Skyliners Skate to Three Medals at Nationals

WORCHESTER, Mass. – The Skyliners Synchronized Skating Team earned three medals at the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships held March 1-3.

The Juvenile and Junior lines each earned a silver medal and the Intermediate placed fourth to grab the pewter medal. Skyliners Novice and Senior lines each finished in fifth place in their divisions.

The three National medals earned by Skyliners place them among the top synchronized skating organizations in the country. This year the Skyliners brought five qualifying lines to Nationals, the most in the organization’s 11-year history. The fifth-place finish from Senior will put them in consideration for recognition on Team USA for the 2012-13 season. A final decision will be made by United States Figure Skating in May.

Juvenile

The Skyliners Juvenile line, the defending 2011 National Champion, began the competition Thursday. Up against the best competition from across the country, the line performed to music from “Sister Act.” The Chicago Jazz earned the gold medal and the Skyliners the silver.

Junior

The Skyliners Junior line, also the 2011 National Champion, started its competition  Friday night with its short program choreographed to Lady Gaga’s “Edge of Glory.” The team skated as the last performance in the 10-team field and earned a score of 51.59, three points behind gold-winning Team Braemar, to set up Saturday’s free skate.

The Junior division won the free skate in a performance to “The Black Swan” for a top score of 106.83, but the Skyliners were edged for the overall gold medal by a score of 159.6 to 158.42, taking the silver. The Junior line is currently competing at the Junior World Challenge in Goteborg, Sweden from March 15 to 17 as the Team USA 1 after a win at the Junior World Qualifier in January.

Intermediate

The Skyliners Intermediate line brought home the pewter medal from the National Championships in a division that proved to be very close. Skating to selections from The Brian Setzer Orchestra, the Intermediate line’s program earned a score of 54.81 from the judges, only 3.13 points behind the gold medal earned by the Star Mates of Lexington, Mass. Fond du Lac Blades of Fond du Lac, Wis., earned the silver, and St. Louis Synergy of St. Louis earned the bronze. 

Senior

The Skyliners Senior line put together two clean skates to finish in fifth place at Nationals.

After placing seventh in the short program, the line's free skate to music from “Romeo and Juliet” was enough for fifth place in the short program and fifth overall. The Senior line is awaiting the decision from United States Figure Skating to see if it is named to Team USA, which includes an international assignment for the upcoming season.

Novic

The Novice division was a close competition, with only three points separating second and fifth place. The Skyliners Novice skated to music from the musical “42nd Street” and earned a score of 63.37, a quarter of a point out of fourth place and a podium finish.

Clinics and tryouts for the 2012–13 season start in mid-March and run through April 15.  Please visit the Skyliners at www.skylinerssynchro.com for specific dates and to learn more about this successful team. 

For more information on the Skyliners, e-mail Gretchen Brooks at scottandgretchen@sbcglobal.net, visit Skylinerssynchro.com or call 203-656-1471.

From a report by Gretchen Brooks

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