Silver and gold
P.E.I. speed skaters earn medals in Quebec, New Brunswick
Island speed skaters grabbed three medals and put down some of their fastest times of the season in recent short track meets in Trois-Rivières, Que., and Campbellton, N.B.
In Trois-Rivières, five Island skaters took to the start line, with Andrew Binns winning a gold medal in group 3.
It was the first medal of the season on the Quebec provincial circuit for a P.E.I. skater. Binns grabbed wins in his 1,000and 1,500-metre distances and was just shy of his personal best time in the 500-metre sprint to take the overall win.
A pair of P.E.I. skaters competed in the Atlantic Challenge meet in Campbellton with both Islanders earning podium finishes.
William Lyons took the gold medal in division 2 after winning all four distances and setting personal best times in 200- and 400-metre distances.
Rob Binns won the Island’s other medal in Campbellton with a silver in division 1. The masters skater had a seasonal best time and victory in the 500metre distance en route to his best finish of the season.
Also skating for P.E.I. in Trois-Rivières were Jenna Larter, Matt Kozma, Kyle Connell and Peter McQuaid. Kozma made a strong debut on the Quebec circuit, with a personal best time in the 500-metre distance and a 12th-place finish in group 3.
Larter skated in group 1 for the second time, finishing 13th. Connell and McQuaid finished 14th and 16th, respectively, in group 2.
Larter and McQuaid are now preparing to compete in the second Canadian junior selections March 21-24 in Calgary, Andrew Binns, Lyons and Connell will be on Team P.E.I. for the Canada East short track championships March 31-April 1 in Lévis, Que.
The Island squad had a breakthrough performance with six medals at last year’s Canada East event.
More at www.speedskatepei. com.