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SYNCHRONIZED SKATING NEWS

The Achilles Edge would like to thank our sponsors for 2009-10:

 Silver Level Sponsor
  Stewart's Shops, Inc.
  www.stewartsshops.com

 Bronze Level Sponsors
Thomas H. Abele, DMD
 Delmar Dental Medicine

Drs. Decker, Sbuttoni, Boghosian & DiCerbo
 Specialists in Orthodontics P.C.

Andrea Crisafulli-Russo
 Crisafulli Bros. Plumbing & Heating Contractors, Inc.
 ...for all your comfort needs, since 1939

DECEMBER NEWS
The Pre-Juvenile team continued its winning ways in December, taking the Pewter Medal (4th place) in a field of 12 teams at the Cape Cod Classic in Bourne, Massachusetts on December 12th. Congratulations to all of our Pre-Juvenile skaters and to Coach Stephanie Hunter for a great job!

The Intermediate team placed 5th in a very competitive field of 8 teams, and was excited that they significantly improved their point scores over the previous competition. The Intermediate skaters and coaches are working hard to make sure that this trend continues! Both teams are looking forward to their next competition, the Colonial Classic, in Lowell, Massachusetts on January 8th and 9th. This major Synchro competition attracts teams from all over the Northeast and New England.

The teams will also skate at the Eastern Synchronized Skating Championships in Lowell January 28th – 30th.

NOVEMBER NEWS
The teams kicked off their competitive season on November 14th with the Thanksgiving Classic competition in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The Pre-Juvenile skaters took the Pewter Medal (4th place) in a field of 10 teams, skating beautifully to their dance music program.

The Intermediate team also placed 4th, medaling in a very competitive field of 6 teams – the second through sixth place scores were separated by less than one point!  They participated in an official USFS monitoring session for synchro levels scored under the IJS system (Intermediate and above). Coaches Liz Spiller and Wayne Hussey received some very helpful feedback from the monitoring technical specialists/controllers, and they also received positive comments from the competition judges during the team critique.
Synchro Garage Sale
The Achilles Edge Synchronized Skating Team held a very successful Garage Sale Fundraiser on Saturday Sept 12, 2009, raising nearly $600 for our synchronized skating program. A big thank you goes out to the Lombardi family for organizing and hosting the sale, and to all the families who donated items and helped at the sale. We couldn’t have done it without you!
Bowling Party
Synchro skaters enjoyed a season-opening bowling party at Del Lanes in Delmar on September 27th.  After having pizza and snacks, skaters had a great time on the lanes, demonstrating that we not only have a bunch of talented skaters, but we also have some great bowlers on our team!  Thank you to Tara DiRisio for organizing this fun event.
Synchro team members, families, and coaches had a busy summer getting ready for the 2009-10 season.
Coaches Liz Spiller and Stephanie Hunter attended the USFS Synchronized Skating Training Festival National Coaches College, held June 25-28 at the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware. Both coaches came home with exciting new ideas and plans for the team’s upcoming season.
Three Achilles Edge team members, Aislyn DiRisio, Alyssa Hopsicker, and Katie Howard, attended the Hayden Synchro Summer Experience in Ashburnham, Massachusetts July 26th – 30th. Working with internationally-known Haydenettes coaches and skaters, the program focused on skills, drills, off-ice, dance, nutrition, and teamwork. All three Achilles Edge skaters had a great time, and they are looking forward to sharing their experience with their teammates this year.
The Achilles Edge team began choreography practices in August. Pre-Juvenile level skaters worked with coaches Stephanie Hunter and Liz Spiller to update last year’s dance music program. Intermediate level skaters will skate to space-themed music this season, and are excited about their new routine.
Interested in Skating Synchro?
It’s not too late to join the synchro team for this season! The team holds practice on Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons September through January. The September practices will be held at the Albany County Hockey Facility, and will move to the Bethlehem YMCA starting September 24th.

If you would like to join our successful synchro program, please contact team manager Dawn Hopsicker or assistant manager Tara DiRisio for more information.

Synchro News 2008-09