A hometown crowd came out to celebrate local skaters Alaine Chartrand and Matthew Markell Monday night. Past coaches, local dignitaries, family and friends showed up at the Leo Boivin Arena as the national champ and silver medalist commented on their recent successes. 19-year-old Chartrand completed her two-year-climb to the top of the podium on Saturday with a long program that included two perfectly-landed triple-lutzes. She said she is working on her triple axel now, as there is always room for improvement. The triple is expected to be included in the women’s program in South Korea in 2018.
Chartrand’s friend Matthew Markell was also celebrating success, after winning silver in Halifax last week. He was hoping for a placement in the top five, and surpassed his own expectations with a second-place finish. The 15-year-old will continue training at the national development camp, working on programs for next season.