Oval Long Track Athletes

The 2022/2023 season features 65 ATHLETES in the long track program. Long track athletes are coached by Kevin Crockett, Mike Ireland, Cristina Lazarescu, Phil Riopel and Todd McClements.

Andre Erasmus

Andre Erasmus

Bio

D.O.B. Jan. 5, 2005
Age: 17
Hometown: 
Coach: Phil Riopel

About: Andre is in his 7th year of skating. He is also fully bilingual in English and Afrikaans.
Career Highlights: Gold medal at the Alberta Winter Games
Sport Hero: Laurent Dubreuil

Bon Lowe

Bon Lowe

Bio

D.O.B Oct. 15, 2003
Age: 19
Hometown: Saskatoon, SK.
Coach: Cristina Lazarescu

About: Bon is a recipient of the RBC Training Ground. Bon moved to Calgary to join the Oval's speed skating program in 2021. Today he is studying Political Science at UCalgary.
Career Highlights: Canadian Junior Championships 2022 - 8th Overall
Sport Hero: Daniel Ricciardo

Daria Vogt

Daria Vogt

Bio

D.O.B. Mar. 4, 2004
Age: 18
Hometown: Ottawa, ON.
Coach: Cristina Lazarescu

About: Dari has been skating for 12 years. She is studying Exercise and Health Physiology at UCalgary. She enjoys reading, running and hiking.

Kendra Hawkins

Kendra Hawkins

Bio

D.O.B. Feb. 20, 2004
Age: 18
Hometown: Calgary, AB.
Coach: Phil Riopel

About: Kendra is from Calgary and started skating at 3 years old where she spent the next 11 years as a competitive figure skater. At 14, she transitioned to speed skating and fell in love with the sport. She is entering her second year at Haskayne School of Business at UCalgary. She often volunteers at meets and finds ways to be involved in the sport.

Rachel Mallard

Rachel Mallard

Bio

D.O.B. Mar. 20, 2004
Age: 18
Hometown: Ottawa, ON.
Coach: Cristina Lazarescu

About: Rachel has been skating for 10 years and is starting her first year of Neuroscience at UCalgary. She is super excited for this season.

Ben Routledge

Ben Routledge

Bio

D.O.B. May 19, 2004
Age: 18
Hometown: Winnipeg, MB.
Coach: Phil Riopel

About: Ben put on speed skates for the first time in the fall of 2019 and was hooked. He loves everything about the sport, including the -20°C sessions at the outdoor oval in Winnipeg. While training at the Oval, he is working towards a Mathematics degree at UCalgary.

Kieran Hanson

Kieran Hanson

Ryan Gibson

Ryan Gibson

Matthew Laxton

Matthew Laxton

Daniel Pauli

Daniel Pauli

Claire Mallard

Claire Mallard

Alexa Annecca

Alexa Annecca

Paul Coderre

Paul Coderre

M. Doyon

Marc-André Doyon

Chris Holmstead

Chris Holmstead

Bio

D.O.B. Jul. 14, 1994
Age: 28
Hometown: 
Coach: Mike Ireland

About: Chris grew up playing hockey and learned to skate at the age of 4. He transitioned into speed skating where he felt at home almost immediately. He is currently in his 3rd season of speed skating and training on the stage 3 sprint team.

Zachary Lacroix

Zachary Lacroix

Bio

D.O.B. Dec. 05, 2000
Age: 22
Hometown: Calgary, AB.
Coach: Mike Ireland

About: Zach has been with the Oval Pathway for seven years. This will be his 3rd year being coached by Mike Ireland and being a part of his Pain Train Team. He is a proud Franco-Albertan with French being his first language. Lastly, his is finishing up his last year of Kinesiology at the University of Calgary. He is thinking of becoming a gym teacher or a speed skating/power skating coach.

Career Highlight: 

  • Competing at the Canadian Long Track Championships in the 500m last season and finishing 16 overall.

Sport Heroes: Laurent Dubreuil, Ichiro Suzuki and Kimi Räikkönen

Kiersten Hagen

Kiersten Hagen

Brooke Braun

Brooke Braun

Rachel Freitag

Rachel Freitag

J. Hathaway

Joshua Hathaway

C. Thomas

Cameron Thomas

Jack Deibert

Jack Deibert

Brielle Durham

Brielle Durham

E. Hodzic-Santor

Emil Hodzic-Santor

Mattias Daniels

Mattias Daniels

Joel Simpson

Joel Simpson

Yankun Zhao

Yankun Zhao

Eric Orlowsky

Eric Orlowsky

Bio

D.O.B. Nov. 16, 2000
Age: 22
Hometown: 
Coach:

About: Eric is a long track speed skater and a student at Alberta University of the Arts for photography. Outside of skating he likes to hike, cross country ski and go on bike tours.

Career Highlights: 

  • Placing 3rd in the 5k at Canadian juniors.
  • Placing 3rd at a Canada Cup for the mass start.

Sport Hero: Shaun White

Max Halyk

Max Halyk

Bio

D.O.B. Nov. 29, 1999
Age: 23
Hometown: 
Coach:

About: Max started speed skating in 2010 and has focused on long track since 2015. He prefers the middle distances, with his favourite race being the 1,500m. Outside of skating he is pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Finance at the University of Calgary. In his spare time he enjoys reading, investing, and spending time outside.

Career Highlight: 

  • Winning a gold medal at the 2019 Canada Winter Games.

Sport Hero: Jermey Wotherspoon

Mattias Daniels

Mattias Daniels

Bio

D.O.B. Dec. 31, 2006
Age: 16
Hometown: 
Coach:

Zoe Lueders

Zoe Lueders

Bio

D.O.B. Aug. 12, 2002
Age: 20
Hometown: 
Coach: Kevin Crockett

About: Zoe has been speed skating since she was 7, and with the oval program for the past two seasons. Her favourite distances are the 1,000m and 1,500m. Outside of skating, she really enjoys cycling. She is currently working on her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at the University of Calgary.

Sport Hero: Pierre Lueders

Josh Telizyn

Josh Telizyn

Bio

D.O.B Mar. 11, 2002
Age: 20
Hometown: Fort St. John, BC
Coach: Mike Ireland

About: Currently enrolled at the University of Calgary for Law and Society. Josh specializes in sprinting.
Career Highlights: Bronze Medal in the 1000m at the 2019 Canada Winter Games
Sport Hero: Kevin Crockett and Mike Ireland

We have an amazing group of skaters this year — I am very much looking forward to seeing how the season plays out.

Cristina Lazarescu

Long Track Coach