The Intermediate and Juvenile Colonials Synchronized Skating Teams Medal at the Thanksgiving Classic

(November 11, 2006; Plymouth and Boxborough, MA) The Colonials Synchronized Skating teams successfully opened their 2006-2007 skating season with medal performances at the 2006 Thanksgiving Classic held at the Pilgrim Skating Club in Plymouth Massachusetts.

The Colonials were represented at the Thanksgiving Classic by their Intermediate and Juvenile teams which finished 1st and 3rd respectively. These results are improvements of one place for both teams over last year and are a great way to kick off the new skating season.

Skating to The Disney Channel's High School Musical, the Juvenile program featured content designed around the new International Judging System. They wore pale blue dresses with white chiffon skirts and hot pink accents. Program highlights included an Ina Bauer Block, tight Egg Beaters, a Triangle-shaped Intersection and a final Move in Isolation featuring spread Eagles. The Juvenile program was choreographed by Merita Mullen and coached by Merita Mullen, Nancy Schricker, Lindsay Howie and Colleen Rafus.

In contrast, the theme for the Intermediate team is Superman. Fittingly, they wore red and blue dresses with silver accents. They skated to music from the movie Superman Returns, and Five For Fighting's Superman. The choreography highlighted interacting lines, traveling wheels and circles, Ina Bauer lines, and a final Move in Isolation that features flying camels and spread eagles that send out the message of “truth, justice, and the American Way.” The superman theme of their program inspired the Intermediate team to support the Christopher Reeve foundation for Spinal Cord research by purchasing the Foundation's Superman Tags. The Intermediate program was choreographed by Merita Mullen and coached by Merita Mullen and Nancy Schricker.

The Thanksgiving Classic marked the return of the Colonials to competition after a successful 2005-2006 season in which all the Colonial teams represented the Eastern section at the US Nationals. In particular, the Intermediate team was the top team coming out of the Eastern section and finished fourth at Nationals. The Juvenile team won the Bronze medal at the Sectionals and then finished eighth at Nationals.

The Pilgrim Skating Club of Plymouth, Massachusetts has hosted the Thanksgiving Classic for many years. Year after year, many local skating teams choose to open their new season at this competition. This year, the Classic drew 33 teams skating in eight different events. Teams traveled from all over the eastern region and as far away as Delaware to compete at the Classic.

The next competition for the Colonials will be the Dr. Porter Classic in Michigan and the Intermediate, Junior and Senior lines will be skating. After the Dr. Porter Classic, the Colonials will host the Colonial Classic at the Tsongas Arena from January 5-7, 2007. All five Colonial teams will skate at the Colonial Classic.

About the Colonials Synchronized Skating Teams

Based in Boxborough, Massachusetts, the Colonials skate out of the Colonial Figure Skating Club. The Colonials will field Juvenile, Intermediate, Junior, Senior and Adult Masters teams during the 2006-2007 skating season. Being one of the elite teams in the eastern region, the Colonials are frequent competitors at US National and International competitions.

The Colonials Synchronized Skating Team's mission is to train and develop teams that will be national and international competitors, encouraging teamwork and sportsmanship, and supporting individual skaters as they seek to achieve their unique potential, and teams of skaters as they seek together to achieve their full potential as a team.

Merita Mullen is the Director of Synchronized Skating at the Colonials. She is joined by Assistant Coaches Nancy Schricker and Nancy Rossi as well as Intern Coaches Lindsay Howie and Colleen Rafus. Jane Gruber is the Physical Therapy and Fitness Coach. Amy Boucher coaches the Adult Masters team.

The Colonials Synchronized Skating teams recently launched a new website at www.ColonialSynchro.org . The website is an excellent source of breaking news about the Colonials. It also features information about each of the teams, the staff and the sport of synchronized skating. The new website incorporates the Adults Masters website, which was previously separate. New content, including action photos, will be added on a regular basis so visitors are encouraged to return on a regular basis. Members of the media may request permission to re-use any of the content on the website from the Jeff Sokolov at Publicity@ColonialSynchro.org .

About the Sport of Synchronized Skating

Synchronized skating is the newest discipline of figure skating, having started 50 years ago by Dr. Richard Porter in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is a specialized branch of skating distinct from figures, free skating, ice dancing or pair skating. It involves eight to twenty skaters on the ice at the same time, and is characterized by intricate formations and maneuvers, footwork, changing arm and hand holds, deep edges, sharp changes of direction and absolute uniformity.

Programs are judged for technical difficulty and presentation (artistic impression). On the junior and senior levels, teams are required to perform a short program and a free skate. At all the other levels, teams only perform a free skate. In the U.S., synchronized skating teams compete in U.S. Figure Skating sanctioned competitions in 15 levels. The levels are differentiated by the age, skill level and the number of skaters on each team.

Jeff Sokolov
Publicity Chair ( Publicity@ColonialSynchro.org )
Colonials Synchronized Skating Teams