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FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. All the teams finished with medals as seven of the eight Skyliners synchronized skating lines competed at the Thanksgiving Classic in Plymouth, Mass., this past Saturday. The teams brought home six gold medals, one silver and one bronze. Its a season opening reminiscent of last year, which was the Skyliners most successful year yet.
The Skyliners compete out of Terry Conners Rink in Stamford and a rink in Westchester County, N.Y. Many of the girls on the teams are from lower Fairfield County.
Gold medals were earned by the Junior, Novice, Intermediate, Prejuvenile and Preliminary lines. The Prepreliminary line, recruited as a Beginner line and now competing in the Preliminary division, earned the silver medal, allowing Skyliners to take the top two spots in that division. The strength of the Skyliners organization at its youngest level is better than ever.
"We are so pleased with the Preliminary, Prepreliminary and Prejuvenile performances at the Thanksgiving Classic, Skyliners coach Sara LeBlanc Bosat said. We have such dedicated and motivated skaters on these three lines, and the girls skated technically strong programs for their divisions this past weekend. It was a great way to kick off the competitive season, and we are will continue to polish these programs and increase their difficulty as we move through the season."
The Juvenile line, skating to selections from the Broadway show Sister Act, also had a strong skate, earning a bronze medal.
The gold medal-winning performances by the upper lines demonstrated the depth of the Skyliners program. The Junior line skated its short program to Lady Gagas Edge of Glory and earned a score of 51.82, nearly eight points ahead of the Lexettes from Lexington, Mass. Its long program, skated to selections from the movie "The Black Swan," also earned top marks with a score of 92.28, which was five points ahead of the Lexettes.
Also winning gold were the Novice and Intermediate lines. The Novice team, skating to selections from Broadways "42nd Street," performed a technically difficult program to earn top marks. The Intermediate line skated an upbeat and lively program to selections from the Brian Setzer Orchestra.
I am thrilled with the outcome of this weekend, said Josh Babb, Skyliners head coach and director of synchronized skating. This talented group of skaters has worked very hard with their coaches to prepare for this opening competition, and it showed out on the ice. I am excited to see what the rest of the season will bring.
The Skyliners next competition is Dec. 2 to 4. The younger lines will compete in Stamford at the Terry Conners Synchronized Skating Open. The Intermediate, Novice, Junior and Senior lines will travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., for the Dr. Richard Porter Synchronized Classic.
Skyliners from Fairfield County communities include:
Darien: Maggie Brooks, Victoria Van Ingen, Sophia Cortellesi, Katharine Foster, Michelle Han, Mae Archie, Audrey Pizzolato and Mia Sparks.
Greenwich, Riverside, Cos Cob and Old Greenwich: Emma Leary, Brooke Abbott, Mairead Brock, Alexandra Scarpulla, Julie Goodfriend, Rebecca Wright, Jordyn Young, Marisa Goff, Stephanie Achoa, Whitney Elmlinger, Nathalie Felton, Kathryn Goodfriend, Madison deBlasi, Katherine Elmlinger, Emma Hentemann, Nicole Huber, Heidi Jacobson, Michelle Woo, Kristen Lewis, Raven Vaz, Amanda Brea, Lizzie Essaid, Hanna Tulchinsky and Melissa Woo.
New Canaan: Lucy Potter, Sophie Potter, Katerina Root and Maddie Zomb.
Stamford: Tara Sarkar, Lily Brouwer, Erin Crutchley, Tina Isola, Christina Kao, Christina Landle, Juliette Lipson, Autumn Iafrate, Alexandra Watkins, Quincy Connell, Deanna Gladstone, Olivia Marshall, Kara McLaughlin and Elizabeth Watkinson.
Fairfield: Sarah McCarrick.
Norwalk: Samantha Lamb and Kelsey Zarembski.
Weston: Arielle Belluck and Jillian Belluck.
Westport: Cordelia Chen, Michaela MacDonald, Katherine Orlin and Layla Reejhsinghani.
Wilton: Samantha Newman.
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