Skating team takes third in nationals

2:26 p.m., March 6, 2006--UD's synchronized skating team won the bronze medal at the 2006 U.S. Synchronized Team Skating Championship held Feb. 22-25 in Grand Rapids, Mich. Sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating, the competition is the premier event for synchronized team skaters each year.

In the collegiate division, the gold medal went to Miami (Ohio) University and the silver to Western Michigan University.

This is the ninth year the UD's team has competed at the collegiate level. This is their second medal in the past three years; they placed third in 2004.

Wendy Deppe, one of the team's two coaches, said the skaters worked hard to earn their spot on the podium this year.

“[We] added a weight training program, as well as a yoga and an aerobics class, and it has paid off,” she said.

Senior Brenda Greene, who is club president, said this was an exceptional season with the team placing in the top three in each of its competitions.

“I have to give a lot of credit to our coaches for working us so hard and developing such a creative program for us,” Greene said. “All of my teammates come from really strong skating backgrounds, which also helps.”

Coach Megan O'Donnell said she could not be more proud of her team.

“They really stepped it up this year,” she said. “At the end of their program, when they were taking their bow, I felt sad that it would be my last time watching them perform this program.”

The team performed a program called “Dreams,” skating to music from the movies Finding Neverland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.

“It is about a little girl's dreams. In the beginning she is in bed being read a bedtime story, she then falls asleep and the program shows four of her various dreams throughout the night,” Deppe said. “She then wakes up to the alarm clock at the end.”

Deppe said she enjoyed creating the program and watching it develop throughout the season.

O'Donnell said the team chooses the theme and music at the end of the previous season, and the coaches develop the program and story through the music.

The team has always placed an emphasis on the performance and entertainment value of synchronized skating, O'Donnell said, adding that the feedback received after nationals made her feel this was accomplished.

“We got off the ice really pleased with how we skated and that was what was most important,” Greene said. “Being awarded medals just topped it off.”

Earlier in the season, the team placed third at the Dr. Porter Classic, a season opening competition held in Ann Arbor, Mich., and took the Eastern sectional championship title in Duluth, Ga., in January.

The team will start prepping for next year after spring break by meeting to discuss theme ideas for next year's program and to develop a dress design. During the off-season, the team keeps up with their weight-training program to stay in shape.

Also competing at nationals from the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club, an adult team finished in fifth place and masters and intermediate teams finished in sixth place.

Article by Amelia Luchey, AS '06

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