The novice division kicked off the 2012 Canadian Figure Skating Championships Monday at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships at the Moncton Coliseum Complex in Moncton (N.B.) Canada.
Novice ice dancers skated the Cha Cha Congelado and Argentine Tango pattern dances. As expected, Melinda Meng and Andrew Meng (QC) are in the lead with 27.82 points, although they are closely trailed by a pair of Central Ontario teams.
Katie Desveaux and Dmitre Razgulajevs defeated the Mengs in the Argentine Tango and are sitting in second with a total of 27.67. About a point behind them, with a score of 26.49, are Lauren Collins and Danny Seymour.
The silver medalists from Skate Canada Challenge in December, Samantha Glavine and Jeff Hough (EO), are in fourth with 26.20. All four teams at the top of the standings have charismatic free dances, setting up an exciting battle for Tuesday morning.
In the ladies event, Madelyn Dunley (CO) won the short program with a score of 38.39. Her sassy Latin program featured two clean triple jumps. Two strong competitors from the BC/YT section are in second and third.
Haley Sales fell on her triple Lutz, but received full credit for the rotation, while helped her score a 36.44.
BC/YT teammate Larkyn Austman’s dramatic flair clean triple Salchow-double toe loop combination contributed to her score of 36.02.
Marianne Rioux Ouellet of Québec is just over a quarter of a point from podium position with 35.75 points.
Valérie Lavergne, also from Québec, is in fifth with 34.31, still within striking distance.
Three teams from Central Ontario lead the standings after the pairs short program.
Hayleigh Bell and Alistair Sylvester are on top of the leader board with 39.76 points. Bell and Sylvester struggled with their lift, but the rest of their elements were solid and they carried great energy through the program.
Dylan Conway and Dustin Sherriff-Clayton, last year’s fourth-place finishers are in a close second place, earning 37.92 points in their charming short program.
Jordyn Harper and Shaquille Davis, a new team this year, are currently in third place with 32.90 points. Their elements were fairly clean, but they do not yet have the difficulty or unison of the top two teams.
A close race for the bronze medal has been set up, with two more teams within a point of Harper and Davis.
Madelyn Dunley and Wesley Killing (WO) are in fourth with 32.57 points, and Marie-Laurence Bradette and Félix-Antoine Garneau-Picard (QC) are fifth with a score of 32.21.
A pair of novice men from Central Ontario are prepared to battle for the gold medal in the free skate.
Anthony Kan won the short program, earning 41.70 points, but Roman Sadovsky is just .11 behind him with a score of 41.59. Kan’s modern program contrasted with Sadovsky’s energetic performance, but both competitors went for a triple toe loop-triple toe loop combination. Neither skater landed it perfectly, but it was an excellent effort for both.
Daniel-Olivier Boulanger-Trottier (QC) is in third place for now with 38.32 points, but close behind is Bennet Toman (QC), last year’s pre-novice national champion, with 37.00 points.
Both Boulanger-Trottier and Toman landed clean triple toe loop-double toe loop combinations, but had trouble with the landings of their double Axels.
Shawn Cuevas (BC/YT) is in fifth with 35.57 points after a dynamic tango program with a mistake on his intended triple Salchow (popped to a double).