One For The Home Team

Now on the ice, representing Saskatchewan ...
After that, it was pretty much a blur for Paige Lawrence and Rudi Swiegers, the home province kids and the clear favourites of the Saskatoon crowd during the early stages of the pairs short program Friday night at the Credit Union Centre.
They roared almost from the second Lawrence and Swiegers appeared on the ice for their six-minute warmup. Another big ovation followed as they glided into the starting position, then once more after the duo from the tiny Wawota Skating Club were done. Many of them stood proudly holding Saskatchewan flags as they cheered.
You betcha these two were still bouncing off the walls about their debut at the 2009 BMO Canadian figure skating championships.
"It was amazing," a still wide-eyed Lawrence, 18, said as she tried to put the moment into words. "Oh my goodness, that was the most fun we've had since last Canadians (in Vancouver in 2008). Surreal. I've never had an experience like that before."
The 21-year-old Swiegers was equally taken aback.
"Even on the warmup, they announced our names and the crowd went wild," he said. "We were like 'is that for us?' We always knew it was going to be a good home crowd because a lot of friends from home were going to come here. But we didn't expect it that loud."
In truth, Lawrence and Swiegers have had this night in mind since the 2008 nationals in Vancouver, when they were the surprise silver medallists in the junior pairs event. While being in Saskatchewan this week is reason enough to feel at home, their success of a year ago has given this young team a new sense of belonging.
"We got to know the national team a lot more and different members of the team," said Swiegers. "Now that we're here at nationals, we find ourselves talking to more skaters from other provinces. We're starting to fit in more here because we know everybody now. It's a big difference."
Lawrence and Swiegers are both studying at Brandon University, so they spend most of their time in neighbouring Manitoba. But it's a short drive home to their hometowns of Kennedy (Lawrence) and Kipling (Swiegers), which they make just about every weekend.
"We always love coming home to Saskatchewan because we love Saskatchewan as a province," said Swiegers.
Safe to say that feeling is pretty mutual, don't you think?