News, updates and announcements about the Maryland Figure Skating Club

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Terrapins place 10th at Dr. Porter Classic

Vol. 1 Ed. 1

Spring 2013

Synchronized skating team places 10th at first competition

aryland syned against the Terrapins in chronized Ann Arbor. University of skating team Delaware placed eighth and placed 10th out of 14 Princeton University placed teams at the 2012 Porter 12th. Synchronized Classic. If we pull ourselves toThis was the first comgether and work hard, we petition of the Terps have a chance of beating Delseason. aware at Easterns, said LauThe skaters comren Daly. peted their Charlies The clubs coaches agree Angels theme program the team can do better. in the Open Collegiate One thing the judges division. Because Open criticized us for was speed, Collegiate teams do not Maryland synchronized skating team performs block at Porter. said Carli Jenkins, the teams Photo by Larry Rosen go to Nationals, this head coach. Before Easterns the midwest, said Sundi Myint. was the largest compeitiwe are going to work on getting Midwest teams are known for be- down in our knees and pushing. We ton of the season for Maryland. This was an exciting compeiti- ing the best. have a lot of good skaters on this ton because its the only chance we Preparing for Easterns team. They just need to show the Two East Coast teams compet- judges what they can do. have to compete against teams from

What is synchronized skating?

Elements in a synchronized skating program Synchronized skating is a team The required elements for the sport comprised of eight and 20 Open Collegiate division are: skaters who perform a program circle together. Synchro uses the same line judging system as singles, pairs and intersection dance. Like other disciplines of fig wheel ure skating, synchro teams perform block a free skate with required elements. movement in isolation The junior and senior divisions also perform a short program, based on technical scores. Juvenile, novice, intermediate, junior, senior, collegiate and adult teams are eligible to qualify for the National Championships. Maryland skates in the Open Collegiate DiviSynchro team performs block at sion and cannot go to Nationals. Easterns 2011. Photo by Larry Rosen

IN THIS ISSUE:
Winters injury.........2 Holiday Show...........3 Club history..............3 Upcoming events.....4 new officers..............4 Stay connected........4

2 Skater Spotlight: Pamela Winter

eeling her blade glide across the ice, Pamela Winter prepared to take off for a double axel, the most difficult double jump in figure skating. After stepping into the air, Winter felt her body fall out of line. Her weight shifted to the right, prohibiting her from a clean landing. Winter landed on the outside of her right foot, but her knee shifted left, tearing her collateral ligament. Within seconds, Winters competitive figure skating dreams vanished. Winter began skating when she was 4 years old. When the young skater won gold at her first competition, and it was clear she belonged on the ice. Skating gives me a feeling I cant get anywhere else, Winter said. I love moving fast down the ice and pushing my body to land the next jump or stay in a spin longer than before.
More about Pam: Q: Why did you start skating? A: My neighbor was taking lessons and

Go Figure!

Winters injury threatened to end her skating career

Pamela Winter continues to train despite her injury. Photo by Caitlin Lombardi

my parents thought it would be a good idea for me to get into a sport, so skating it was.

Q: Did you ever think about quitting? A: No, I made so many friends at the

rink who made me want to go to practice everyday. It also kept me in shape, which was a huge bonus.

Q: How is skating at Maryland different than your previous skating life? A: Skating at Maryland isnt as competitve as it was in high school. Theres less pressure and more time to relax and have fun with friends.

Practicing and improving Winters skating level quickly advanced. In fourth grade, she competed against middle schoolers. In middle school, she competed against high schoolers. Even though I was one of the youngest in the division, I felt like I was just as prepared, if not more prepared than other skaters, Winter said. In high school, Winter competed at the senior level. She continued competing senior during her first semester on the Maryland Figure Skating Club. I love skating at Maryland because it allows me to do the sport I love with all of my friends, Winter said Dreams fading During the clubs second practice of the season, Winter landed a jump on the wrong part of her blade and injured her medial collateral ligament in her right knee. Winters injury left her limping off the ice.

Winter was forced to stay off the ice until she recovered, hindering her ability to train. My injury caused me to go from skating every day of the week to just watching my friends skate from the boards, Winter said. Its the most heartbreaking thing ever. Winters dreams of competing at the highest level of figure skating during her senior year at Maryland slowly faded after her injury. She fears she will never be able to compete at the senior level again. Recovering from injury Winter says two months of physical therapy prepared her to get back on the ice. She attends practices on a regular basis to train for her first freestyle competition in February. Although she is worried how she will perform at the competition, Winter has an optimistic outlook. Im not sure how this competition will turn out, Winter said. Im just excited that I can still do the sport I love.

3 Celebrating holidays on ice

Go Figure!
Fourteen skaters performed their holiday programs at the show. The synchro team showcased its competition program at the end of the show. I like the Holiday Show because I get to have fun showing my friends what I can do on the ice, said Deicy Campos. The club will perform again at the Spring Show in March. Admission is free. For more information about the Spring Show, visit www. studentorg. umd.edu/mfs.

Skaters perform at the Second Annual Holiday Show

anta hats, mistle toe, candy canes and ice skating. Members of the Maryland Figure Skating Club performed in the Second Annual Holiday Show at Herbert Wells Ice Rink Saturday, Dec. 8. More than 50 friends, family members and fans came to support the club. Im glad the girls put on this show for us, said audience member Chritsian Bailey. I hear so much about the team, but never actually get to see them in action.

Tiffany Wang performs a layback spin. photo by Caitlin Lombardi

Maryland Figure Skating Club history:

Follow the timeline to learn how the Maryland Figure Skating Club changed in the past decade.

Information from: www.studentorg.umd.edu/mfs

Infograph by Caitlin Lombardi

4 Upcoming events:

Go Figure!

Meet our new officers!

Maryland Figure Skating Club welcomes a new board of officers

aryland Figure Skating Club voted for new officers at the end of the fall semseter. The officers will be in charge of all club shows, competitions, fundraisers and social events. The results are as follows: President: Melissa Troung, junior biology and business major. Vice Pressident: Caitlin Lombardi, junior communication major. Treasurer: Connie Chen, sophomore phisiology major. Secretary: Lauren Daly, senior French and English major.

Before spring semester, the new officers attended a training session to learn how to be good leaders for their club. The training session was very useful, said Lauren Daly. I learned a lot about how to manage a sports club, especially one that requires so much traveling. The officers first task is managing the synchro teams competition in Lake Placid, N.Y. in late February.

<New officers attend Officer In-

stallation. (Left to right: Daly, Lombardi, Chen, Troung) Photo by Brittany Greene

Stay connected with the Maryland Figure Skating Club! Website: www.studentorg.umd/mfs email: marylandfigureskating@gmail.com