Alyssa Soloski

The smile smeared across Dione Wearmouth’s face gave it all away.

With two podium finishes at Skate Canada’s Alberta-NWT/Nunavut STARSkate Championships — Wearmouth’s biggest competition of the year — the 10-year-old Cochranite could barely contain her excitement.

“It was really good for me,” exclaimed the young skater, who officially took silver in the pre-introductory interpretive category and bronze in the preliminary 10-and-under free skate competition. “It was a pretty big competition and I was skating against a lot of other girls so I am really happy with my result.”

Wearmouth admitted that her performance in the preliminary free skate final didn’t go quite as well as the day before when she participated in the runoff qualification round.

Cochrane skater Siera Dube prepares to take flight during the preliminary 11 and over finals at the STARSkate Championships March 5 in Airdrie. Dube would wind up seventh. Photos by Jeremy Nolais

“I fell during a big jump and I didn’t think my spins were quite as good today,” she said.
“I just had to keep going because I realize I have to make up for that element if I fall.”

Wearmouth’s poise on the ice is what left her mother, Jana, beaming with pride.

“I just tell her to relax and pretend everybody’s in their underwear,” Jana said, “and she does that, she stays calm and does it like she has hundreds of times.”

In the free skate runoff, fellow Cochrane Skating Club member Sydney Perron bested Wearmouth and went on to finish fifth in the finals. Wearmouth said there is a fair amount of friendly competition between the two training partners and it helps make them better skaters.

“We kind of have that tension between us,” Wearmouth said. “She skates pretty good and she tried really hard.”
Besides Wearmouth and Perron, Cochrane Skating Club had a number of other top-10 showings at the STARSkate championships, held March 4-7 in Airdrie.

Beth Alison captured gold in the adult gold free skate competition, Alyssa Soloski placed fourth in the junior bronze free skate and ninth in the introductory interpretive group. Jase Ritter — the lone male Cochrane skater at the competition — was also fourth in the pre-preliminary free skate, Molly Tingler placed sixth in the silver interpretive competition and Siera Dube was seventh in the preliminary 11 and over free skate.

Cochrane Skating Club coach Kathy Sutherland said she was impressed with the determination shown by all of her young skaters.

“It’s really good to see them doing really well,” Sutherland said. “They’re going out there and really fighting for their skate.”

The Cochrane Skating Club will now shift focus to get ready for its annual carnival March 20 at the Cochrane Arena. This year’s theme will be High School Musical with shows at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

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