Laura Hall and Nate Benn of the Vernon Vortex Speed Skating Club each posted two personal best times and top-10 rankings in the Western Elite Circuit last weekend in Calgary.
The race opened the qualification process for the Canada Winter Games team trials. With only the top 16 skaters in B.C. eligible to compete for one of five spots on the Canada Games team, the pressure to perform comes early this year.
Benn, the youngest competitor on the Western Elite Circuit, placed 10th overall while setting two Vortex records.
Hall bettered her own club records in the 1,500- and 500-metre events while finishing sixth in the B.C. rankings.
Benn achieved success on the strength of his lightning-fast first 50-m in the 500-m events, while Hall relied on her fitness to overcome early deficits in the race and come from behind in the last laps.
The team travels to Langley for more competition later in the month with hopes of continuing to build on what has been a fast start to the season.
The Vortex gives huge props to its sponsors: Sproing Creative, Manulife, Mackenzie Financial, Interior Savings, Sun FM, and Tolko, all of whom contribute to making the development of young athletes possible. For information on how to join this dynamic team, check their website at www.vernonspeedskatingclub.com.