Morning Star Staff
Vernon Vortex Speed Skating Club member Laura Hall brought home some hardware from the Western Canadian Short Track Championships in Edmonton.
Hall won two silver medals and added a bronze.
After a slow start in the 1,500-metres race, Hall staged a dramatic comeback in the last few laps of the 15-lap race to capture the silver.
In the 2,000m points race, she pressed the dominant Wren Acorn of the Northwest Territories to finish second in the race but was third in overall points, getting edged out on the second points interval by teammate Annabelle Green of Ridge Meadows.
Hall was part of Team B.C. in the relay event, along with Green, Martina Antifay of Kamloops and Brooke Braun of Fort St. James.
The team relay race was an adventure with the B.C. foursome working their way back into the race after a dramatic crash after an exchange to finish second, narrowly being beat by the Alberta team.
The Vortex held their annual awards night to celebrate the significant accomplishments of the year.
With an improvement of nearly 10 per cent in team speed compared to the previous year, many of the categories for awards were difficult to decide a winner in as there were multiple deserving candidates.
The winners of the Vortex awards this year are:
Most Improved – Tadhg Boyle. With hard work on the ice this season Boyle improved his top end speed by 17 per cent;
Sportsmanship – Lauryn Eddy. Eddy showed up for every practice ready to work and with a smile on her face, her positive attitude and enthusiasm was infectious and a real benefit to her team;
Highest Achievement – Daniel Hall. He won the provincial long track championship and was second in the short track championship;
PB Challenge – Laura Hall. She won the award based on consistent year-long improvement both during club practices and competitions.
The season had many highlights to build on for the next season, and the Vortex team is looking forward to even greater accomplishments next season with the help of sponsors, Interior Savings and Mackenzie Financial.
For information on how to join this vibrant group of athletes, and learn how to skate fast and compete to maximum potential, e-mail vernonvortex@gmail.com.