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Westport Girl Helps Synchronized Skating Team Win Nationals

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. – Skaters from Fairfield County are on the Skyliners synchronized skating team that won the gold medal in the Juvenile Division at the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships last weekend in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The Skyliners Synchronized Skating Juvenile division team won the national championship last weekend in Colorado.

The Skyliners Synchronized Skating Juvenile division team won the national championship last weekend in Colorado.

Photo Credit: Contributed by Skyliners

The skaters are ages 12-and-under and coached by Natalie Martello, who is also the choreographer. Celeste Cote-Estrada is the assistant coach.

Girls from Fairfield County on the team include Jillian Belluck, Weston; Maggie Brooks, Darien; Chen Cordelia, Westport; Quincy Connell, New Canaan; Madison deBalsi, Greenwich; Katherine Elmlinger, Greenwich; Elizabeth Essaid, Old Greenwich; Olivia Marshall, Stamford; Mia Sparks, Darien; and Michelle Woo, Riverside.

Girls from New York and New Jersey are also on the 24-member team. The Skyliners last won the Juvenile championship in 2011. They finished second in 2010, 2012 and 2013.

Only six skaters returned from last year’s silver medal-winning team. Skyliners also had one of the larger teams, as most squads have fewer than 20 skaters.

The skaters performed to a theme from "Aladdin." They were judged on ordinals, and received seven first place votes.

Girls from Westchester County on the team are: Mikhalia Archer, Ossining; Kathleen Bishop, Scarsdale; Annie Guo, White Plains; Sophia Lamb, Pleasantville; Gracie Ossorio, Rye Brook; and Emmy Sloan, Mount Kisco.

Other team members were Amie Adjkaple, Great Neck, N.Y.; Emma Estrada, Bayside, N.Y.; Jessica Hu, Florham Park, N.Y.; Olivia Kegel, Whitestone, N.Y.; Ethne Laude, Short Hills, N.J.; Angela Maliakal, West Orange, N.J; Alyssa Politoski, Manhasset, N.Y.; and Katherine Xie, Short Hills, N.J.

"It was really fun out there," said Lamb, a third-year member, in a story on IceNetwork.com. "We're like a new team; only six skaters are returning from last year, and we're really happy and proud of ourselves. We feel like we had the skate of our lives."

Other teams for the Skyliners also competed at nationals. The senior team finished fifth, the Junior line took sixth, the Novice team won bronze by finishing third and the Intermediate team took sixth.

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