45°
The three-day event hosted 146 U.S. teams, which competed across every division from Beginner to Senior.
The Shadows, an Open Juvenile line, won gold and bested nine teams with their flawless performance to “Why Don’t You Do Right?” by Sinead O’Connor.
“It was the best we skated this season – knowing we won first makes all our hard work worth it,'' said Kalaudia Auz, one of the line’s 11 skaters and a senior at Norwalk’s Brien McMahon High School.
Skater Emily Merole, a resident from Stamford said: “The great atmosphere in the Tsongas Center really helped us get into it - we just put it all out there.”
Pitted against 10 competitive teams, the Shimmers (Pre-Juvenile) won silver with their performance to “Cruisin’ for a Brusin,” the theme song from Teen Beach Movie. The silver medal is particularly sweet as they competed against four of the same teams at last month’s Terry Connor’s Synchronized Skating Open in Stamford, where three teams tied for third, placing the Shimmers in a disappointing fifth place.
"When we were done, I felt like it was the best skate we've had. We all worked together and it really showed. It was a great feeling when we heard we came in second!" said Rachel Iannazzo, a seventh-grader at All Saints Catholic School in Norwalk.
Olivia Linnartz, a New Canaan resident and freshman at the Holy Child in White Plains, N.Y., credits the importance of teamwork and working together.
“Our entire team of 15 felt amazing about our skate," she said. "The Shimmers are a second family to me and we have each other’s back no matter what. We love to spend time together off the ice as well.”
The Sprites (Beginner 2) continued their season wins with a fourth place pewter medal for their performance to “Stray Cat Strut” by The Stray Cats.
“This was a great weekend for our teams. I am so proud of their power, passion and teamwork,” said Kathleen Malone, mother of Shimmer skater Isabela Malone and president of the Southern Connecticut Synchronized Skating Parent Organization.
The SCSS team consists of 40 skaters residing in Fairfield County communities: Stamford, Greenwich, Westport, Darien, New Canaan, Norwalk; and White Plains.
The next competition for the Shadows and Shimmers will be at the Eastern Sectional Championships in Lake Placid, N.Y., from Jan. 22 to 24.
The club will host tryouts for the 2015-16 team in March. Visit the website for more information:
Coaches for all three teams are Gina Valenzano-Gomez, head coach; Val Legutko, assistant coach; and Kari Pace, assistant coach.
SHADOWS – Front Row, from left: Sami Scordo, Daniella Nugent, Kalaudia Auz, Brooke Ferris, Stephanie Tancs, Back Row from left: Amanda Brea, Natalie Pesantez, Klara Honerchak, Emily Merole, Michelle Han, Emilly Hernandez
SHIMMERS – Front Row from left: Isabella Osinovsky, Natalie Hernandez, Rachel Innazzo, Chloe Gerace, Athena Hartigan, Deanna Gladstone, Nevada Rivera, Back Row from left: Madeline Ciampa, Kara McLaughlin, Jlia Brown, Olivia Linnartz, Kelly Fox, Vanessa Wynter, Isabela Malone, Alyssa Fish.
SPRITES – Front Row, from left: Samantha Paris, Anastasia Ladyka, Sabrina Paris, Leah Shiff, Sarah Arevalo, Caitlyn Foster, Sofia Gonzalez, Back Row from left: Adeline Hawley, Daniela Castagna, Nevaeh Mills, Nicole Salanty, Cynthia Chen, Paola Gonzalez, Charlotte Carter.
Click here to follow Daily Voice New Canaan and receive free news updates.
