Friday, September 19, 2008

Skaters travel for contests, medals

Sun Valley figure skaters rise to the occasion


By EXPRESS STAFF
Express Staff Writer

Sun Valley Figure Skating Club skaters who took part in recent competitions include, front row, from left, Lacey Marsh and Julianna Lamb, and, back row, from left, Alex Steussi, Julia Broderick, Gracie Eagan, Alexandra Harten, Caitlin Sholtis and Emma Steussi. Photo by

It was a busy stretch for Sun Valley Figure Skating Club (SVFSC) kids who competed in August and September at Lake Placid, N.Y., Rochester, Minn., and in Boise.

Ice dancing at Lake Placid

Two SVFSC skaters, Lacy Marsh and Abby Chase, attended Lake Placid's Ice Dance Championships July 30-Aug. 2.

Marsh, a Sun Valley Co. employee, placed an astonishing second in Senior Solo Compulsory Dance initial round. "Senior" is the highest competitive category in figure skating. Marsh took fourth in the final round, a performance that earned her the bronze for third place in Solo Compulsory Dance. That was a tremendous accomplishment for the Sun Valley Ice Show ensemble cast member from Montana.

Chase, 8, along with partner Benjamin Crogh, 10, of McCall, competed in Pre-Juvenile couples dance. Chase and Crogh garnered second in Cha Cha, fourth in Rhythm Blues and fifths in Canasta Tango and Swing Dance.

Joining Marsh and Chase was SVFSC coach and Olympic ice dancer Judy Blumberg.

National Showcase skating

For the fourth straight year, SVFSC skaters climbed the podium in the U.S. Figure Skating Association National Showcase competition. Close to 200 pre-qualified skaters from 64 figure skating clubs convened at Rochester, Minn.

Recent Wood River High School graduate and reigning National Senior Dramatic champion Ali Butler earned a silver in Senior Dramatic and sixth in Light Entertainment. Ali was a Sun Valley Ice Show ensemble skater in 2007.

Community School sophomore Julianna Lamb came home with a silver in Novice Extemporaneous, fifth in Novice Light Entertainment and fifth in Novice Dramatic. She and Aspen Figure Skating Club member Leisl Bellack also earned a third place in Novice Pairs.

The silver and bronze medals Julianna claimed at Rochester give her six USFSA national medals in theatrical skating.

Ali and Julianna train with coaches Holly Wheeler, Gia Guddat and Craig Heath.

Boise Ice Classic

Eight Sun Valley skaters brought home 16 medals from Boise last weekend.

Gracie Eagan, Caitlin Sholtis, Lauren Jacobs, Emma Steussi, Alex Steussi, and Noelle Weaver won gold.

Julia Broderick, the Sun Valley skater competing at the highest level, won a silver medal in Open Juvenile Freeskate. Alexandra Harten took silver in Preliminary Showcase and bronze in Preliminary Freeskate.

Competing at the Pre-Preliminary level, Eagan won gold in Freeskate and silver in Showcase, while Sholtis captured gold in Showcase and bronze in Freeskate.

At the Non-Test level, Jacobs seized gold in Compulsory Moves and fourth place in both Freeskate and Showcase.

Emma and Alex Steussi placed first in Non-Test Pairs Showcase. Competing in Basic Skills, the Steussi sisters also took golds in their Freeskates, with Emma competing at Level 4 and Alex at Level 2.

Weaver won gold and Grace Hoffman the bronze in Basic 7 Freeskate. Hoffman took silver and Weaver the bronze in Basic 7 Elements. In Showcase, Emma took 3rd and Alex Steussi garnered fourth.

Broderick, Harten and Scholtis were accompanied by coach Darlin Baker; Eagan, Jacobs and the Steussi sisters were coached by Holly Wheeler, and Hoffman and Weaver by Elena Khalyavina.




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