux and Michael Mee skated a solid dance with good levels of difficulty throughout to place third in the original dance. Their total of 41.24 points for the original dance gave them a combined points total of 66.21, which puts them in sixth-place, only just over one point behind the team currently in third-place, Germans Tanja Kolbe and Paul Boll.

Alice Graham and Andrew Poje also skated an energetic dance with a good performance level. They earned 35.29 points for the original dance, which gave them a combined points total of 60.03. Graham and Poje currently stand in eighth-place.

The Ice Dance event concludes Sunday with the free dance.

Canada had three representatives in the Ladies event take to the ice for the short program on Saturday evening, all of who were making their debut on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit.

Kathryn Kang's short program was highlighted by a solid triple Salchow-double toe loop combination and a double Axel. The judges awarded her 37.95 points, which placed her sixth going into the free skate.

Cecilia Gauvin also skated well, completing a triple Salchow-double toe loop combination and a double Lutz as well as strong spins. Her points total of 35.33 for the short program currently places her ninth.

Currently standing in 14th with 30.10 points heading into the free skating is Erin Scherrer.

Sunday afternoon's free skate will determine the final results in the Ladies event.

Tessa Virtue / Scott Moir	Mylene Lamoureux / Michael Mee	Alice Graham / Andrew Poje
Kathryn Kang	Cecilia Gauvin	Erin Scherrer
	Photos: F. Scott Grant

See complete results.