Canadian novice skaters at Skate Ontario Summer Skate for final event of 2018 North American Series

OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will have seventeen entries, for a total of 25 skaters competing at the 2018 Skate Ontario Summer Skate. The event, which takes place at the Scotiabank Pond arena in North York, Ont., runs from August 16-19, 2018. Among the Skate Canada entries are three men, six women, three pair teams and five ice dance teams, all competing at the novice level.

The event is the third and final stop in a series of three competitions on the 2018 North American Series. The novice-level series was developed by U.S. Figure Skating and Skate Canada’s Athlete Development and High-Performance Development Departments to provide international development competition opportunities for athletes that competed at the sectional or national level, to simulate an international competition, and compete against top athletes from both the U.S. and Canada.

One of three Skate Canada entries in novice men is Rio Morita, 13, Thornhill, Ont. Morita placed 13^th at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in novice and placed ninth at the first stop on the 2018 North American Series, Skate Milwaukee. He is coached by Karen Preston in Toronto, Ont.

Canadian pre-novice champion, Matthew Newnham, 15, St. Albert, Alta., is the second Skate Canada entry at the event. He trains in Edmonton, Alta., with coach Sylvie Wandzura.

Canadian pre-novice bronze medallist, Jake Ellis, 12, Essex, Ont., rounds out the Canadian novice men entries. He earned a fifth place finish at the first stop on the 2018 North American Series, Skate Milwaukee. Ellis trains in Windsor, Ont., with coach Lori Lafferty-Vilnef.

Alyson Thibault, 15, Ste-Marie Beauce, Que., is the first of six Skate Canada women’s entries. She placed ninth in novice at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Thibault is coached by Stéphane Yvars in Boucherville, Que.

Hannah Gray, 14, Thorndale, Ont., will also represent Canada in the North American Series event. She finished 12^th in novice at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships, and is coached by Leanne McQueen in Ilderton, Ont.

Also representing Canada on the North American Series is Jaime Gabbard, 15, Mississauga, Ont. Gabbard placed 13^th in novice at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. She trains in Oakville, Ont., with coach Michelle Leigh.

Doriela Lugo-Mayrand, 13, Rouyn-Noranda, Que., is another Canadian women’s entry in the North American Series event. Lugo-Mayrand placed 16^th in pre-novice in Canada last season. She trains in Rosemère, Que., with coach Yvan Desjardins.

Maja Jacobsen, 13, Waterdown, Ont., is the fifth Skate Canada women’s entry. She placed 17^th in pre-novice in Canada last season. Jacobsen trains in Burlington, Ont., under coach Clare McIsaac.

Kyrstin Lavelle, 14, Toronto, Ont., rounds out the Canadian women entries in the North American Series. She is coached by Jonathan Mills in Toronto, Ont.

Mackenzie Ripley, 16, St. Thomas, Ont., and Owen Brawley, 18, Waterloo, Ont., are the first of three Canadian novice pair entries at the event. Last season, they placed sixth in novice at the 2018 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. The pair won the first event on the North American Series, Skate Milwaukee. Ripley and Brawley are coached by Kris Wirtz in Waterloo, Ont.

Canadian pre-novice silver medallists Jamie Fournier, 13, Brossard, Que., and Gabriel Farand, 17, Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Que., will be the second Canadian novice pair entry at the event. Fournier and Farand won the silver medal at the 2018 Skate Milwaukee. They are coached by Bruno Marcotte in Saint-Leonard, Que.

Caidence Derenisky, 12, Regina, Sask., and Raine Eberl, 19, Moose Jaw, Sask., are the third Skate Canada entry at the event. They train in Regina, Sask., with coach David Schultz.

Canadian pre-novice champions Sydney Embro, 15, Waterloo, Ont., and Eric Millar, 16, Kitchener, Ont., are one of five Canadian ice dance entries in the North American Series. Embro and Millar train in Waterloo, Ont., under coach Paul McIntosh.

Canadian pre-novice silver medallists Sophia Kagolovskaya, 13, Wellesley, Ont., and Kieran MacDonald, 15, Wellesley, Ont., are the second Skate Canada entry in novice ice dance. They are coached by Carleigh McDonald in Ayr, Ont.

Jordyn Lewis, 14, Komoka, Ont., and Noah McMillan, 14, Ilderton, Ont., are the third Skate Canada ice dance entry at the event. They placed 13^th in Canada in pre-novice last season, and are coached by Alma Moir in Ilderton, Ont.

Alyssa Robinson, 15, Ridgetown, Ont., and Josh Andari, 15, Chatham, Ont., will also represent Canada in the North American Series event. Last year, they placed 16^th in Canada in pre-novice. They are coached by David Islam in Barrie, Ont.

Angela Ling, 14, Waterloo, Ont., and Quinn Bisson, 16, Warwick, Ont., are the final Canadian ice dance entry in the North American Series event. They are coached by Carol Moir in Ilderton, Ont.

Cynthia Ullmark of Canmore, Alta., will be the onsite Canadian team representative at the event.

For entry lists and start orders, please click here.

CANADIAN ENTRIES AT 2018 SKATE ONTARIO SUMMER SKATE