INSYNCH
Team USA prepared to make its mark abroad
TAKING FLIGHT
by LESLIE GRAHAM Te 2015 international synchronized skat-
ing season is here, with 12 U.S. junior and senior teams primed to showcase their talents against the best teams in the world. Te U.S. teams were selected based on their
success last year, both internationally and domes- tically. Here is a look at where Team USA is head- ed in 2015.
CUP OF BERLIN JANUARY 9–11
Representing the U.S. in the senior division
are the New York-based Skyliners and in the ju- nior division, Chicago Jazz. Te Skyliners, fifth at the 2014 U.S. Synchronized Skating Champion- ships, will skate their short program to “Mosane” by E.S. Posthumus. Tey’ll perform their free
Chicago Jazz Hockettes
skate to a medley of music from the hit TV show “So You Tink You Can Dance.” In 2014, the Skyliners finished fifth at the Leon Lurje Trophy. Chicago Jazz, one of two U.S. teams to com- pete at the 2014 Junior World Challenge Cup, will skate the short program to “Olé” and the free skate to music from An American in Paris.
LEON LURJE TROPHY JANUARY 16–18
Te Starlights senior team, from Buffalo
Grove, Illinois, and the junior Hockettes, from Ann Arbor, Michigan, travel to Gothenburg, Sweden. Tird at the 2014 U.S. Synchronized Skat- ing Championships, the Starlights are looking to build on their breakthrough campaign. Teir short program is to “I’ve Got the Music in Me” by the Kiki Dee Band, and their free skate is to the high-energy Can-Can. Te Hockettes, bronze medalists at the 2014
U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships, are also hoping to ride the momentum. Tey’ll per- form to “Puttin’ on the Ritz” for the short pro- gram and to music from Sleeping Beauty for the free skate.
MOZART CUP JANUARY 23–25
Te Crystallettes, from Dearborn, Michi- gan, and Miami University, from Oxford, Ohio,
Skyliners senior
will represent Team USA in the senior ranks. Tey’ll be joined by the Lexettes, also from Dear- born, and Saint Louis Synergy junior teams in Salzburg, Austria. Te Crystallettes, who finished 11th at the
2014 ISU World Synchronized Skating Champi- onships, will skate to “Dare (La La La)” by Shaki- ra for their short program and to the music from Excaliber for their free skate. Miami University, fourth at last year’s U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships, is taking steps to earn back a place on the World Team. “We learned a lot about ourselves as a team
from our trials last year,” Miami senior tri-captain Maggie Maier said. “After reflecting on the lessons and taking ownership for what happened, we now use this to daily fuel our fire.” Te RedHawks will skate to “Te World is
Ours” by Aloe Blacc and David Correy for their short program and an Elvis Presley medley for the free skate. “‘Blue Suede Shoes’ was one of my favorite
short programs that we’ve done, and to be honest, I’ve always felt a little unresolved that we didn’t compete it at the (2012) World Championships,” RedHawks coach Carla DeGirolamo said. “It’s al- ways been in the back of my mind to bring it back as part of a free program, with the goal of getting it to Worlds.” Just .53 points separated the Lexettes and Saint Louis Synergy at the 2014 U.S. Champi-
44 JANUARY 2015
PHOTO BY RICK BRENNER PHOTO BY KELLY PHILLIPS
PHOTO BY NICOLE CZUHAJEWSKI
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