Canadian skaters preparing for second annual Skate Canada Autumn Classic International

OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada will send 14 entries, for a total of 21 skaters to the second annual Skate Canada Autumn Classic International (#ACI15). Canada will have 9 entries at the senior level including three in men’s, one in ladies, three in pair and two in ice dance. The junior category of the event will feature five Canadian entries including two in men’s and three in ladies. The event runs from October 12-15, 2015, at the Allandale Recreation Centre in Barrie, Ont.

Canadian champion Nam Nguyen, 17, Toronto, Ont., is the first of three Canadian entries in men’s. Last year, Nguyen won silver at this event. He also won bronze at Skate America, placed fourth at the Cup of China, 11^th at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, and fifth at the World Championships. Nguyen is coached by Brian Orser and Ernest Pryhitka at the Toronto Cricket Skating & Curling Club.

Mitchell Gordon, 19, Vancouver, B.C., is the second entry in men’s for Canada. This will be his first international assignment at the senior level. Last season, Gordon placed seventh at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Slovenia and 10^th in Germany. He also placed eighth at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Gordon is coached by Eileen Murphy and Keegan Murphy at the Connaught Skating Club in Richmond, B.C.

Bennet Toman, 18, St. Lazare, Que., is the third Canadian entry in men’s. This will also be his first international assignment at the senior level. Last season, he placed 12^th at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in France and 10^th in Estonia. Representing CPAR Vaudreuil, Toman placed 13^th at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. He is coached by Robert O’Toole at the Canadian Ice Academy in Mississauga, Ont.

Roxanne Rheault, 20, Victoriaville, Que., is the Canadian entry in ladies. Earlier this season she won the bronze medal at the 2015 Philadelphia Summer International. Last season, the representative of CPA Élites Sur Glace Drummond–Saint-Cyrille placed fourth at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Rheault is coached by Annie Barabé, Sophie Richard and Yvan Desjardins.

World champions and Olympic silver medallists (team) Meagan Duhamel, 29, Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford, 30, Balmertown, Ont., lead the Canadian team in pair. The four-time Canadian champions won at the inaugural Skate Canada Autumn Classic last season and went on to win gold at all of their events throughout the season including Skate Canada International, NHK Trophy, ISU Grand Prix Final and Four Continents Championships, and World Championships. The representatives of Walden FSC and CPA Saint-Léonard are coached by Richard Gauthier, Bruno Marcotte, and Sylvie Fullum at CPA Saint-Léonard.

Hayleigh Bell, 19, Acton, Ont., and Rudi Swiegers, 28, Kipling, Sask., will be Canada’s second entry in the pair category. This will be their first competition since teaming up this summer. Representing Skate Regina, the pair train in Calgary, Alta., with coaches Anabelle Langlois and Cody Hay.

Brittany Jones, 19, Toronto, Ont., and Joshua Reagan, 25, Dallas, TX, USA, – Toronto, Ont., will be the third Canadian entry in pair. Last season, Jones and Reagan placed seventh at this event. They also placed fourth at the 2014 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic, seventh at Skate Canada International and seventh at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Jones and Reagan are coached by Bryce Davison at the Toronto Cricket Skating & Curling Club.

Nicole Orford, 22, Burnaby, B.C., and Asher Hill, 24, Pickering, Ont., are the first of two Canadian entries in ice dance. This will be their first competition since teaming up this offseason. The representatives of Inlet SC and Scarboro FSC are coached by Carol Lane, Jon Lane and Juris Razgulajevs at Ice Dance Elite in Scarborough, Ont.

Andréanne Poulin, 20, L’Île-Bizard, Que., and Marc-André Servant, 24, Vaudreuil, Que., will also represent Canada in ice dance. Last season, they placed eighth at this event. The representatives of Club de Patinage des Deux-Rives also placed eighth at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Poulin and Servant are coached by Carol Lane and Juris Razgulajevs.

Canadian junior bronze medallist Edrian Paul Celestino, 17, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que., will represent Canada in the junior men’s category. Earlier this season, he placed 13^th at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Austria. Last season, the representative of Saint Laurent FSC placed 11^th at the ISU Junior Grand Prix Tallinn. He is coached by Daniel Beland at the Dollard Civic Centre.

Joseph Phan, 14, Laval, Que., will also represent Canada in the junior men’s category. This will be his first international assignment. Last season, he placed fifth in the junior category at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Representing CPA Laval, Phan is coached by Yvan Desjardins.

Alexis Dion, 16, Ottawa, Ont., is the first of three Canadian entries in the junior ladies category. This will be the first international assignment for the representative of Minto SC. Last season, Dion placed 14^th in the junior category at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. She is coached by Shelley Kettles and Derek Schmidt at the Minto Skating Club.

Alicia Pineault, 16, Montreal, Que., will also represent Canada in the junior ladies category. This will be her first international assignment. Representing CPA Varennes, she won the silver medal in the novice category at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. Pineault is coached by Stéphane Yvars and François Parisé in Boucherville, Que.

McKenna Colthorp, 14, Fort St. James, B.C., will be the final Canadian entry in the junior ladies category. This will be the first international assignment for the representative of Kelowna FSC. Last season, she placed fourth in the novice category at the 2015 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. She is coached by Karen Mongrain in Kelowna, B.C.

Holly Henderson of Lethbridge, Alta., and Scott Rachuk of Strathroy, Ont., will be the Canadian team leader onsite. Physiotherapist Glenn Wark of Collingwood, Ont., will be the Canadian medical staff onsite. Veronique Gosselin of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., Susan Morriss of Victoria, B.C., Beth Crane of Burnaby, B.C., and Jacqueline Wickett Warren of Ottawa, Ont., will be the Canadian officials at the event.

CANADIAN SENIOR ENTRIES AT 2015 SKATE CANADA AUTUMN CLASSIC INTERNATIONAL

CANADIAN JUNIOR ENTRIES AT 2015 SKATE CANADA AUTUMN CLASSIC INTERNATIONAL