The University of Toronto Varsity Blues head to Waterloo, Ont. for the 2010 OUA figure skating championship hosted by the Laurier Golden Hawks, February 17-18, at RIM Park.
The Varsity Blues finished just off the podium, in fourth place, at the 2009 OUA championships – an event they hosted at Varsity Arena. The Blues will face top competition from the defending OUA champions Guelph Gryphons as well as Western and Queen’s, who have traditionally been very strong at this championship. Since 1992, the Gryphons, Gaels or Mustangs have reigned supreme and claimed the OUA title.
The McGill Martlets, Laurier Golden Hawks, Ryerson Rams and Waterloo Warriors round out the schools that will compete for the 2010 title.
The Blues are coming off a sixth-place finish at the Ryerson/Toronto winter invitational (Jan. 21-22) where first-year skater Amanda Tully earned Varsity Blues athlete of the week honours for her double-medal performance. The Barrie, Ont. native and partner Veronica Hall (Dryden, Ont.) skated a wonderful program in the senior similar pairs to capture gold. Tully then turned in an excellent silver-medal performance in the gold freeskate event.
Tiffany Tse (Calgary, Alta.) was U of T’s other gold-medalist at the winter invitational with a first-place finish in the novice short program event, while Gillian Saunders (Reston, Va.) won the silver medal in the senior silver freeskate.
The team is also coming off their best synchronized skating performance of the season and will look to improve on their sixth-place finish at the winter invitational this week at the championships.
2010 OUA FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIP
RIM Park, 2001 University Avenue, Waterloo, Ont.
Wednesday, February 17
8:30 a.m. - Jr. Silver Similar Dance
9:30 a.m. - Gold Free Skate
10:45 a.m. - Sr. Silver Similar Dance
11:45 a.m. - Short Program
12:45 p.m. - Men's Open Free Skate
1:20 p.m. - Bronze Rhythm Dance Four's
2:25 p.m. - Sr. Silver Free Skate
3:20 p.m. - Starskate Gold Creative Dance
Thursday, February 18
8:00 a.m. - Open (Gold) Solo Dance
9:00 a.m. - Pairs Fours
10:15 a.m. - Sr. Silver Solo Dance
11:15 a.m. - Intermediate Similar Pairs
12:15 p.m. - Sr. Similar Pairs
1:15 p.m. - Synchro Teams 1-4
2:00 p.m. - Synchro Teams 5-8
2:30 p.m. - Awards
