JUNIOR GOLD Team Braemar, 173.26 SILVER Skyliners, 170.05
2013 U.S. SYNCHRONIZED SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS BRONZE
PEWTER Lexettes, 152.12 Chicago Jazz, 141.94
Team Braemar peaks at the perfect time, repeats as champions by JOSH ELLIS
T ey had nothing to lose, and they didn’t. Team Braemar led after the short program and sealed the title with an event-best free skate. T ey earned a total of 173.26 points and claimed the top prize for the second straight year. Finishing a distant third at the World Junior
Team Selection Competition in Fraser, Mich., in January, the competition that determined which two teams would represent Team USA at the 2013 World Junior Synchronized Skating Cham- pionships, Team Braemar entered this event with a fresh mindset. “We had nothing to lose,” coach Pam May
said. “T at’s an easier position to be in but we just wanted to prove that we were at the
Team Braemar
same caliber.” In a season of ups-and-downs, May decided to change their entire short program after an offi - cial suggested they do so in October. Since then, the team has worked hard to learn the new pro- gram while still making sure they were confi dent with their existing free skate. “We had a whole new program at the be-
ginning of November,” team captain and coach’s daughter Taylor May said. “So we had to spend a lot of time working on our short and fi nally, just before this competition, we got really confi dent in our free skate.” T eir commitment and perseverance was
rewarded on the biggest stage. “It fi nally feels like all of our hard work is
paying off ,” Taylor May said. “We haven’t been able to pull off two strong skates before this sea- son and we fi nally did it.” T e Skyliners gained the silver medal with 170.05 points. T ey fi nished second in both segments and coach Josh Babb left Plymouth, Mich., optimistic about his team, one of two to represent Team USA at the 2013 World Junior Championships. “I feel we did a good job here, but I think
there’s a lot left in the tank for (the World Junior Championships) which is what we have been working for all season,” Babb said. T e Lexettes earned the bronze medal, but is the second of Team USA’s entries in the World Junior Champion- ships. T e team from the Hayden Recre- ation Centre FSC scored 152.12 points. After the free skate, coach Saga Krantz had great things to say about her team overall.
“I think there is something special
about this group,” Krantz said. “T ey skate so beautifully and although I know there is more in them, I am still happy with how they performed.” Chicago Jazz won the pewter medal with 141.94 points. T e fi nish by Chi- cago Jazz ensured that each of the four medalists defended the same color medal that they received at this event last year.
16 APRIL 2013
JAY ADEFF/U.S. FIGURE SKATING
JAY ADEFF/U.S. FIGURE SKATING
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