Locals make honour roll

The teenagers of the Wanganui Rollerskating Club spun, twirled and glided their way to a number of honours at the regional championships at Jubilee Stadium.

Wanganui will be hosting a number of major skating meets this coming season, culminating with the nationals in October.

Competing on the West central sections of the East and West combined regionals, several of Wanganui's novice girls have taken big leaps in a short pace of time on the pathway to the top level.

In the Novice Figures section, one of the largest in the competition, Kaci Sturzaker was the winner, with clubmates Julia van Niekerk and Sara Gorringe gracefully skating their way to the other places on the podium.

It was the start of a very profitable weekend for Year 9 students van Niekerk and Sturzaker.

Van Niekerk won the Novice Freeskating section, with Sturzaker in third, and that result was repeated in the Novice Solo Dance.

In other events on Saturday, Emily Smith, 13, came second in Preliminary Freeskating while youngster Sharon-Rose Riddell, 9, won the Juvenile Freeskating.

On Sunday Riddell won the Juvenile Figures, although against just one opponent, while Smith won an Open Loops grade in which her cousin Hannah Smith was third.

Hannah Smith also finished second in the Junior International Solo Dance.

On Saturday evening the Wanganui team Deja Vu got their first taste of competition in the Joan Alexander Precision Challenge. They were the only skating team in their specific grade as Precision skating is not the domain of newcomers.

However, club coach Eileen Mills was satisfied with what she saw, as well as the overall efforts through the two days.

"Their marks were as good as other teams that have been skating for longer.

"People have excelled, they've lifted their own standards.

"All came away from the weekend feeling very positive about their skating and where they want to go next."

The Wanganui girls will now work towards the area championships in July, which serve as the qualifying competition for the nationals, to be held in October. Both events will be on their home turf in Wanganui. Mills will also be taking them to a meet in Palmerston North on May 17-18.

The coach said it is one of the traditional meetings held by the sport, as she herself competed there "back in the day".