INSYNCH
compiled by LESLIE GRAHAM Four teams — Crystallettes, Miami Univer-
sity, Lexettes and Saint Louis Synergy — traveled to Salzburg, Austria, at the end of January to com- pete in the Mozart Cup.
Te U.S. contingent of teams fared well,
with Miami (Oxford, Ohio) and the Crystallettes (Dearborn, Michigan) finishing third and fourth, respectively, in the senior division, while the Lex- ettes (Lexington, Massachusetts) and Saint Louis Synergy placed second and seventh, respectively, in the junior ranks. SKATING magazine asked members of each team some questions regarding their trip to this renowned international competition and destina- tion. Below are their answers.
How did your team prepare for the Mozart Cup? Our preparation was different from our
standard training regimen. Besides our normal training, we added hours to our practices to put the finishing touches on an entirely new long pro- gram that we changed only four weeks before. It was a difficult, yet rewarding experience. — Emily Naperkoski, Crystallettes
What did you do to pass time on the plane ride to Europe?
After an early morning practice, a seven-hour nighttime flight to Munich seemed to be the per- fect occasion to sleep. Once we boarded the plane I was fast asleep (in which state I remained for the majority of the flight), but some of my team- mates were not as lucky. Te close quarters on the plane mixed with the excitement for our final destination were not the best recipe for sleep for many. Without our usual homework load we all had to come up with new activities to entertain us, and between knitting, drawing, reading, or the
in-flight entertainment, the long flight passed rel- atively quickly, and before we knew, it the plane was on the ground again. — Jennifer Stewart, Miami University
How did the team prepare on the day of com- petition? Did you do anything different ver- sus an event held in the U.S.?
We did not. As a way to keep us calm, our
coach always reminds us that every competition is just another chance to do what we do a billion times in practice. In the warm-up area, we do a couple of Team USA cheers that we only do at international competitions and this helps to get us in the spirit of the international event. — Gabbie Linehan, Saint Louis Synergy
What did you think of the city of Salzburg? It was definitely alive with the sound of
Team USA. It was such a beautiful city and we enjoyed our time there. One site that made a last- ing impression on me was the gazebo from Te Sound of Music. I grew up watching the movie, so it was truly memorable to see the famous “Six- teen Going on Seventeen” gazebo. One other site that made an impression was the house from Te Sound of Music. Te view of the frozen pond, the house and the mountains in the background was truly breathtaking.
— Chelsea MacIntosh, Crystallettes
Do you have any traditions or superstitions at competitions?
At every warm-up before we compete, our team huddles and wobbles. It is a dance we all know by heart, and it has been a tradition for years. It’s a great way to release some nerves and get excited to compete. Also, some of us on the
team believe that it brings good luck to touch Coach Ramona’s silver-white hair before we com- pete. Sometimes we will steal a touch in the locker room or right before we get on the ice. — Lucy Downing, Saint Louis Synergy
How did you feel about your team’s perfor- mances?
Te team was satisfied. We felt that our pro-
grams portrayed energy, technical difficulty and passion for the sport. Te pride we felt in repre- senting the United States and bringing home a medal for our country has only fueled us more in practice and for later competitions. We are pleased with our skates but understand that we still have room for improvement. We are working on crafting new goals for the junior world qualifi- er, nationals and hopefully Junior Worlds. — Rachel Sokolov, Lexettes
PHOTO BY KAMERY TRUMAN
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84