2012 U.S. SYNCHRONIZED SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS | INTERMEDIATE
STAR MATES STAR MATES by RENEE FELTON Winning is certainly a tradition
for the synchronized skating program at Hayden Recreation Centre FSC, but the Star Mates, the rink’s newly created intermediate team, weren’t ex- pecting success to come quite so fast. Te program, whose senior team
is the revered Haydenettes, decided in the off-season to add an intermedi- ate team and give skaters more time to develop through the feeder system. One of the program’s coaches, Erika Hoffman, who leads the Star Mates, said the decision is paying dividends regardless of the medals and accolades her team racks up. “We have a lot of skaters who
started off on the juvenile team, and we thought they should go through another developmental level,” she said. “Tey receive extra training on the ice and get an early introduction to the IJS (international judging system).” Juvenile competitions are judged on the 6.0 system, so the intermedi- ate level is the first place for skaters to compete under the IJS. Fond du Lac Blades Jenny Mc-
Mahon, who coached her team to intermediate silver this year, shared Hoffman’s sentiment. “Skating under the IJS is a huge change for the girls,” McMahon said.
16 APRIL 2012
“It’s at this point they have to realize how to earn and lose points. Tey have to understand key elements and levels, and how edge quality, shapes and formations all affect these ele- ments. It’s a big adjustment.” All of the intermediate medalists
seemed to rise to the occasion. Te Star Mates’ “Memphis” free skate earned 57.94 points. Te program, which received the highest program compo- nents score of the day at 36.45 points, featured six elements that earned posi- tive grades of execution (GOE). “I’m so excited to win gold; this is the best feeling in the world,” team rep- resentative Niki Cozzolino said. “After we had a bad warm-up at the Eastern Sectionals, we decided to really focus. We won sectionals and have been work- ing so hard between then and how.” Star Mates narrowly edged the
Blades, with the team from the Fond du Lac FSC totaling 57.27 points. Te team saw about a 50 percent turnover in membership since winning gold last year. “To come back to the Champi- onships and medal again is such an accomplishment, especially when so many of the kids are new to the in- termediate level and to the program,” McMahon said.
Skating to A Chorus Line, the free
skate featured two elements that saw GOEs of 0.43, a rare feat at this level. Te circle and wheel elements, both scored at level two, earned 3.43 each. Team captain and 2011 gold
medalist Danielle Lewis was happy with the silver but left Worcester mo- tivated to improve, after falling short of the top podium spot. “I am proud of the silver medal, but
I’m even more motivated to work harder and be back on top next year,” she said. Saint Louis Synergy earned their second consecutive bronze medal af- ter making their U.S. Championships debut last season. Skating to a medley of music from their favorite Disney films, the team earned 55.93 points, a total that included the highest techni- cal marks of the competition. “Tis is a fairly technical pro- gram, but at the same time, the girls have so much fun getting into the various Disney characters,” coach Ra- mona Peterson said. “Tere were some truly great moments in that perfor- mance. I could tell the team was really focused.” Rounding out the top four, with
54.81 points, were the Skyliners (SC of New York), who placed second at this event a year ago.
intermediate MEDALS
GOLD Star Mates 57.94
SILVER Fond du Lac Blades 57.27
BRONZE St. Louis Synergy 55.93
FOURTH Skyliners 54.81
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