Two teams from the Burnaby-based Champs International Skating Centre landed on the podium in the first few days of the 2017 Canadian Tire national skating championships in Ottawa.
The junior dance teams of Ashlynne Stairs and Lee Royer and Danielle Wu and Nik Mirzakhani placed second and third, respectively, in their competition.
The duos, both coached by former Canadian Olympic team members Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe, finished behind Quebec’s Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha, who posted a final score of 153.55.
Stairs and Royer, who moved from Alberta to train in Burnaby, finished second with a score of 139.63, while Wu, a Burnaby native, and Mirzakhani, of Italy, placed third at 133.98.
In less than two years as partners, Wu and Mirzakhani have began making a name for themselves, finishing third at last year’s Skate Canada Challenge, and third at sectionals.
In the men’s novice, Champs’ skater Aleksa Rakic finished sixth overall with a total score of 119.77.
The senior divisions begin competing today.
