The start of a Saskatchewan winter was certainly kind to Samantha Glavine and Jeff Hough as they competed in the 2012 Skate Canada Challenge in Regina from Nov. 30 to Dec. 4.

The Minto Skating Club ice dancers broke through into the silver medal position in the novice category, finishing just behind former Rideau skaters Melinda and Andrew Meng (who now represent Quebec).

Andriyko Goyaniuk of the Rideau Skating Club earned second position in the pre-novice men's event, winding up only .03 points out of first place with a 81.59 total.

Nepean's Alaine Chartrand hit third place in the senior women's competition, while Gloucester's Jennifer Pettem was the top Eastern Ontario skater in the junior women's competition, placing seventh against the nationwide field, and Minto's Sophie Fu cracked the top-10 in pre-novice women.

Check back for more coverage on SportsOttawa.com .