The Crystallettes’ Brianne Anderson’s experience at the 2012 World Championships

Competing at the World Synchronized Skating Championships 2012 in Sweden is an experience I will never forget. The atmosphere was unforgettable at each event including opening ceremonies, awards, and the competitor’s party.

The opening ceremonies incorporated Swedish national title holders in freestyle, pop Swedish sensation Amy Diamond, and a young tot synchro team. Details of the ceremony were well thought out. Each competing team was placed in a specific area of the arena to watch the show, and once the performances were over each competitor marched onto the ice country by country. Each team stood behind their flag, with captains at the front to draw for the short program. We (Team USA 2) drew 13th out of twenty-one teams. We were excited and ready to compete short.

Stepping on the ice to represent the United States of America at Worlds was something my teammates and I have been waiting for our whole lives. When they announced Team USA 2 we heard the roars of our parents and spectators. With each count and little things to fix in mind we were more than prepared to set the music and skate an amazing short program. When we hit our finishing pose we knew we put ourselves and everything we had into our program. We knew that all we could do was wait with no regrets. Coming in at 11th place after short with only one point separation seventh through eleventh, we were determined to skate with our hearts in long at make top ten in the world.

Walking out to the arena from our locker room ready to skate long, we were thinking yet again everything we need to do to have a perfect skate. The fact that this was going to be our last skate of the season was in the back of our minds. Taking the ice for our sassy Jennifer Lopez long we heard the chant of USA from the crowd, and knew they were all behind us. We took our starting position for the very last time. We skated a solid long with one fall in a transition. Skating off the ice to wait for our scores we knew we left a few things on the table, but we were ready to take the hit.

After exiting the locker room we were able to watch the top teams in the world compete for the title. Cheering on Team USA 1, the Haydenettes, we wished for them to have a clean and successful skate. With only one stumble they ended up 3rd over all, coming out of 4th place from short. Being able to watch Hayden receive their medals at awards was something special. As they skated out onto the ice you could tell that they were ecstatic with the skate they performed. We were proud to have the United States represented on the podium.

Back at the hotel after awards, we put on our new stylish outfits, and were ready for the competitor’s party. Each team entered casually one by one and settled in to eat dinner. Once everyone was done eating the tables were cleared and the dance party started. Almost every skater was out on the dance floor having a great time. It was an experience in itself to get the chance to talk to competitors from all the other countries.

Competing at Worlds is something that most synchronized skaters only dream about. Having our dreams come true with hard work and dedication is something we will treasure forever. The results may not have been what we wanted, but the experience was more than we could have hoped for. We proved ourselves throughout the amazing season we had and couldn’t have asked for a better ending.

Skating Director, Jeannine Weinschrod said that Erin’s addition to the Phoenix coaching team will “provide a substantial boost to our middle and high level teams and enable us to continue to grow our program projecting Junior and Senior teams in the very near future. The Phoenix program grew by more than 25% again in 2012 and we anticipate a similar increase in 2013, both in membership and medals. I look forward to working with Erin again.”

Erin says that she is “very excited to be joining Jeannine, Helene and the rest of the Phoenix family. The team is gaining in National recognition and I am looking forward to being a part of Phoenix’s growth!“

Erin will spend the majority of her time working with the higher level teams where her expertise and talents will be a tremendous asset.

Erin Bridge’s long list of skating accomplishments includes:

· US National Medalist (2007-2011) as Head Coach of MSU’s Collegiate Synchronized team

· Four-time World Synchronized Skating Championship Medalist

· Four-time Canadian Senior Synchronized National Champion

· On-ice Captain of World Medalist Team (black ice)

· Team Élan Coaching staff (2005-2006)

· USFS Gold tests – Freestyle and Moves in the Field

· Pre-Gold Dance

The 2012 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships, hosted by the Swedish Figure Skating Association, begin April 12 in Goteborg, Sweden. Representing the U.S. are the Haydenettes of Lexington, Mass. (Team USA 1) and the Crystallettes of Dearborn, Mich. (Team USA 2) who placed first and second respectively at the 2012 U.S. National Championships in Worcester, Mass. Two U.S. teams are eligible to compete at the World Championships because the U.S. was one of the top five ISU Members in 2011 (FIN, USA, SWE, CAN, RUS). Team USA will face competition from 19 teams representing 15 countries.

The World Championships will be the third international competition of the season for the Haydenettes and the Crystallettes. Both teams competed at SynchroFest in London, Ontario Dec. 27-29 and the Neuchatel Trophy in Neuchatel, Switzerland Jan. 10-11. Team USA looks to improve on last year’s placements of third and 10th.

The 20 time U.S. National Champions, the Haydenettes, beat the reigning World Champions, the Rockettes (Team Finland 2) earlier this season at SynchroFest placing second overall to Nexxice (Team Canada 1). Though the Crystallettes placed sixth at the event, they placed fifth in the long program just ahead of Les Supremes (Team Canada 2). The Crystallettes previously beat Les Supremes in the short program at the Dr. Richard Porter Classic and later beat the Haydenettes at the Neuchatel Trophy.

The 2011 world silver medalists, Marigold IceUnity (Team Finland 1) bested both Nexxice and the Rockettes with a score of 187.68 at the Mozart Cup. Marigold also beat Paradise (Team Russia 1) and Les Supremes at the French Cup, placing behind Team Unique, a Finnish team that did not qualify for the World Championships, proving how competitive synchronized skating is in Finland. Team Surprise (Team Sweden 1) led the Spring Cup with a score of 180.77, followed by Tatarstan (Team Russia 2) and Boomerang (Team Sweden 2). Latvia is the only new country entered in this year’s championship.

2012 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships

2012 Worlds Results

Team Entry List

2011 Worlds Results

2012 Neuchatel Trophy Results

2012 French Cup Results

2012 Mozart Cup Results

2012 Spring Cup Results

2011 Dr. Richard Porter Results

Read about Team Braemar’s captain, Breanna Hegseth’s, experiences at the 2012 Junior World Challenge Cup in Sweden!

Tuesday
After our flight left from Minneapolis Monday afternoon, we landed in Amsterdam early Tuesday morning. Customs and security was a breeze, so we had a couple of hours to spare. We got a bite to eat for breakfast and even had a little time to do some airport shopping. Then we boarded our connecting flight to Gothenburg! After we collected our luggage, we loaded the bus and headed straight to the rink for our first practice. We had an hour in the official rink where we just did a couple drills and sections of each program to get the feel for the ice. Afterwards, we went to the hotel to unpack and eat dinner. Our hotel is very modern and right on a bay next to a giant bridge. Even huge cruise ship type boats pass right in front of us! My roommates and I were saying how our hotel room looked like an IKEA store. After our first dinner in Sweden, everyone went to bed very early due to the 6 hour time difference.
Until tomorrow!
Breanna and TB

Wednesday
We woke up Wednesday morning feeling refreshed and energized after an almost 12 hour sleep. After getting ready for the day and putting our hair in buns, we headed down to the hotel restaurant where breakfast was served. The hotel has a huge selection of food to choose from which is nice since many teams from different countries are staying here. Then we went to the rink for practice. It was a gorgeous day with beautiful weather, so we warmed up and walked our programs outside. A couple of Swedish hockey players were walking outside and asked for a picture with us, so of course we didn’t refuse! We had practice in a rink right across the parking lot from the competition arena. Practice went very smoothly and we got many things accomplished during the 2 hours. Once practice was complete, we went back to the hotel for down time. Later in the afternoon, we took a small walk to a trolley station and headed into the city to do some shopping! Much of the team found cute clothes during the shopping excursion. There were lots of stores ranging from small little boutiques to larger stores like Zara. That evening, we had the team dinner with the Skyliners at the Hard Rock Café. It was really nice to meet up with them again and have dinner together! Everyone was excited to eat hamburgers and American food. After dinner, both teams took the trolley back to the hotel and headed to bed.
Goodnight!
Breanna and TB

Thursday
Thursday morning started off with a 7:30 am wakeup call. After breakfast, we went to the competition rink for our last practice. We got to ride a double-decker bus to the rink too!! The weather was cloudy and chilly so we did off-ice inside the arena. Once we were done warming up, we made a quick stop to buy the super cute competition sweatshirts. During practice we worked on sections and certain elements for both long a short and did a run through of each program. Afterwards, we ate lunch at a small restaurant upstairs in the rink. We watched a small amount of Team Fintastic’s practice, and then headed back to the hotel where we could have downtime. The team ordered in pizza for dinner before heading to the official draw! My co-captain Taylor and I ate dinner at the hotel restaurant because we had to leave before the rest of the team. After dinner, we met up with the Skyliner’s captains and headed to the draw. The draw was a midsummer feast dance! All of the captains from each team skated across the ice and sat in chairs. Then, little Swedish girls came out and danced in a circle with flower wreaths on their heads. When each team named was called, a captain went up to the circle and chose a girl then skated over to the referee. The starting number was written on the inside of the wreath. Due to last year’s placement at worlds, the top 5 teams from 2011 will be in the last group for the short program. Team Braemar placed second in the World Qualifier earlier this year, so as Team U.S.A. 2, we were last to choose for our group. Luckily, we ended up with 17 out of 18! Skyliners will skate right before us followed by Team Fintastic who will close the short program competition. After the draw, we rode the bus back to the hotel with the Australian team. It was really neat to meet skaters from another country. We even sang some Lizzie McGuire and Lady Gaga on the way back with them! Tomorrow, Team Braemar skates official practice at 12:40! Everyone is starting to get into competition mode and prepare themselves for the big 2 days ahead of us!
Go Team U.S.A.!!!
Breanna and TB

Friday
We woke up Friday morning ready and excited to skate short official practice! After eating breakfast, we came back upstairs to the indoor terrace and put on makeup and finished getting ready. Afterwards we rode the bus with the Skyliners to the arena. In the arena, our warm-up area was in a small gym upstairs above the rink. During off-ice we did our usual warm-up dance and walked the program a couple of times. Time went by quickly and before we knew it we were putting our dresses and skates on in the locker room and walking to the ice entrance! Official practice went well, with only a couple minor mistakes. Everyone knew we would save our best program for later that evening. We went back to the hotel to drop off our bags, and then walked to a restaurant next to the hotel to have lunch. After eating, we went back to the hotel for a little bit of downtime where some people took naps, watched movies or did homework. Eventually it came time to prepare ourselves for competition! We redid our makeup and applied our new glitter to our eyes. Then we were off to the rink! Just like official, we did our warm-up dance and walked the program. Right before we went down to the locker room, we blasted ‘We Are Young’ on the speakers and belted the song from the top of our lungs. In the locker room, we put on our pink Cha Cha dresses and skates and walked towards the ice. Taking the ice was an indescribable feeling. The USA pride in the stands was unbelievable! Our short program was one of the best programs we skated all season! The scores came up quickly, and afterwards we found out we were in second place after Musketeers from Finland! With only Team Fintastic left to skate, we ended up third after short!! The locker room was full of energy after our skate. Although we were in a good position for tomorrow, we knew we had to bring it all to the ice and skate our hearts out for the long. Immediately following the end of the competition, Taylor and I went to the long program draw. The top four teams after short would be in the last group for the freeskate. We drew 17, which is ironic because we skated 17th for the short program and Saturday would be March 17th, and also St. Patrick’s Day! (and clovers are Team Braemar’s good luck symbol). After returning from the rink, we got dinner at the hotel and headed to bed. With the big day ahead of us tomorrow, we all went to bed excited and ready to skate our gypsy long program!
Go U.S.A!!
Breanna and TB

Saturday
Saturday morning rolled around and everyone awoke ready to compete! We had a similar schedule as yesterday, so the morning went by very smoothly. Eventually we were off to our last official practice of the season! In the same gym as yesterday, we did our usual warm-up dance and walked the program. Visualizing the program, we talked about the story we wanted to create for the judges and audience. Soon after, we walked downstairs and into the locker room to put on our sparkly red official dresses and skates. Official practice went very well, but we knew there was a little bit of room to improve for that evening. Right after we changed back into our USA warm-ups, Taylor and I went to the JWCC studio to get interviewed. They asked us our thoughts on our scores for short, how we liked the arena, our favorite thing about synchronized skating, and a couple of other questions. When we came outside much of the team was talking to their parents and later we went back to the hotel and ate lunch at the hotel restaurant. We started getting ready right after lunch because we decided to braid our hair! With a couple girls braiding, helping put hair in buns, and applying makeup, we were all very excited for our new look. With gold glitter on our eyes and on our braid, the team looked absolutely stunning. Putting on our Team U.S.A. warm-up for the final time this season, we went down to the lobby to load the bus. Like before, we ran through our warm-up dance and walked our program twice. We sang ‘We Are Young’ for the final time. In the locker room, everyone was very relaxed and excited. We made our circle and said our final reminders for the program, then headed out to take the ice! The red and blue Team U.S.A. thundersticks were waving proudly among the parents. Hearing U.S.A. chants from the crowd, we skated the warm-up block very calmly. Our program started off extremely strong, starting off from our amazing moves in the field element. We hit every note and phrasing in the music right on beat. There was a collision in the intersection with 2 falls, but we picked ourselves back up quickly to complete the no hold step sequence. Unfortunately, we had 2 more falls during our program. Although this was not the skate we were hoping for, we held our heads high waiting for the scores. Finally, the scores flashed on the screen and we saw we were currently in 3rd place, with Team Fintastic left to skate. Even with a 5 point deduction, we ended up 4th overall! It was a hard knowing that we skated an unusual program with falls, but remembering that much of the program was skated very well made us happy. We stayed for the awards ceremony where our parents came over and congratulated us. Afterwards, we went back to the hotel to change into our cowboy clothes for the competitor’s party! Skyliners and us were decked out in plaid shirts, jean shorts, and cowboy hats. We walked about 10 minutes to another building where there was a huge dance floor. After eating tacos, all the teams danced the night away! This party is always super fun because everyone lets loose and it’s an opportunity to meet skaters from other countries. There were a few fun games including musical chairs and limbo also. Eventually the night had to end, so we walked back to the hotel to finish packing. Sunday morning came around quickly because we left the hotel at 3:45 in the morning. We had a quick flight to Amsterdam then our final flight back to Minneapolis.

Looking back at this year, the season has been a whirlwind of ups and downs, victories and defeats, but the memories made will last forever. Remembering our first summer practices, we have really grown together as a team on and off the ice. From our first competition to becoming National Champions and placing 4th at Worlds, all the hours of hard work and sweat paid off. Knowing that your teammates will be lifelong friends is truly a gift. There are no ways to thank our coaches, Pam and Toni. Without them, our team would not have accomplished our goals and wildest dreams. Team Braemar is not just a team, we are a family.
Thanks for reading!
Breanna and TB

Photo courtesy of Ed Collier

Two U.S. teams will compete at the Junior World Challenge Cup in Gothenburg, Sweden March 15-17. The Skyliners (Team USA 1) and Team Braemar (Team USA 2) will compete against the top teams from around the world in the 12th annual world championship.

Both teams qualified for the world competition in January at the junior world team selection competition in Lowell, Mass. More than a dozen teams traveled to the competition to compete for first and second place, and the chance to compete on the world team. The Skyliners placed third in the short program, just behind The Lexettes and Team Braemar. But they battled back in the long program, earning 162.44 points overall and a first place finish. Team Braemar placed second claiming Team USA 2 status and earning their fourth berth to worlds with a total of 161.24 points.

The Skyliners and Team Braemar have developed a rivalry over the past few seasons as both teams have advanced to the world competition for the past three years. Last year Team Braemar placed third and the Skyliners placed fifth—the best U.S. junior world team finish since 2007 when Chicago Jazz placed third and The Colonials placed fifth in Nottingham, England.

After the junior world selection competition, The Skyliners and Team Braemar faced each other in one more domestic competition before worlds—the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships in Worcester, Mass. Team Braemar won the competition with 159.65 points and the Skyliners placed second with a total of 158.42 points.

The 2012 world competition will look all too familiar to Team Braemar and the Skyliners. Team Fintastic and the Musketeers, Finland’s world team, will be returning to the competition this year. Team Fintastic won worlds last year with a total of 176. 61 points, less than one point ahead of the Musketeers who earned second placed with a total of 175.77 points. The Musketeers’ programs are highly anticipated at this year’s competition. The short program “Join the Family Business” and the long program “Road to Eldorado” were both choreographed by world-renowned coach Anu Oksanen.

Nexxice from Canada will also be returning to the competition after earning 4th place at the 2011 competition. Other top contenders include Les Supremes of Canada, Team Convivium of Sweden, and Team Berlin of Germany.

The competition will begin with the opening ceremonies Friday at 5 p.m. The short program will take place Friday after the ceremonies and the long program Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

Live Stream
Official Schedule
List of Teams
2011 Results

In more than a decade only the Haydenettes, the Crystallettes and Miami University have remained consistently in the top four in the senior division, securing a spot on the podium every year. Team Elan medaled reliably until 2006, and since then California Gold and the Starlights are the only other teams to make it to the top—until this year. The 2012 national championships welcomed a new senior team to the podium. The Ice’Kateers from Anaheim, Calif. earned their first medal at the senior level, and the second medal in the history of their organization.

The Ice’Kateers journey to the top began in 2000 with two ISI teams. By 2002 they were able to field both juvenile and intermediate teams and qualify for nationals in Lake Placid. Over the years, coaches Kathi Pargee and John Saitta shifted team levels to accommodate the age and skill of their skaters. In 2005 the Ice’Kateers took home an intermediate pewter medal from nationals in Lowell, Mass. Three years later the Ice’Kateers placed 6th in the junior division at the 2008 national championships—a strong enough finish to earn Team USA status. In 2009 they took home a silver medal from their first international assignment at the Jegvirag Cup in Miskolc, Hungary and in 2010 they entered the senior division.

Finishing 8th at nationals, their first year in the senior division proved to be a challenge, but both skaters and coaches were up to the task. They moved up three spots by nationals in 2011, finishing 5th, and earning back their Team USA status. The end of the 2011 season brought a large turnover in skaters leaving the team with only 10 returning to start the year. It wasn’t until the first week of September that they had 16 rostered skaters, enough to field a team for 2012.

“We usually start our programs late July and early August, however because we didn’t have a full team, we got a late start on our programs. This reality really caused us to buckle down and put in more practice time as our international competition and nationals grew closer. The girls really got on board with this idea and committed extra time to make it happen. The key for us was time together on the ice, understanding and patience with one another and a common goal,” Pargee said.

The Mozart Cup in Austria was a successful trip on many fronts. The Ice’Kateers placed sixth out of thirteen senior teams, including some of the top teams in the world including Marigold IceUnity, Rockettes, Nexxice and Team Unique. The skaters also made lifelong memories—an important component of Pargee and Saitta’s coaching style and philosophy.

Pargee’s goal for the team at nationals was to have two strong performances, and she said, “although you have no control over your scores and ultimately your placement, I hoped that with two strong performances it would be enough for us to earn a medal.”

The team and the coaches were full of energy following their fourth place finish in short. They were nervous, excited, relieved they put out a strong performance and confident in the way they were practicing long. Pargee told the team “you can’t win the competition with the short, but you can lose it…[you have] not won anything yet. [You] still needed to go out and attack the long.”

On Saturday night a member of the Ice’Kateers family, one of the novice skater’s dads, passed away suddenly. Putting aside their emotions was almost impossible for many of the skaters who knew him well, so they dedicated their performance to honor him and his family. They skated beautifully and returned to their locker room to await the final results.

The news that they held on to the fourth place spot sent the team into a “happy mess”. There were tears of joy, laughter, screaming and hugging. When they exited the locker room for the awards ceremony the Haydenettes, the Crystallettes and Miami University cheered and clapped loudly, welcoming the Ice’Kateers to the top teams in the United States. The experience was surreal for many team members. “To watch the girls’ excitement as they skated out and to see the other teams cheering for them, it is something I have burned in my memory,” said Pargee. “I was so proud, happy and so happy for them. It truly was the achievement and accomplishment of a goal.”

The end of this season brings the beginning of a new season for the Ice’Kateers, which for Pargee means new memories and new goals. “The first medal at the senior level at nationals is always the sweetest and it is so hard to repeat,” Pargee said. “While it would be wonderful for us to medal again at nationals, we have such good teams at the senior level that you never know who will end up on the podium. How wonderful it would be to someday have a team at worlds, but you never know what each season will bring. In the meantime, we will continue to try to put out a quality product while making great memories along the way.”

Click the links below to read full interviews with coach Kathi Pargee and members of the Ice’Kateers senior team.

Q & A with Coach Kathi Pargee
Q & A with Stefani Andrews
Q & A with Amy Bailey
Q & A with Rebekah Echeverria
Q & A with Kimberly Kelly
Q & A with Cristy Plahy

For more information on the Ice’Kateers visit their website and their icenetwork profile.

How did this season differ from past seasons?
This season was different from the past mostly because I was concerned I wouldn’t have a team to skate on my senior year of high school. After much praying and perseverence we had skaters come back and join our team and we ended with a great group of girls that I am proud to call my team members. Everything seemed to fall into place. I felt
ready and was very excited to get to nationals and show off our hard work.

What were your goals/expectations leading up to Nationals?
My goals for this season were to go to nationals and be recongnized for the team we are and to hopefully earn a medal.

How did you feel following short leading up to long?
After the short program I felt really good and knew we could place if we stayed confident and skated the way we were practicing.

What was it like waiting in the chute to get on the ice for awards?
Waiting for awards was unbelievable. I couldn’t believe I was standing with some of the best teams in the United States. That they were so excited for our team was very touching.

What advice do you have for younger skaters who dream of being on a nationally competitive senior team?
My advice for younger skaters is continue to work hard and have goals of passing more and more moves, freeskates and dances.

What are your goals for the future?
Continue to try and stay together as a team and remember the goal.

How did this season differ from past seasons?
Growing up with a lot of the skaters on the team, I noticed a new maturity in both our attitudes and our skating abilities. This season we had a lot of new members, which was great, because the more the merrier in our family. A couple of skaters had never done synchro before, so seeing and helping them understand and grow in the sport was amazing. Of course achieving our goal of medaling at nationals was a big jump from past seasons.

What were your goals/expectations leading up to Nationals?
Our goals were to have the time of our lives, enjoying each other on and off the ice, but most importantly to keep our focus on a medal.

How did you feel following short leading up to long?
I had a excitement/nervous feeling knowing that we had 4th going into the long. We could or could not medal. After talking to all my teammates and our wonderful coaches I was confident that if we just skated and I remembered why I started skating, I would be fine! My team is amazing and I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world!

What was it like waiting in the chute to get on the ice for awards?
It definitely was an overwhelming feeling! I couldn’t stop crying and laughing. Hayden, Crystallettes, and Miami were amazing–as soon as we walked out of the dressing room they were clapping and screaming for us! It was great they all were so sweet!

What advice do you have for younger skaters who dream of being on a nationally competitive senior team?
My advice would be to work hard and stick with it! Sometimes it gets to the point where you want to sleep in and not go to practice, but GO. In the end it is all worth it. Your teammates count on you, and you count on them, so grow a relationship with them because a synchro team is a family, and your family is always there for you.

What are your goals for the future?
My personal goal is to keep in shape and skate hard until next season so that I can bring something different and better to the table. I want us to push through any trial we have as a team and keep fighting for a medal so we, as a team, can go out at nationals next season with a BANG!

How did this season differ from past seasons? What were your goals/expectations leading up to Nationals?
We were all completely on the same page with our sights on a national medal. This team was comprised of “retired” skaters, new synchro skaters and devoted 11 year ICE’kateer members. And, even though most had never skated together we worked together to reach the goal of a national medal at the Senior level. This was the highest honor the ICE’kateer program has received since skating in the senior division!

How did you feel following short leading up to long?
It was the most surreal feeling. To feel like we were really in the heart of the competition, just on the edge of winning. I could almost feel the medal around my neck. But, at the same time, I knew I hadn’t won anything yet. We had leave it all out on the ice in the long and, as Kathi said, “we can’t skate conservatively.” We really had to prove that our 4th place standing was just that, OUR 4th place.

What was it like waiting in the chute to get on the ice for awards?
Tears, tears, tears! Everyone was crying. Every single girl on the team and each of our coaches had gone into this season with the goal of medaling. When that goal came to fruition, we were a happy mess!

What advice do you have for younger skaters who dream of being on a nationally competitive senior team?
Continue to improve your individually skating skills. Continue to skate individually and accomplish your individual skating goals, but ALWAYS compliment your individual skating with synchro. Continue to skate on a team throughout all your individual endeavors. I moved away from home for college specifically to skate on a nationally competitive senior team. It was a difficult transition and a little intimidating, but it was the best decision I have ever made. The support system I have to help in my skating, school and work, as a result of ICE’kateers, is truly a blessing.

What are your goals for the future?
I hope to skate one more year with the ICE’kateers. This time I will be skating with my little sister, Allison, who will be joining the team in the fall. Unfortunately, that will be my final year with the team as I hope to finish my B.A. in Political Science and attend law school. I have considered many fields of study such as environmental law and constitutional law. I hope to refine my legal interest while in law school. My dream school is American University in Washington, D.C. I am currently studying for the LSAT. Once I receive my score for that exam I will begin applying to law schools across the country.

How did this season differ from past seasons?
This season was different for me because I went into it not thinking I would be skating. I had been asked by one of my friends who had joined the team to come hold a place because at that point in the season the Ice’Kateers did not have a full roster. I was on the fence about committing to skating with the team, not because I did not want to, but because I felt like I should be trying to find a career or doing something in the field I am interested in, marine biology. I am very happy I decided to stay through the end. The coaches and parents were very helpful and supportive of where I am in my life, and where I am hoping to go.

What were your goals/expectations leading up to Nationals?
My personal goal for nationals was to skate my best and to help the team in any way I could. I wanted to place fourth but I knew all I could do was skate my best, and prove to the judges and the technical panel that we deserved to be there.

How did you feel following short leading up to long?
The entire team had great energy after the short program. Up until that point we had not competed against another U.S. team and it was an awesome feeling knowing that all our hard work had paid off, especially after having such a rough start. Of course, we knew that being fourth after short program was not the end of it. We still had to work hard and show everyone that we deserved to be on the podium.

What was it like waiting in the chute to get on the ice for awards?
Waiting to get on the ice was surreal. I was surrounded by my team, the team that had gotten up countless times at “0-dark thirty” as I call it, and pushed through the 4:45 and 5 a.m. practices; the team that had jumped at the opportunity to skate extra on Saturdays; the team that had welcomed me into their group in the middle of the season and had made me feel like I was one of the girls. And, on top of that all my friends back at Miami were there celebrating with me too. It was unreal; I cannot put into words how amazing it felt learning we had reached our goal, that we would be on the podium; that all my friends at Miami had been supporting me and my new team the entire competition, and that this new team that I had just become a part of was exactly where they wanted to be.

What advice do you have for younger skaters who dream of being on a nationally competitive senior team?
Keep working hard. You never know when the opportunity will come along, and when it does be as ready as you can be. Remember to never give up. Hardships are a part of life but it’s when we overcome those obstacles that we not only grow in our skating but as a person as well. And last but not least, have fun! We only live once, live every moment to the fullest because those are the memories you will keep with you for a lifetime.

What are your goals for the future?
I hope to go to grad school in the next year and get a masters degree in either marine biology or environmental toxicology, and then eventually move out into the real world and start my career. Who knows I may coach sometime in the future as well. As far as skating goes, I’m not sure what is in store yet. I don’t know if I am ready for this to be my last season, however, I do feel this past season would be a great way to end my synchronized skating career, but who knows what the future will bring.