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The Master Men raced quite fiercely throughout the day in the individual distances as well as in the relays. They provided entertainment for the crowd, including one race in which every skater was disqualified! The competitors stood around in confusion after the races trying to figure out who placed where...and the judges and officials; I am glad I was not one of them! The relays were also very entertaining, watching Herb Gayle panic when his relay partner failed to show up for the exchange.
The Senior Men's division provided some entertainment as well. While Cambridge's Jamie Mack dominated the races, Eric Gee could only help but to trip on and fly over the podium as well as having a nice tumble in the relay. Peter Doucet also provided some entertainment with a nice little fall while him and Gee were exchanging during the Senior 2-Man relay. That, paired along with some mis-cues during the relay exchanges made for some very interesting racing as skaters scrambled to catch onto the speed of Jamie Mack. In the Junior Men's division, Ryan Superville is proving that he is starting to be a threat to contend with, as he defeated Mikee Kubath for the Provincial title.
It seems the only divisions that really held it together were the women's divisions. Beth Clarke battled Jaquie Raetsen all the way to the line in her events on her way to capturing a well-earned title. In the Master Women, it seems that Carla Raetsen dominated over her rivals Gillian Clark and Marilyn Dykstra. The Junior Women's division was a battle through and through, with Tasha Burnside coming in on top, followed by Chelsea Parry and Keri Chard. The Chard family had another entrant, in the Sophomore division, where Lindsay Chard was able to take the title, followed by Frankee Kubath.
It seems that every year, the skating scene in southern Ontario gets a little stronger. With Clubs like Tri-Cities and Scooter's Indoor Speed Club actively participating in events and recruiting skaters, the improvements are demonstrated in greater numbers at the meets as well as more medals being won! Congratulations to all!
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