Hockettes Have a Ball, Win Junior Competition

Hockettes Photo by Paul Harvath

2007 U.S. Synchronized Championships Results, Photos, Video and News

(2/23/2007) - The Hockettes (Ann Arbor FSC) claimed their second U.S. junior synchronized skating title in three years on Friday night, edging the Colonials (Colonial FSC), 150.59-150.49, in the 13-team competition held at the World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colo. Team Braemar (Braemar-City of Lakes FSC) placed third with 148.55 points.

Skating last, the Hockettes, donning their magenta costumes, started strongly and rallied at the end of their free skate to music from “Masquerade Ball.”

The announcement of the Hockettes' scores sent the Ann Arbor team and coach Erin Donovan into tears of joy.

“We have had a long season,” Donovan said. “We placed eighth at the Dr. Porter Classic, then moved to sixth at the world qualifier, and then we were second at Midwesterns (Sectional). It's been total hard work, with them pushing themselves beyond what they thought they could do. So, it means even more than if we had been up there all year. Honestly, we just wanted to finish in the top three.”

Only two athletes on this year's team skated with the 2005 national championship team. More than half of this year's team is new from last year.

In comparing the two championship teams, Donovan said they are both equally special.

“I sensed at the start of the season that similarity of determination,” Donovan said. “They just came at it from different angles.”

The Colonials, second last year, also performed a clean program to music from the Broadway play “Wicked.”

“What I loved about this performance is that they didn't think about it, they didn't talk about it,” 18-year coach Merita Mullen said. “They just went out and decided how much they love their program, and they wanted to savor the four minutes. That's what I saw in their faces.”

The Colonials, with the fourth-place Chicago Jazz, qualified in January for the World Challenge Cup for Juniors, which will take place March 8-10 in Nottingham, Great Britain.

“Our biggest goal this year was to qualify for the Junior World Championships,” Mullen said. “When that was accomplished, we then just decided to keep enhancing the program, loving the program. We decided we'd work harder than we'd ever worked. We added a third day of practice and focused on being the best team we can be when we show up at Worlds. Whatever happened here was going to happen here.”

Team Braemar captured its first-ever U.S. Championships medal, and longtime coach Toni Swiggum couldn't have been happier.

“We are exhausted with happiness,” said Swiggum, who coaches with her daughter, Pam May. “It's just a wonderful thing for the girls. It's been a long time coming. We've been working and working. Last year it started, and we really thought we had the group of girls who we could excel with. There is still a lot more work to do; we never stop.”

Team Braemar, skating to music from the “Phantom of the Opera,” featured strong elements throughout their program, especially their two-spoke wheel that traveled and had a change of direction.

Team Braemar will compete next month at the Zagreb Snowflakes Trophy in Zagreb, Croatia.

The defending champion Jazz, fourth after the short program, experienced two late falls in their free skate and settled for fourth place overall.

Short program leader Skyliners (SC of New York) fell to sixth overall after their free skate.