The Southern Connecticut Skating team (SCSS), which includes three Darien girls, won gold and silver medals at a recent meet with other teams from the Northeast.
The Sprites line of the team, which includes Jahnavi Orr of Darien, won a gold medal. The Shadows line, which includes Manvi Malhotra and Michelle Han, won second-place in their competition.
Here’s the announcement from the Southern Connecticut Skating team
The Southern Connecticut Skating team (SCSS) is off to a phenomenal start for the 2015-16 competitive season.
Last month each of the team’s three lines won gold at the Terry Conners Open. The medal count continued this past weekend as the three lines won a gold and two silver medals at the Colonial Classic Open held at the impressive Tsongas Center at UMass in Lowell, Massachusetts.
The Sprites skating. Jahnavi Orr of Darien is a member of this team.
The three-day event hosted 141 Northeastern U.S. teams that competed across every division from Basic Skills 1 to Senior. Each program is judged on required elements, speed, challenging step sequences, and precision, as well as for style and artistic expression.
The Sprites, the SCSS team’s Basic Skills 2 line, won their second gold medal this season. In yellow dresses, the Sprites performed to the soul classic, “Build Me Up Buttercup” to win first place against New York’s Central Park Ice who skated to Broadway play Sweet Charity’s, “If My Friends Could See Me Now”.
New Hampshire Synchro Stars’ splashy Beach Boys routine placed third, while the Icicles from Great Neck, NY received bronze for their performance to Wicked’s “One Short Day”.
The Shadows line of the team on the ice. Michelle Han and Manvi Malhotra, both of Darien, are on this team.
Nevaeh Mills, a Sprites skater and 9th grader at Stamford’s Westhill High School was really pleased with the results, “There was a moment when our circle was broken, but we didn’t let it effect the rest of our program. We kept going with the same upbeat attitude and near perfection to win gold.”
The Shimmers, a Pre-Juvenile line of 13 skaters, won silver with their performance in a grouping of eight teams. Chloe Gerace, a 9-year-old Stamford resident and the youngest skater on the Shimmers line, had this to say, “The only way you can win is to be confident in yourself and do your best.”
SHADOWS: Back Row, L to R: Michelle Han OF DARIEN, Vanessa Wynter, Natalie Pesantez, Klara Hoherchak, Emily Merole, Amanda Brea, Kelly Fox; Middle Row, L to R: Stephanie Tanc, Manvi Malhotra OF DARIEN, Sami Scordo, Deanna Gladstone, Kara McLaughlin; Front Row, L to R: Danielle Nugent, Emilly Hernandez
Pamela Foster, President of the Southern Connecticut Synchronized Skating Parent Organization and mother of two skaters on the Shimmers and Sprites, reflected on the weekend, “Congratulations to all three teams for a spectacular weekend! Their success is a true testament to their hard work, dedication, and teamwork.”
The Shadows, an Open Juvenile line, skated on Friday night and won 2nd place in a grouping of eight teams.
SPRITES: Back Row, L to R: Paola Gonzalez, Adeline Hawley, Jennie Olmsted, Navaeh Mills, Rebecca Middlen, Caroline Ellis, Daniela Castagna, Emily Seligson. Middle Row, L to R: Sofia Gonzalez, Talia Klein, Sabrina Paris, Sarah Boside; Front Row, L to R: Jahnavi Orr OF DARIEN, Sydni Foster, Anna Livitz, Olivia Osinovsky. Not shown: Nicole Salanty
Amanda Brea, one of the line’s 14 skaters and a Junior at Greenwich High School said, “There’s nothing more magical than stepping off the ice, knowing you gave it your best, and worked together with people you love. We are thrilled with what we accomplished together this weekend, and we are confident facing our next biggest challenge:
Eastern Regionals. The SCSS Shadows and Shimmers lines compete next at the Eastern Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships, January 28-30 in Richmond, VA.
The SCSS team consists of 44 skaters residing in Fairfield County communities: Stamford, Greenwich, Westport, Darien, New Canaan, Norwalk; and White Plains, NY. Visit this website for more information, or Like us on Facebook to follow their season.