The U.S. National Figure Skating Send-Off Exhibition will begin at 5 p.m. in the Fred Rust Ice Arena off South College Avenue in Newark. Doors will open at 4 p.m.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $12 for children under 18 and for seniors 62 and older, and $12 for UD faculty and staff. Tickets can be purchased at UD box offices at the Trabant University Center or the Bob Carpenter Center, or through Ticketmaster [www.tickemaster.com].
The show will feature University of Delaware freshman Kimmie Meissner, the defending national champion, 2006 world champion and member of the 2006 U.S. Olympic Team. Meissner has won gold and silver in two International Skating Union Grand Prix events this fall, winning the Skate America competition in Reading, Pa., and finishing second to Mao Asada of Japan in the Trophee Eric Bompard competition in Paris.
Meissner trains at UD's internationally renowned Ice Skating Science Development Center, and is among 22 UD skaters who will compete at nationals.
She will be joined in the championship ladies division by fellow UD Figure Skating Club competitors Melissa Bulanhagui and Megan Williams-Stewart. Geoff Varner and Shaun Rogers will represent UD in the championship men's division, with Kaela Pflumm and Chris Pottenger in championship pairs and Clare Farrell and Chase Fishpaw in championship dance. Pottenger, Farrell and Fishpaw are enrolled in classes at UD.
Rebecca Stern will represent UD in junior ladies competition, with Zac Dewulf in junior men's and Rachel DeRita and Brandon Accardi in junior pairs. Three teams will compete in junior dance, Sara Bailey and Kyle Herring, Anastasia Cannuscio and Dean Copely and Isabella Cannuscio and Ian Lorello. Accardi and Herring are both enrolled in classes at UD.
Holly Alexander will represent UD in the novice ladies competition, with Chloe Wolf and Rhys Ainsworth in novice dance.
Article by Neil Thomas
Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson
