Strong showing

McQuaid, Connell, Binns post fast times in Quebec

A trio of P.E.I. speed skaters came up with strong placements and set a bundle of new seasonal best and personal best times at a competition in Lévis, Que., during the weekend.

The Island skaters were among 116 competitors at the second Quebec provincial series meet of the season.

Charlottetown’s Peter McQuaid grabbed an eighth-place finish in group 1, after posting new personal bests (PBs) in both the 500- and 1,500-metre distances, with times of 45.12 seconds and 2:24.13, respectively. McQuaid’s top finish came in the 3,000-metre points race, where he nabbed fifth place in the A final.

Kyle Connell of Charlottetown and Andrew Binns of Stratford placed seventh and 11, respectively, in group 3. Connell skated in a pair of A finals, taking third place in the 500-metre sprint, while notching new personal bests in the 500 and 1,500. Binns posted a large PB time in his 500-metre distance, along with a seasonal best in the 1,500. Both skaters are in their first year of eligibility for the Quebec circuit.

P.E.I. coach Sarah Taylor says the Quebec competitions are a key part of the team’s preparations for best ever performances by the P.E.I. team at next season’s Canada Games.

“We know we’ll be putting a very fast team on the ice in Red Deer in 2019,” she said. “Gaining racing experience in Quebec and in national competitions between now and then will help our athletes learn how to manage their races against some of the country’s best and put us on a new level compared to the past.

“It’s an exciting time for the P.E.I. team right now as we start to gain that experience.”

Up next for Island speed skaters is the Atlantic Cup Speed Skating Championships, to be hosted at the Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown on Nov. 25 and 26. Organizers with Speed Skate P.E.I. expect a strong field of competitors from at least five provinces as well as from the northeast United States.

For full competition results and information on Speed Skate P.E.I. programs, visit www. speedskatepei.com.

KRISTEN BINNS Island speed skaters Peter McQuaid, left, Andrew Binns, second from left, and Kyle Connell, second from right, racked up strong results at a recent competition in Lévis, Que.