Iqaluit speed skaters earn awards at Ontario competition

Nunavut’s speed skaters have done it again — winning several medals in highly competitive games.

Seven skaters from Iqaluit, most of them Arctic Winter Games 2012 team contenders, competed against 147 skaters from eight different clubs in Ontario, Quebec and the United states on Dec. 3 at the Eastern Ontario Silver Regional Ability Meet # 6 in Orleans, Ontario.

Mitchell Courtney, Kara Ashley, Mary Dunphy, Annie Neevee Buscemi, Alashua Crowley, Hayden Hickey and Halla Crowley of the Iqaluit Speed Skating Club represented Nunavut in the short track speed skating events.

Their coach: Don Galloway, nominated to be the head coach for Team Nunavut Speed Skating at Arctic Winter Games 2012 in Whitehorse, Yukon.

In Delta Class, Alashua Crowley received the silver medal. In Golf Class, the bronze medal winner went to Hayden Hickey. And in Hotel class, Halla Crowley received the bronze medal.

Team Nunavut Speed Skating also plans to send competitive teams to the Eastern Ontario Silver Regional Ability Meet # 10 in Brockville, Ontario, on February 11, 2012, AWG 2012, March 4 to 11, 2012, and the Eastern Canada Speed Skating Championships on March 24 in Quebec.

The speed skating team plans to host the Nunavut Territorial Championships on Jan. 14, 2012, and the John Sands Iqaluit Interschool Championships on March 31, 2012.