Carolina Hiller saved one of her best races for home ice and the hometown crowd Friday.
Hiller came from behind with three laps to go to win gold in the Junior B women's 1,500-metre final at the Canadian age class short track speed skating championships at Kin 1.
Hiller, a 16-year-old veteran of the Prince George Blizzard Speed Skating Club who's part of Team B.C., purposely stayed in second place for a majority of the race until she knew it was time to make her move.
"It was the perfect race," she said. "I didn't want to be too far behind and I knew I had to stay in the top-three. As the pace got faster I was able to stay right there and I knew they [her competition] were coming right behind me. I then made my move [to take the lead] and I knew I had to hold it. It was one of the best races I've had."
Winning her heat and semifinal earlier gave her even more confidence going into the final.
"I knew I had it in me, but it wasn't going to an easy race," she said.
It was made all the much better that Hiller accomplished it at Kin 1, where the Blizzard have regularly practised on top-notch ice since the city's newest sports facility opened in January.
"It made it that much better," she said. "This is my first major meet at home. On Olympic ice like this you can make a pass and be comfortable at higher speeds."
Alison Desmarais from Vanderhoof finished third behind Hiller.
"Off the line I wanted to be no less than third," said the 16-year old who spreads her training between the Blizzard and her hometown Nechako Clippers. "I knew I had to keep it and two girls did pass me and then I said I had to go. I did everything I could to get back to third and in the last corner I stayed as tight to it as I could [so no one would pass me]. I'm pretty happy with it."
Callie Swan won the B final of the Junior B women's 1,500m Friday morning.
The 15-year-old skater from the Blizzard is one of the youngest competitors at the meet.
She led her race from start to finish and avoided the action behind her when two girls crashed into the boards.
"I'm a little surprised," Swan said afterward. "I didn't really come here to win... I just came to race. It's a lot different leading because you get to control the race."
Lucas Hiller, 18, won silver in the Junior A men's 1,500m A final Friday.
The Blizzard skater competing for Team B.C. initially finished fourth but due to leaders Alex Rudy of Ontario and B.C. Zackery Mclaren being disqualified, he advanced to second position.
Hiller was at the back to start the race, then slowly moved up as the laps decreased.
"I'm super-satisfied with how the race went," he said. "My goal was to stay in the front of the group, but it was hard to make passes when it was a faster pace."
He managed to move up in the pack, but got bumped out. He eventually gained a few spots to stay in fourth the rest of the way.
"It was really amazing to have the support from Spruceland elementary and racing on home ice is great."
Up next at nationals is the 500m finals today at 10:30 a.m. and the 1,000m and 3,000m finals on Sunday, at 10:10 a.m. and 11:56 a.m. respectively.
Lucas Hiller is one of the favourites in the 500 with one of the fastest times on the B.C. team, but he's trying to stay level-headed.
"Technically I have one of the fastest times, but really it could go either way," he said.
For Carolina Hiller, Lucas' younger sister, her win in the 1,500m sets her up nicely for the rest of the weekend.
"It gives me a lot of confidence going forward," she said.
