Julia Edelman.
WEST ORANGE, NJ – West Orange High School junior Julia Edelman is a member of the Skyliners Synchronized Skating Team that captured Gold in the Intermediate Division at the 2017 Eastern Synchronized Sectional Championships in Hershey, Pa. recently.
In fact, the Skyliners became the gold-medal champions in every division they entered: Preliminary, Pre-Juvenile, Juvenile, Intermediate and Novice.
“We knew we had a strong chance at performing well at Easterns, but to capture Gold in every division we competed in was truly outstanding,” said Josh Babb, Skyliners Head Coach and Director of Synchronized Skating. “The skaters have been working incredibly hard, and now our qualifying lines get to compete on the national stage at the U.S. Championships in Rockford, Illinois this February. We are very proud!”
Edelman was thrilled about helping her team achieve the Gold.
“We all work really hard at every practice, so when we found out we were Eastern Sectional champions and received the chance to go to Nationals, we were all thrilled,” she said. “The competition on the Intermediate division is one of the hardest as we competed against 18 teams.”
More than 2,000 synchronized skaters gathered in Hershey to compete at the Eastern Sectional Championships. Of those, Skyliners sent 123 skaters, ranging in age from 7-18. Among the nationally-qualifying lines, Skyliners earned a season high score of 76.90 in the Novice division for their dramatic “Camelot” themed program. It is the first time in Skyliners history that the Novice line became Eastern champions. In the Intermediate division, Skyliners earned a season high score of 66.62 for their riveting “Wizards” program and for the first time in five years, became Eastern champions. And in the Juvenile division, Skyliners earned their seventh straight Eastern championship title with their inspiring “Angels” program, which earned a 48.21. All three of those qualifying lines move on to Nationals as well as Skyliners Junior and Senior, both of which earned byes to Nationals due to their international competition schedules representing Team USA.
All three of the Skyliners qualifying lines move on to Nationals as well as Skyliners Junior and Senior, both of which earned byes to Nationals due to their international competition schedules representing Team USA.
Skyliners will now devote the early part of February to preparing for the 2017 U.S.Synchronized Skating Championships, which will take place in Rockford, Illinois February 23-25.
Tryouts and clinics for Skyliners 2017-18 season will be announced soon. Please check the website at www.skylinerssynchro.com for the latest information. The Skyliners Synchronized Skating Team was established in 2001 by a group of parents who wanted to create the most competitive synchronized skating club in the tri-state area.
Synchronized skating consists of 8-20 highly skilled athletes performing a program on ice together, moving as one flowing unit at high speeds. It is characterized by teamwork, speed, intricate formations and challenging step sequences. There are approximately 600 synchronized teams and nearly 5,000 synchronized skaters in the United States alone, with elite competitions at both the national and international level. Although not currently an Olympic sport, there is significant movement toward including it at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games.
Visit the Skyliners at www.skylinerssynchro.com to learn more about this successful team.
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