2013 U.S. SYNCHRONIZED SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS
SENIOR
Miami University
Short said. “Each piece of music portrays a dif- ferent part of our trip. From being fl irty and sassy to sensual and passionate, our free skate is fi lled with never-ending emotion.” T e two dynamic performances lifted the
Haydenettes to an overall score of 206.33 points. Miami University, from Oxford, Ohio, joined the Haydenettes in qualifying for this month’s World Championships, fi nishing with the silver medal. T e Crystallettes, of Dearborn, Mich., garnered the bronze. T e crowd’s love for both of the Hayden-
ettes’ performances grew as they went on, until the decibel levels were as high as the team’s lifts. “To be able to inspire people is one thing, and to be able to feel that inspiration is some- thing else,” longtime team member Jenna Longo said after the short program. “You know you are getting your job done when you see the little girls come screaming after you and diff erent clubs cheering for you. We try to inspire young skaters to want to be like the top three and four teams at the senior level.” T e Haydenettes also inspire their coach Saga Krantz, who gave all the credit to her talented group of athletes. “It’s the girls who do the job,” Krantz said.
“T ey are extremely patient with me trying to fi gure out what fi ts for them. T ey believe in me and themselves; they come together. I always tell them it’s their job and they need to work hard for their goals. We have improved in every area from last year. We have improved our skating skills, our physical demands and choreography. We read our protocols carefully and study ourselves as we try to take the next step.” Miami University realized a season-long goal
by reclaiming a spot on the World Team and, in the process, earned a berth to its fi rst U.S.-hosted World Championships. T e RedHawks performed to a 1920s theme for their free skate, which became a labor of love
SKATING 15
in their preparation this season. “To fully perform our free program we had to understand what the ’20s were all about,” Mi- ami’s Katelyn Hilgers said. “One of our team- mates found a website with tips on how to be a fl apper, which was part of our inspiration for the performance. T e site explained how women were searching for independence and pushing the boundaries of society at the time. “We could easily relate to the character since
we are all young women, in college, searching for independence while remaining true to ourselves and our teammates.” T e team, Hilgers said, also watched
the
musical Chicago to better understand the time period and the physical characteristics and atti- tude of a fl apper. T e team’s opening free skate position was a personal highlight for Hilgers. “It felt like we were on a Broadway stage rather than in an ice rink,” she said. Sitting in second place after the short pro-
gram, the RedHawks had to wait for the eventual bronze medalist Crystallettes, who competed at Worlds in 2012, and the ICE’Kateers, to per- form.
As the fi nal results were announced — Mi-
ami University won silver with 191.28 points — team members cheered and hugged while singing and dancing to some of Celine Dion’s fi nest. “It feels awesome,” team member Taylor
Walker said. “It’s great to know we are going back to Worlds. We work so hard and are really excited. To represent our country in our country is going to be huge, we can’t wait.” T e Crystallettes tallied 176.96 points. T ey
were excited to perform their vamp-themed free skate and didn’t disappoint, turning in a crowd-pleasing number. “We gave it all we got,” team member Kat-
ilyn Peterson said. “We didn’t get the result we wanted, but one skate does not defi ne our season, and we are proud of the accomplishments we’ve earned.”
Crystallettes
JAY ADEFF/U.S. FIGURE SKATING
JAY ADEFF/U.S. FIGURE SKATING
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