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On Sunday, Emilia skated two clean programs to capture silver in the Intermediate Ladies category at nationals for the U.S. Figure Skating Association. The event was held at the Silverstein Arena in Kansas City, Mo.
She was second overall in the short program with 44.04 points, skating to the music of "Bei Mir Bist Du Schon" by Robin McKelle. In the long program, she finished fourth, scoring 77.96 points while skating to the movie soundtrack of "A Week With Marilyn."
Her overall total of 122.00 points was good for second place and the silver medal, just 4 points behind gold medalist Stephanie Ciarochi of the Dallas Figure Skating Club. The bronze medalist was Ariela Masarsky of the DuPage Figure Skating Club and the pewter medalist was Emily Zhang of the Richmond Figure Skating Club.
A total of 12 girls competed for the Intermediate national title — the top four skaters from each of the three "sections" of the nation.
Emilia has traveled down this road before. In 2015, she won the Silver Medal for Juvenile Girls at the national championships.
This skating season, her quest for nationals began in October, when Emilia was crowned the New England champion at the Intermediate Ladies level at the Regional competition for USFSA held in Burlington, Vt.
In November, Emilia won gold in the Intermediate Ladies competition at the Eastern Sectionals competition in Indian Trail, N.C., which qualified her to compete in the national championships.
Emilia, who is a member of the Skating Club of Boston, trains five days a week in Boston with coaches Peter Johansson and Mark Mitchell, a Hamden native and 1992 silver medalist for U.S. men.
She is home schooled and works three hours on-ice and two hours off-ice each day, according to her mother, Yalin Murdock.
Her favorite jumps are the double Axel and the triple flip, her mother said.
Emilia, who previously attended St. Luke's School in New Canaan, has also trained at Chelsea Piers New York, Chelsea Piers Connecticut, Terry Conners Rink in Stamford and Dorothy Hamill Rink in Greenwich.
Emilia's long-term goal is to someday make it onto Team USA, her mom said. She is working her way up the ranks, with medals now at the Juvenile and Intermediate levels. The next level is novice, followed by junior and senior — the skaters seen competing at the Olympics.
Emilia follows in a great tradition of figure skating in Connecticut. Greenwich is the childhood hometown of 1976 Olympic gold medalist Dorothy Hamill.
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