London, ON - In March of 2023, the Western Mustangs Figure Skating team won their sixteenth Ontario University Athletics' (OUA) Figure Skating Championship, their first since winning in 2015.
 
Western totalled 111 points to take the top spot, which was nearly 30 points more than the second-placed Guelph Gryphons. They secured victories in the following events: Star 10 Similar Dance, Intermediate Senior Pairs, Dance Fours, Gold Freeskate, Open Synchro, Star 10 Solo Dance, Gold Solo Dance and Pairs Fours. 
 
"Winning [the] OUA Championship was such a rewarding accomplishment as it recognizes all the hard work we as a team of skaters and coaches have put towards reaching the ultimate goal." said Evelyn Walsh. Walsh has competed at two World Junior Figure Skating Championships, and three World Senior Figure Skating Championships, most recently placing 6th at the International Skating Union's World Championships in February 2022. After having retired from competitive figure skating last August, she joined the Mustangs figure skating program. "Our team was incredible and all the coaches went above and beyond and I feel very grateful to be a part of something so special".
 
Head Coach Alma Moir has been at the helm of the Mustangs Figure Skating program since 1978, and has coached the team to 16 OUA Figure Skating Championships, but the win in 2023 was her first in 8 years.
 
"[Winning the OUA Championship] has been a long time coming so it was special!" said Coach Moir. "We have consistently been silver medalists [over the past few years] so finally reaching the top was sweet!"
 
For Coach Moir, she believes that her job is more than teaching the technical side of skating, but also helping student athlete skaters find their love for the sport. 
 
"Skating on the varsity team is an experience that all the skaters who come from competitive skating in an individual event (everything but Synchro) have never experienced. Although they skate still in individual events, there are group events that are unique to skating [on a varsity team]. All events go towards the team point total with the awards going toward the top team. So everyone on the ice working together towards the same goal. They encourage each other, help each other even though they may be competing in the same category", said Coach Moir. 
 
"One of my main goals always is to bring the love of this sport back to them and help them remember why they have committed their lifetime to it!  Along the way, great friendships and bonds are formed that I know will last!", she added.

"I have always loved the connection and friends figure skating offers and through varsity," Walsh said, echoing Coach Moir's sentiments. "I have been able to train with so many of my friends every day, achieving our goals as a team". 

In addition, Co-Captains Eric Xu and Hannah Gray agree how important Coach Moir's impact has been for the team. "Some of my best friends are from this team, and my coaches have been like second parents to me at Western. It's empowering to be in an environment where everyone is so committed to the pursuit of excellence in both academics and sport", said Xu. 
 
"Although we all came from different skating backgrounds, we share a mutual love for the sport and also the drive it takes to be student athletes, which creates a very special bond between us and a supportive atmosphere", added Gray. 


 
As the team looks to defend their title, Coach Moir anticipates her more experienced skaters to take up leadership roles and lead the team on and off the ice, including: third-year skaters Xu and Gray; Walsh who she believes still has higher levels of true potential she can achieve with the team; and second-year skater Natalie D'Alessandro, who won the 2022 Canadian Junior title for Junior Ice Dance. 
 
"Every year is a new one. We do lose some key skaters that have been a huge part of this team the past 4 years. I'm hoping that our new skaters, like Evelyn and a few others, will step up and fill those shoes. I do have a feeling that the skaters we have will be a very special team for the next few years though," said Coach Moir. 
 
The Mustangs opened their 2023-24 season finishing second place at the Brock Invitational in early December 2023. The Mustangs had seven top-3 finishes, including first place finishes by Kelly Song and Michelle Wong in the Star 8/9 Dance category, and D'Alessandro in the Star 10/Gold category, and 3rd place finishes by Walsh in the Gold Artistic category and Xu in the Gold Men Free category.
 
After a strong start to the 2023-24 season, Xu and Gray elaborated on what they believe are some important leadership qualities. "I believe an important quality as a leader is to voice mutual respect between each other to create an environment where people feel comfortable voicing their concerns, knowing that you care about their problem and will work together to fix it. As well as of course creating an uplifting environment, and being that person to bring a positive outlook even when presented with challenges", said Gray. 
 
Eric Xu also echoed similar things; "Good leadership needs to be empowering and inclusive. As co-captain, my top priority is making sure that every single person feels a sense of belonging and pride in our team. I trust that we have each others' interests in mind, and I cherish the time we spend together as a team. I want every person on the team to feel that same way, because that's what will enable us to perform at our best and have the most fun in the process".
 
The combination of leadership by captains Xu and Gray, alongside the experienced teammates that include Walsh and D'Alessandro, and coached by the experienced and highly respected Head Coach Alma Moir puts this Western Mustangs team on the right path for success again this year.