PORT HARDY—Emma Jensen of Port Hardy and Heather MacKenzie of Port McNeill were among the big winners Saturday as the Mount Waddington Highland Dance Association hosted its fourth annual regionwide Highland Dance competition at Port Hardy Secondary School.
Jensen earned the aggregate points title in the Intermediate 12-14 age group and also won the Sandra Gunson Trophy for highest point total among all Intermediate competitors.
MacKenzie similarly earned top honours in the Novice 12-over division, and won the Pat Prestwich Trophy for top overall points among all Novice-level competitors.
Sydni Burns of Port Hardy also won an aggregate title, claiming top overall points in the Beginner 10-over class.
The competition drew more than a hundred competitors from across Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and from as far away as Calgary. It was backed by more than a dozen sponsors, including title sponsor OK Tire of Port Hardy and travel sponsor Pacific Coastal Airlines.
Additional local winners in individual events included Emma Walkus of Port Hardy, Kylie McDonald of Port Hardy, Randi Ward of Port McNeill and the GoGo Girls, members of Team Charlton Highland Dance made up of Port McNeill and Port Hardy dancers, who claimed the top spot in the team choreography competition.
4th Annual Mount Waddington Highland Dance Competition
Sept. 15
At Port Hardy Secondary School
Primary 5-6
Pas de Basques: 1. Daisy Swallow, Langley; 2. Emma Walkus, Port Hardy; 3. Gracie Lange, Courtenay. Pas de Basques and High Cuts: 1. Swallow; 2. Walkus; 3. Lange. Fling: 1. Walkus; 2. Swallow; 3. Lange. Sword: 1. Swallow; 2. Walkus; 3. Kaitlyn Saunders, Port Hardy.
Beginner 6-9
Fling: 1. Megan Welsh, Courtenay; 2. Kylie McDonald, Port Hardy; 3. Cailyn Collins, Comox; 4. Jerzie Cheetham, Port Hardy; 5. Claire Nolli, Duncan. Sword: 1. Welsh; 2. Nolli. Seann Truibhas: 1. McDonald; 2. Welsh; 3. Collins. Lilt: 1. McDonald; 2. Nolli; 3. Welsh. Flora: 1. Collins; 2. Nolli; 3. Welsh. Aggregate winner: Megan Welsh, Courtenay. Bursaries: 1. Welsh; 2. McDonald; 3. Nolli.
Beginner 10-over
Fling: 1. Randi Ward, Port McNeill; 2. Sydni Burns, Port Hardy; 3. Shreya Narayan, Port Hardy; 4. Freya Moosbrugger, Comox; 5. Aysha Stewart, South Royston; 6. Shelby Keen, Port McNeill; 7. Danielle Wigard, Port Hardy. Sword: 1. Burns; 2. Moosbrugger; 3. Ward; 4. Kalina Cotter, Port Hardy; 5. Shelby Keen, Port McNeill; 6. Narayan; 7. Wigard. Seann Truibhas: 1. Ward; 2. Burns; 3. Keen; 4. Narayan; 5. Wigard. Lilt: 1. Burns; 2. Ward; 3. Moosbrugger; 4. Stewart; 5. Wigard; 6. Cotter. Flora: 1. Burns; 2. Ward; 3. Moosbrugger; 4. Keen; 5. Wigard; 6. Narayan. Aggregate winner: Sydni Burns, Port Hardy. Bursaries: 1. Burns; 2. Ward; 3. Moosbrugger.
Novice 7-11
Fling: 1. Cheyenne Mackeil, Duncan; 2. Karissa Birch, Duncan; 3. Madison Cote, Campbell River; 4. Abigail Gibeault, Comox; 5. Kaitlyn Dooling, Comox; 6. Kaitlyn Dreger, Campbell River. Sword: 1. Birch; 2. Mackiel; 3. Mollie Johnson, Port Hardy; 4. Dooling; 5. Dreger; 6. Bailey Cook, Campbell River. Seann Truibhas: 1. Birch; 2. Mackiel; 3. Eileah Cotter, Port Hardy; 4. Cote; 5. Gibeault; 6. Dooling. Lilt: Birch; 2. Mackiel; 3. Cook; 4. Gibeault; 5. Johnson; 6. Dooling. Flora: 1. Birch; 2. Cotter; 3. Mackiel; 4. Gibeault; 5. Dooling; 6. Johnson. Aggregate winner: Karissa Birch, Duncan. Bursaries: 1. Birch; 2. Mackiel; 3. Cotter.
Novice 12-over
Fling: 1. Heather MacKenzie, Port McNeill; 2. Delaney Robson, Duncan; 3. Catherine Symons, Port McNeill; 4. Abby Brown, Cowichan Bay; 5. Katie Lange, Courtenay; 6. Robyn Kufaas, Port Hardy. Sword: 1. MacKenzie; 2. Lange; 3. Brown; 4. Clare Robertson, Powell River; 5. Emily Dreger, Campbell River; 6. Robson. Seann Truibhas: 1. MacKenzie; 2. Robson; 3. Symons; 4. Lange; 5. Brown; 6. Cailin Tyrrell, Powell River. Lilt: 1. Robson; 2. MacKenzie; 3. Symons; 4. Brown; 5. Robertson; 6. Jordan Watkins, Abbotsford. Flora: 1. Robson; 2. MacKenzie; 3. Robertson; 4. Tyrrell; 5. Lange; 6. Symons. Aggregate winner: Heather MacKenzie, Port McNeill. Bursaries: 1. MacKenzie; 2. Robson; 3. Symons.
Pat Prestwich Novice Confined Highest Points: Heather MacKenzie, Port McNeill.
Group Choreography
1. GoGo Girls, Team Charlton Highland Dancers.
Individual Choreography
1. Cameron Kearns, Courtenay.
Intermediate 7-11
Fling: 1. Taryn Neligan, Shawnigan Lake; 2. Kennedy Plumb, Cobble Hill; 3. Abigail McCorquodale, Port Hardy; 4. Mackenna Lee, Parksville; 5. Jenna Brown, Port Hardy. Sword: 1. Plumb; 2. Neligan; 3. Kaitlyn Welsh, Courtenay; 4. Brown. Seann Truibhas: 1. Neligan; 2. Plumb; 3. Livia Wallace, Cumberland; 4. Brown; 5. Lee. Laddie: 1. Plumb; 2. Neligan; 3. Lee; 4. Welsh; 5. McCorquodale. Lilt: 1. Plumb; 2. McCorquodale; 3. Neligan; 4. Wallace; 5. Brown. Aggregate winner: Kennedy Plumb, Cobble Hill. Bursaries: 1. Plumb; 2. Neligan; 3. McCorquodale.
Intermediate 12-14
Fling: 1. Emma Jensen, Port Hardy; 2. Sarah Chapeskie, Victoria; 3. Shawndelle LaChance, Nanaimo; 4. Kayla Champis, Courtenay; 5. Tyresa Bramham, Port McNeill. Sword: 1. LaChance; 2. Chapeskie; 3. Jensen; 4. Bramham; 5. Emmalee Smith, Victoria. Seann Truibhas: 1. Jensen; 2. Chapeskie; 3. LaChance; 4. Smith; 5. Champis. Laddie: 1. LaChance; 2. Jensen; 3. Chapeskie; 4. Smith; 5. Champis. Lilt: 1. Jensen; 2. Chapeskie; 3. LaChance; 4. Champis; 5. Smith. Aggregate winner: Emma Jensen, Port Hardy. Bursaries: 1. Jensen; 2. LaChance; 3. Chapeskie.
Intermediate 15-over
Fling: 1. Sophia Lazaroff, Powell River; 2. Hayley Ferguson, Nanaimo; 3. Alison Chapeskie, Victoria. Sword: 1. Lazaroff; 2. Ferguson; 3. Chapeskie. Seann Truibhas: 1. Lazaroff; 2. Ferguson; 3. Jessica Vincent, Powell River. Laddie: 1. Ferguson; 2. Lazaroff; 3. Vincent. Lilt: 1. Ferguson; 2. Lazaroff; 3. Tessa Friman, Port McNeill. Aggregate winner: Sophia Lazaroff, Powell River. Bursaries: 1. Lazaroff; 2. Ferguson.
Sandra Gunson Intermediate Confined Highest Points: Emma Jensen, Port Hardy.
Premier 8-12
Fling: 1. Cameron Kearns, Courtenay; 2. Megan Ball, Calgary; 3. Xandryn Frost, Port McNeill; 4. Georgia Walkus, Port Hardy; 5. Madison Lagan, Courtenay; 6. Emily Walker, Port Hardy. Sword: 1. Kearns; 2. Frost; 3. Ball; 4. Lagan; 5. Megan Handley, Qualicum Beach; 6. Zoe Crookshank, Powell River. Seann Truibhas: 1. Kearns; 2. Lagan; 3. Ball; 4. Frost; 5. Emma Simard-Provencal, Parksville; 6. Walker. Blue Bonnets: 1. Lagan; 2. Kearns; 3. Ball; 4. Frost; 5. Handley; 6. Walker. Village Maid: 1. Kearns; 2. Lagan; 3. Crookshank; 4. Handley; 5. Simard-Provencal; 6. Ball. Aggregate winner: Cameron Kearns, Courtenay.
Premier 13-15
Fling: 1. Melissa Carnegie, Calgary; 2. Rachel Bramley, Nanaimo; 3. Kacie Brittain, Port McNeill; 4. Anissa Jahromi, Nanaimo; 5. Tayah McRae-Marlatt, Errington; 6. Ceitinn Cusson, Nanaimo. Sword: 1. Jahromi; 2. Cusson; 3. Samuelle Simard-Provencal, Parksville; 4. Sydni Long, Powell River. Seann Truibhas: 1. Carnegie; 2. Bramley; 3. Brittain; 4. McRae-Marlatt; 5. Jahromi; 6. Simard-Provencal. Blue Bonnets: 1. Carnegie; 2. Bramley; 3. McRae-Marlatt; 4. Jahromi; 5. Brittain; 6. Simard-Provencal. Village Maid: 1. Carnegie; 2. Bramley; 3. Jahromi; 4. McRae-Marlatt; 5. Brittain; 6. Simard-Provencal. Aggregate winner: Melissa Carnegie, Calgary.
Premier 16-over
Fling: 1. Ross Armour, Vancouver; 2. Cassandra Karras, Errington; 3. Cameron Collins, Vancouver; 4. Jillian Peacock, Comox. Sword: 1. Armour; 2. Collins; 3. Samantha Beach, Nanaimo; 4. Karras. Seann Truibhas: 1. Collins; 2. Armour; 3. Peacock; 4. Beach. Blue Bonnets: 1. Karras; 2. Collins; 3. Beach; 4. Armour. Village Maid: 1. Peacock; 2. Karras; 3. Collins; 4. Armour. Aggregate winner: Ross Armour, Vancouver.
Challenge Hornpipe - Intermediate
1. Kennedy Plumb, Cobble Hill; 2. Emma Jensen, Port Hardy; 3. Taryn Neligan, Shawnigan Lake; 4. Livia Wallace, Cumberland; 5. Shawndelle LaChance, Nanaimo; 6. Sarah Chapeskie, Victoria.
Challenge Hornpipe - Premier 16-under
1. Melissa Carnegie, Calgary; 2. Cameron Kearns, Courtenay; 3. Rachel Bramley, Nanaimo; 4. Anissa Johromi, Nanaimo; 5. Tayah McRae-Marlatt; 6. Madison Lagan, Courtenay.
Challenge Hornpipe - Premier 16-over
1. Cameron Collins, Vancouver; 2. Cassandra Karras, Errington; 3. Samantha Beach, Nanaimo.