Cochrane figure skaters took part in their first competition of the season last weekend (December 15-17).

Right around 20 Cochrane figure skaters competed in the Calgary Region STARSkate Invitational and Alberta Winter Game Zone 1 to 4 Run-Offs at WinSports’ Markin MacPhail Centre; the three-day competition attracted skaters from over 40 different Alberta clubs and even some from Saskatchewan.

Karen Allison, Coach for Cochrane Skating Club, says all the girls represented the skating club well. "All our girls did excellent. We had kids from age 7 all the way up to age 17, it was a busy three days but very successful. We had some podium finishes, lots of silver and gold ribbons for the younger girls; a really great weekend all in all."

Coach Allison adds the skaters should all be very proud of how they finished. "Some girls had their skate in a new category/ level up and some girls had brand new programs they had never competed in front of judges before, so lots of 'first times' and some really great results."

This competition was also an opportunity for skaters to compete in a run-off event for the upcoming Alberta Winter Games, and Cochrane's Taylor Kaarto learned on Tuesday that she is an alternate for the Zone 2 team STAR 6 FreeSkate. "There's two girls that made a firm spot on the team and if for whatever reason they are unable to attend then our skater, Taylor Kaarto, will fill that role and attend the Alberta Games in February in Fort McMurray."

Next, the skaters will regroup with coaches and determine where to work on skills for competitions coming up in February.

A list of results is below:

Julia Bassendowski – STAR 1 – Bronze

Rose Fraser – STAR 1 - Silver

Bentley Halliday - STAR 1 Silver

Bentley Halliday – Still confirming results 

Piper Halliday – Still confirming results

Emesheh Flikkema - STAR 2 Silver

Ellie Allison - STAR 2 Gold

Talise Longworth - STAR 2 Merit

Claire STAR 2 Silver

Vienna Flikkema - STAR 3 Silver

Mackenzie Cann - STAR 3 Silver

Lauren Rowsell - STAR 3 Silver

Kaitlyn Eiserman – STAR 4 U10 Girls  - 7th

Evelyn Archibald - STAR 4 U13 Girls – 1st

Alexis Brassington – STAR 4 U13 Girls – 6th and Intro Interpretive - Bronze

Abigail Cabot – STAR 5 13 & Over – 2nd and Bronze Interpretive - 2nd

Morissa Lloyd – STAR 5 13 & Over – 7th and Silver Interpretive – 7th

Taylor Kaarto - STAR 6 1st

Mairyn Dumanowski - STAR 9 Short - 5th, STAR 10 - 2nd 

Winter Ross - Star 9 Short 3rd, Gold Free Skate - 3rd