The event is expected to draw more than 880 skaters, their families, coaches, officials and fans from the tri-state area as well as Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Hampshire and Maine. Spectators can watch the skaters from 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7.
The 67 teams will compete at the Beginner 1, 2, and 3 levels; the Preliminary, Pre-Juvenile, Juvenile, Open Juvenile, Intermediate, Open Adult, and Open Masters levels. The host team, Southern Connecticut Synchronized Skating, skates three lines: Shadows (Open Juvenile), Shimmers (Pre-Juvenile), and Sprites (Beginner 2). This year’s SCSS team is made up of 40 skaters from: Stamford, Greenwich, Westport, Darien, Norwalk and New Canaan, as well as White Plains, N.Y.
This year’s Terry Conners Open has a record number of teams, according to Cathy Kolbasiuk, SCSSPO event organizer co-chair.
“By all accounts, synchronized skating is gaining in popularity,'' she said. "In 2013, there were 55 teams, with a total of 786 skaters. This year we’ll have approximately 880 skaters.”
Each team consists of eight to 20 skaters who perform a program together. Each program is judged on required elements, speed, challenging step sequences, and precision, as well as for style and artistic expression.
“This competition is really important to synchronized skaters as it is only one of two competitions in the tri-state area. It draws 17 nationally ranked competition judges from the New York metropolitan area, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, and upstate New York,” said Maria Brea, SCSSPO event organizer co-chair.
Daily event admission tickets can be purchased at the door for $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12 and senior citizens. For more information, visit the Southern Connecticut Synchronized Skating website.
First picture: SCSS SHADOWS: Front Row L to R: Michelle Han, Stephanie Tancs, Danielle Nugent, Samantha Scordo, Brooke Ferris; Back Row L to R: Amanda Brea, Kalaudia Auz, Klara Hoherchak, Emily Merole, Emilly Hernandez, Natalie Pesantez.
Second picture: SCSS SHIMMERS: Front Row L to R: Natalie Hernandez, Nevada Rivera, Deanna Gladstone, Chloe Gerace, Athena Hartigan, Rachel Iannazzo, Isabella Osinovsky, Back Row L to R: Vanessa Wynter, Isabela Malone, Kelly Fox, Olivia Linnartz, Julia Brown, Kara McLaughlin, Alyssa Fish, Madeline Ciampa.
Third picture: SCSS SPRITES: Front Row, L to R: Daniela Castagna, Anastasia Ladyka, Sabrina Paris, Sofia Gonzalez, Samantha Paris, Sarah Arevalo, Caitlyn Foster Back Row, L to R: Nevaeh Mills, Leah Shiff, Charlotte Carter, Adeline Hawley, Paola Gonzalez, Cynthia Chen, Nicole Salanty.
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