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Passion leads the way for MSU Figure Skating

December 9, 2015
From left to right, kinesiology senior Olivia Dorantes, athletic training sophomore Lauren Jackson and hospitality business junior Meghan Erikson skate together while warming up for a MSU Figure Skating Club practice on Dec. 6, 2015 at Munn Ice Arena. The club is made up of girls of all levels who used to figure skate when they were younger and wish to continue the sport.
From left to right, kinesiology senior Olivia Dorantes, athletic training sophomore Lauren Jackson and hospitality business junior Meghan Erikson skate together while warming up for a MSU Figure Skating Club practice on Dec. 6, 2015 at Munn Ice Arena. The club is made up of girls of all levels who used to figure skate when they were younger and wish to continue the sport. —
Photo by Catherine Ferland | and Catherine Ferland The State News

“We just finished one (and) Oakland University was the host and they have a lot of different events, so girls can compete in individual programs as well as ice dance and there’s also a team event,” athletic training sophomore Lauren Jackson said.

There are many different skill levels on the club team,from first-timers to women who started skating by the age of three-years-old. The team accepts anyone who pays the fees for competition and apparel, but depending on how hard a girl works determines whether or not she will be chosen to compete for the team at competitions.

“I get to decide who gets to do what element for a competition,” media and information sophomore and vice president of the club Bridget Race said. “So I watch the girls. Whoever wants to try out for a certain position, I’ll watch them all do the element and decide from there who is the best to do it for the team.”

The different elements of figure skating on the club level are similar to the ones seen in the Winter Olympics. They are broken up into three different categories based on the skaters’ skill levels on the team. As a member of high team, Race has to perform three jumps, two spins and an axel in her individual event. She said she loves being out on the ice all by herself.

“It’s just like, you skate for yourself, by yourself, it’s all about how hard you worked in practice that pays off at competition,” Race said.

Unlike higher levels of figure skating such as the Olympics, the club teams are graded using a point system that goes up to 6.0. This grade is determined by each skaters’ performance at a competition and is added up at the end. Whichever team as a whole won more points wins. Even though most women skate by themselves, every performance counts, so the teammates have to stay unified as a team to achieve the goal of winning at a competition.

“We have team events, we had a hay ride, we have meetings usually we get together during the holidays and do some kind of a holiday themed party,” Race said.

Most women on the team have been skating for most of their lives.

Also, they love the fact they can continue to skate in college without it being as serious as when they were young.

“When I was in high school, I practiced every day (for) five days a week after school and it was a lot more intense, but since we are all in college now we don’t have as much time so it’s more for fun,” biochemistry sophomore Karisa Yu said. “It’s nice having a team and getting to know other skaters and it keeps me skating.”

The team has two more competitions this season, which ends in early March.

"Its a good way for people who are in college, even if they don’t want to compete, to still practice once a week and still get to have that experience and get to hang out with other people with similar hobbies and interests"

The women on the team like to compete against other major figure skating schools such as Adrian and Miami.

But in the end, it’s all about the fun of meeting new people and getting to participate in the sport that they love.

“Its a good way for people who are in college, even if they don’t want to compete, to still practice once a week and still get to have that experience and get to hang out with other people with similar hobbies and interests,” Jackson said. “You kind of get to meet a lot of new people who you wouldn’t have met before from other states as well and it’s just a good experience.”

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