Teen phenoms now, three Vernon speed skaters will have Olympic visions on their minds before they compete in the B.C. Winter Games starting Friday in Kamloops.
Nate Benn and the sister-brother act of Laura and Daniel Hall have posted multiple personal bests and podium finishes with the Vortex this season. They all plan to medal at McArthur Island Sports Centre.
Benn, who turns 14 in April, successfully defended his provincial title at the B.C. Long Track Championships in Fort St. John, striking gold in the 300- and 500-metre races. He produced silvers in the 1,500 and 3,000. The Grade 8 Seaton student also established best times in three distances at an outdoor meet in Prince George.
“My best event is the 400,” said the 5-foot-10 Benn, who switched from hockey at a young age because he loved the speed of skating. “I prefer sprints. I’m really focused at the start, the same as when I’m skating. I’m pretty aggressive. I just go all out, drop it and go.”
Benn, whose parents, Tony and Karen, are huge volunteers with the Vortex, hopes to skate for the University of Calgary Dinos one day.
“I want to try and improve on distances by working overall on my endurance. We do about 30 minutes of dryland before every practice.”
Laura Hall, who celebrated her 15th birthday on Tuesday, laughed when recalling her start in speed skating.
“I tried public skating when I was about three,” said the Grade 9 Salmon Arm J.L. Jackson student. “Once I started speed skating, I couldn’t stand up and it took me a while to get going. I got serious about skating about three or four years ago.”
Hall earned a bronze medal in the 1,500 at the B.C. Winter Games two years ago in Penticton. She has since won her age class overall at the Westerns in Edmonton, taking silver in the 3,000-Olympic distance.
“I do better at the longer distances because I have trouble accelerating.”
Her father/coach, Michael Hall, represented Canada at the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer.
“I’d like to go as far as I can and an Olympic medal would be the main goal. Having my dad as coach is great. If I’m being lazy, he pushes me.”
A trumpet player in the school jazz band, Laura also plays fullback in Rep soccer.
Daniel Hall turns 13 on Sunday and this will be his first Winter Games experience.
The Grade 7 Shuswap Middle School student bypassed public skating right into the speed sport.
“I was three and I was holding on to the boards all the time and having someone behind me in case I fell,” recalled Daniel, who will race four events and the Zone 2 relay in Kamloops.
He uncovered silver medals at the Quebec age-class nationals and the Fort St. John provincials.
As for cross-training, he said: “I play soccer, left midfield. I played House last year but I want to play Rep this year. It’s good to keep up my endurance for skating. I definitely wanna make the Olympics.”
The skaters are among a contingent of 29 athletes from the North Okanagan competing in Kamloops.
Greater Vernon Ringette has eight players from its association representing Zone 2. Players include Chanelle Wilson (Coldstream), Chayse Krause (Lumby), and Sydney Decker, Tristan Dewitt, Mackenzie Gilman, Abby Sveistrup, Kaila Summerfelt and Sadi Weed of Vernon.
Six athletes from the Silver Star Freestyle Club – Evan Bush, Tate Garrod, Megan Henderson, Mason Land and Jaxon Peters qualified for the freestyle ski team, and Reese Tarasoff qualified in snowboarding.
Other North Okanagan athletes competing in Kamloops:
ARMSTRONG:
Teigan Bixby, judo; Jack Isaac (speed skating);
COLDSTREAM:
Paige Edgar, figure skating; Nadine Bondt (judo); Noelle Brierley, rhythmic gymnastics; Camille Hardy, rhythmic gymnastics; Lauren Clancy, alpine skiing; Jamie Robinson, alpine skiing;
ENDERBY:
Zara Bucher, cross-country skiing; Samantha Vukadinovic, cross-country skiing;
VERNON:
Kiyoshi Comley, judo; Mishra Cameron, rhythmic gymnastics; Kaitlyn Dugas, rhythmic gymnastics; Claire Richardson, alpine skiing; Oliver Young, alpine skiing; Torin Andrews, cross-country skiing; Lucas Sadesky, cross-country skiing;
North Okanagan coaches and officials heading to Kamloops include:
Aubrey Comley (official, judo); Sydney Grevatt (official, judo); Donna Hanson (mentor/apprentice coach, judo), Brian Yakura (official, judo); Rick Penner (official, karate); Kelsey Anderson (assistant coach, rhythmic gymnastics); Brie Anne MacPherson (head coach, rhythmic gymnastics); Derrick Doige (official, ringette); Miya Doige (official, ringette); Darcy Quiring (head coach, ringette); John Newton (head coach, alpine skiing); Sharon Clarke (official, cross-country skiing); Cole Melin (head coach, freestyle skiing).
All are from Vernon.
