2017 U.S Intercollegiate Skating Championship Held At Miami

By Kexin Yue

Miami University journalism student

For many athletes, their sport has been a major part of their life. In figure skating, skaters were once forced to choose between a skating career or pursuing a college education when high school ended.

That all changed in 1991 when U.S. Figure Skating launched its collegiate program in order to provide skaters with the opportunity to do what they love while being full time students.

According to U.S Figure Staking, more than 100 colleges and universities offer some type of skating program. The top nine programs get to move on to compete in the intercollegiate championship.

This year, Miami made the cut and got to host the championship on April 1 and 2.

A special opening ceremony was held on March 31 at Goggin Ice Center where each university was introduced and where a glee club was invited to sing the national anthem. Miami University President Gregory Crawford and First Lady Renate Crawford attended the ceremony.

"We made really a big effort to make it run very well," Director of Ice Skating Jeannie Clay says. "A lot of compliments from parents, a lot of emails from coaches saying how extraordinary it was, I think it’s a community effort."

Continuing to skate while being a full time student can be challenging.

Kristen Zydowsky is a sophomore skater for Miami who has been skating since she was 4 years old.

"The competitions are over the weekends and at least one of them per year overlaps with a class which force me to miss that," Zydowsky says. "It’s also challenging getting work done during competitions."

She skated clean programs with no falls in her short and long program during the competition.

"I love doing it, it (skating) gives me an outlet from school and just everyday life," Zydowsky says. "Coming to school I couldn’t imagine quitting all together and I am so grateful that Miami gives me the chance to continue what I love to do."

"You probably would not expect seating next to them in class that they have these skills," Clay says. "To me, you are successful just getting out there."

Miami's team amassed 30 points over the course of the two day competition, putting them in 7th place.

Boston University earned the gold medal with 112 points. They were followed by University of Delaware, Adrian College, Dartmouth College, UCLA, University of Michigan, Miami University, UC-Berkeley, and University of Denver.

Clay hopes the skating club can continue to grow.

"Miami University is really known by synchronized skating, to me it’s exciting that skaters now hear we have a free style program," Clay says. "I would like to keep the positive feeling going and continue to attract other skaters that are all levels."

Click here for more information about Intercollegiate Team Skating.

Photo: Student skaters and parents wait for the competition to start. --Photos by Kexin Yue