Above: The Skyliners senior team performs at an early fall competition on the West Coast. Photo credit: Cynthia Slawter
By Taylor Dean
The synchronized skating season is here, with the Santa Claus Cup kicking off international competition this weekend. Team USA will be out in full force, looking to build upon an impressive 2024 season that included winning 13 medals. As teams put the final touches on their programs, we take a look at six things to watch for heading into another exciting season.
World Title Aspirations
The Haydenettes don’t have to look hard to find motivation, having earned a silver medal at the 2024 World Championships in Croatia, the highest finish for a U.S. team since Miami University claimed the silver medal in 2007. Taking that next step — standing on top of the podium at Worlds — is right in front of them, and coach Saga Krantz has demonstrated that she knows the right buttons to push to achieve that milestone.
Skyliners on the Rise
Synchronized skating was again included at the 2024 Champs Camp, and the Skyliners were chosen to join the Haydenettes at the August session in Norwood, Massachusetts. They received invaluable feedback from top coaches in the nation, including ice dance lessons from Olympian Jean-Luc Baker and instruction from former Team USA athlete Amber Corwin Farrow. Josh Babb’s team — and the Haydenettes — left Champs Camp motivated and wanting more success.
Changing Landscape at Miami University
The tide is changing in Oxford, Ohio, as Katey Nyquist enters her first season as coach of the Miami University Synchronized Skating Team. Carla DeGirolamo stepped down at the end of last season alongside assistant coach LeAnn Shoker after two decades in the role, leaving a legacy that Nyquist and assistant coach/Miami Synchro alum Sammie Levine have been charged with preserving. She heads to Miami from Denver, where she was a coach of the Denver Synchronicity teams. Nyquist also competed with the Haydenettes for five years, garnering invaluable experience. With a new vision and lofty goals, this team will be one to watch as they usher in a new era.
Teams Elite and Skyliners Junior Lead the Charge
Teams Elite and Skyliners continue to be leaders nationally and internationally in the junior ranks. Teams Elite, of Northbrook, Illinois, earned their first U.S. title after two international gold medals last season. Coach Danielle Ostrower’s group went on to finish fourth at the 2024 World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships, behind the bronze medalists Skyliners. Seven-time U.S. junior champions, the Skyliners, of Fairfield, Connecticut, have five World Junior medals in their trophy case. Both teams possess the passion and dedication to continue their winning ways.
Team Image Looks for Consistency
New Jersey-based Team Image, the 2022 U.S. junior champions, will look to achieve more consistency in the 2025 season. The 2024 bronze medalists finished third and 10th, respectively, at their international competitions last year. Cindy Kim’s team has shown it has what it takes to compete at the highest level but doing that each time out is the always the goal.
A Rising Star in Northernettes
The Northernettes, who train in Minnesota’s Twin Cities, have been on the junior synchronized skating scene since 2018. In the last three seasons, they’ve cemented themselves as one of the country’s top teams domestically, as well as a formidable program internationally with two medals to their credit. Can they take that next step in 2025? They have the foundation to do just that.
