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FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. The Skyliners Synchronized Skating Team enjoyed a successful trip to Lowell, Mass., for the Colonial Classic. The Prepreliminary, Preliminary, and Prejuvenile lines all took top honors, while the Juvenile and Senior lines earned silver medals. The Novice and Intermediate lines, competing in difficult divisions, each finished fifth.
The Skyliners Prepreliminary team wowed the crowd with its program skated to the music Lollipop." The lines solid technical performance and musical interpretation earned it the top spot in its flight and its first victory of the season.
Prepreliminary girls from the area include Dariens Mae Archie, Audrey Pizzolato and Mia Sparks; Riversides Hanna Tulchinsky; New Canaans Lucy Potter, Sophie Potter and Katerina Root; Stamfords Quincy Connell, Deanna Gladstone, Olivia Marshall, Kara McLaughlin and Elizabeth Watkinson; and Westports Cordeli Chen and Layla Rejhsinghani.
The Prejuvenile team captured the gold in a large and competitive field. Skating to music from the movie The Newsies," the girls skated a fast and technically difficult routine to land on the top of the podium for the third time this season.
The Prejuvenile line includes Dariens Sophia Cortellesi, Katharine Foster and Michelle Han; Greenwichs Kristen Lewis and Raven Vaz; Old Greenwichs Lizzie Essaid; Stamfords Autumn Iafrate and Alexandra Watkinson; Norwalks Samantha Lamb; and Wiltons Samantha Newman.
The Preliminary team kept its win streak alive with its upbeat and fast-paced skate to music from the "Wizard of Oz." Dressed in Dorothy's traditional blue and white gingham dresses, the skaters earned top marks from the entire judging panel and secured their fourth gold medal of the season.
Preliminary girls from area communities include Dariens Maggie Brooks and Victoria Van Ingen; Greenwichs Madison deBlasi, Katherine Elmlinger, Emma Hentemann, Nicole Huber, Heidi Jacobson and Michelle Woo; Stamfords Juliette Lipson; and Westons Jillian Belluck.
Our skaters have worked extremely hard to improve their skating skills. We are thrilled with their fantastic performances at Colonials and are looking forward to the preparation for Easterns later this month, coach Sarah LeBlanc Blosat said. Added coach Nina Newby, I am especially proud of our Prepreliminary skaters, who began the season as a Beginner team and worked hard to move up compete at the Preliminary level. This gold medal is a testament to all of their effort and determination.
The Juvenile line skated to music from the musical Sister Act, and the upbeat program earned the silver medal. The Senior line also earned two silver medals for its performances in the short and long programs.
The Juvenile line includes Greenwichs Stephanie Acho, Whitney Elmlinger, Nathalie Felton and Kathryn Goodfriend; New Canaans Maddie Zomb; Stamfords Christine Kao and Christina Landle; Norwalk's Kelsey Zarembeski and Westons Arielle Belluck. Stamfords Tara Sarkar and Pelham's Chrissy Barr skate on the Senior line.
The teams head to Hershey, Pa., on Jan. 26 to compete in the Eastern Sectional Synchronized Skating Championships. The top teams in the qualifying divisions will then head to Worcester, Mass., for the National Championships at the end of February. The Juvenile and Junior lines are the reigning national champions, while the Intermediate and Novice teams brought home medals from the 2011 championships.
Clinics and tryouts for the 2012-13 season start mid-March and run through April 15. Visit the Skyliners at www.skylinerssynchro.com for dates and to learn more about this team.
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