Highland Park Synchronized Skaters Win Bronze Medals In Sweden

GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN — A pair of Highland Park High School students brought home bronze medals after competing as part of Team USA in Sweden last weekend.

Senior Brittney Rivelli and junior Samantha Levine are members of the Starlights Synchronized Skating Junior team, which represented the United States at the Leon Lurje Trophy in Gothenburg.

The Starlights were selected as the junior representative of Team USA, according to U.S. Figure Skating. The team improved from fourth place after the short program to score a total of 180.04 points with positive execution grades on every element. Sunrise 1 of Russia took the gold with more than 196 points and Fintastic of Finland won silver.

The Junior Starlights team will also represent the U.S. in Croatia on Feb. 8-9 at the Zagreb Snowflakes Trophy. Once again, members of the Centennial Ice Arena community will square off against competition the likes of Canada, Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Finland and Sweden.

The Starlights, who represent Skokie Valley Skating Club and field several synchronized skating teams, are competing at the 2019 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships in Plymouth, Michigan from Feb. 28 to March 2. That competition will determine Team USA for the 2019 World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships, which will be held from April 12-14 in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.