1:06 p.m., Nov. 12, 2009----The 2010 Eastern Sectional Figure Skating Championships, hosted by the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club (UDFSC), will take place Tuesday through Saturday, Nov. 17-21, at the University's Fred Rust Ice Arena on South College Avenue in Newark.

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The event will feature approximately 250 competitors from the eastern regions of the United States, including 2007 U.S. silver medalist Emily Hughes.

The road to the U.S. championships each year -- and to the Olympic Winter Games every four years -- begins with the U.S. Figure Skating qualifying structure of regional and sectional events. The structure is comprised of nine regional events and Eastern, Midwestern and Pacific Coast sectional events.

Skaters who finish in the top four at a regional competition qualify for either a sectional (novice, junior and senior) or the U.S. Junior Championships (juvenile and intermediate). Skaters who finish in the top four at a sectional qualify for the U.S. national championships, which this year will be held Jan. 14-24 in Spokane, Wash.

“This is a very big deal, especially this year, because the top placeholders in the senior level at nationals will compete for their spots on the Olympic team,” noted Ron Ludington, director of UD's Ice Skating Science Development Center.

The 2010 Winter Olympics will be held Feb. 12-28 in Vancouver, Canada.

Competitors scheduled to participate in the Eastern Sectionals at UD include Felicia Zhang of UDFSC, the 2010 North Atlantic Regional champion, and Emmanuel Savary, also of UDFSC, the 2009 intermediate men's junior national champion.

The senior ladies event will include competitors Emily Hughes of the Skating Club of New York, the 2007 U.S. silver medalist and 2006 Olympic competitor; Kristine Musademba of the Wasington Figure Skating Club, the 2009 Gold Medalist at the Junior Grand Prix event in Lake Placid, N.Y.; and the University of Delaware's own Melissa Bulanhagui, 2006 U.S. Junior National bronze medalist and winner of the 2008-2009 ISU Junior Grand Prix event in Italy.

The senior men in this event include a handful of international competitors, among them Jason Wong of the Skating Club of Boston, Tommy Steenberg of the Skating Club of Northern Virginia and Shaun Rogers of the Skating Club of Wilmington, as well as Daniel Raad of the Park Figure Skating Club, the 2010 North Atlantic Regional champion.

The cost of single day passes to attend the event ranges from $10-$25 per person, per day. Tickets can be purchased at the Fred Rust Ice Arena window on the day of the events.

For more information visit the UDFSC Eastern Sectional Web site.

About U.S. Figure Skating

U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body for the sport of figure skating in the United States as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Skating Union. U.S. Figure Skating is comprised of more than 763 member clubs and Basic Skills Programs representing approximately 179,000 members.

U.S. Figure Skating is charged with the development of the sport on all levels within the United States, including athletes, officials, sanctioning of events and exhibitions, and establishing the rules and guidelines by which the sport is governed.

Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson