Each of the three lines from Southern Connecticut Synchronized Skating (SCSS) team won a medal at the Colonial Classic Competition held this past weekend at the Tsongas Center at UMass, in Lowell, Massachusetts. The three-day event hosted 146 Northeastern U.S. teams that competed across every division from Beginner to Senior.
The Shadows, an Open Juvenile line, won Gold and bested nine teams with their flawless performance to “Why Don’t You Do Right?” by Sinead O’Connor. Kalaudia Auz, one of the line’s 11 skaters and a senior at Norwalk’s Brien McMahon High School said, “It was the best we skated this season – knowing we won 1st makes all our hard work worth it.” Skater Emily Merole, a resident from Stamford said, “The great atmosphere in the Tsongas Center really helped us get into it – we just put it all out there today.”
SCSS SPRITES: Front Row, L to R: Samantha Paris, Anastasia Ladyka, Sabrina Paris, Leah Shiff, Sarah Arevalo, Caitlyn Foster, Sofia Gonzalez, Back Row L to R: Adeline Hawley, Daniela Castagna, Nevaeh Mills, Nicole Salanty, Cynthia Chen, Paola Gonzalez, Charlotte Carter. Contributed photo
SCSS SHIMMERS: Front Row L to R: Isabella Osinovsky, Natalie Hernandez, Rachel Innazzo, Chloe Gerace, Athena Hartigan, Deanna Gladstone, Nevada Rivera, Back Row L to R: Madeline Ciampa, Kara McLaughlin, Jlia Brown, Olivia Linnartz, Kelly Fox, Vanessa Wynter, Isabela Malone, Alyssa Fish. Contributed photo.
Pitted against 10 very competitive teams, the Shimmers (Open Juvenile) won Silver with their performance to “Cruisin’ for a Brusin” theme song from Teen Beach Movie. The Silver medal is a particularly sweet win as they competed against four of the same teams at last month’s Terry Connor’s Synchronized Skating Open in Stamford, CT, where three teams tied for third, placing the Shimmers in a disappointing fifth place. Rachel Iannazzo, a 7th grader at All Saints Catholic School, Norwalk, said, “When we were done, I felt like it was the best skate we’ve had. We all worked together and it really showed. It was a great feeling when we heard we came in 2nd!” Olivia Linnartz, a New Canaan resident and freshman at the Holy Child, White Plains, credits the importance of teamwork and working together, “Our entire team of 15 felt amazing about our skate. The Shimmers are a second family to me and we have each other’s back no matter what. We love to spend time together off the ice as well.”
The Sprites (Beginner 2) continue their season wins with a 4th place Pewter medal for their performance to “Stray Cat Strut” by The Stray Cats. With this flight of four teams, Precisely Right of Morris NJ, and CNY Chill of Central NY had a tie breaker with them winning 1st and 2nd respectively. Team Winterettes of Rockland, MA, secured 3rd place.
“This was a great weekend for our teams. I am so proud of their power, passion and teamwork,” said Kathleen Malone, mother of Shimmer skater Isabela Malone and President of the Southern Connecticut Synchronized Skating Parent Organization.
The SCSS team consists of 40 skaters residing in Fairfield County communities: Stamford, Greenwich, Westport, Darien, New Canaan, Norwalk; and White Plains, NY.
The next competition for the Shadows and Shimmers will be at the Eastern Sectional Championships in Lake Placid, NY, January 22-24, 2015 . This qualifying competition is an opportunity for advancement to the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships. The top teams at the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships are selected to represent the U.S. at international competitions around the world. Synchronized figure skating could be added to the 2018 Winter Olympics if the ISU (International Skating Union) request is approved.
The club will host tryouts for the 2015-16 SCSS team in March. Visit the website for more information: http://www.terryconnerssynchro.org, or Like Us on Facebook and follow their season: https://www.facebook.com/SCSyncoSkating.