Above: Emily Allen during her excel senior free skate (KrPhotogs Photography)
By Grace Knoop
More than 400 skaters from around the country arrived this past weekend in Norwood, Massachusetts, for the 2022 Excel National Festival, featuring the top skaters from the Excel Series at the novice, junior and senior levels.
Novice
Natalie Liu (Glacier Falls FSC) skated a near-perfect free skate with all positive grades of execution and a double Lutz-double toe loop to earn 63.02 points in her winning free skate.
“I am very excited to be here,” Liu said of the weekend. “I am so grateful for the support that I got and for accomplishing a high score.”
Cali Roloson (Dutchess FSC) captured the silver medal with 55.80 points. Her free skate featured a double Lutz-double loop combination and strong skating skills.
Syena Schaad (Garden State SC) trailed closely behind Roloson for the bronze medal with 55.17. Her free skate was highlighted by a Level 3 combination spin.
Samantha Palansky (DuPage FSC),received 55.08 points for the pewter medal, rounding out the excel novice women’s podium.
Junior
Emma Tanaka (SC of New York) skated a memorable free skate, earning 65.47 points for the gold medal. Her Bollywood-inspired free skate included a powerful double Lutz-double loop and strong performance skills.
“I am super excited that I got to compete today,” said Tanaka. “I am so proud of how far I have come.”
Natalie Eich (Gilmour Academy FSC) captured the silver medal with 59.04 points in her lyrical free skate. Her smile was evident following her performance which featured a double flip-double loop-double toe loop jump sequence in the second half.
Emerson Luczak (Onyx-Suburban Skating Academy) took the bronze medal with 57.97 points. Her free skate highlighted her spinning ability with a Level 4 sit spin.
Sarah Decillis (Rye FSC) clinched the pewter medal with 56.67 points.
Senior
Emily Allen (Hershey FSC) skated an impressive free skate with 75.50 points for the gold medal. In her cherry red dress, she caught the crowd's attention with her double Axel and speed across the ice.
“I’m just so happy and am super thankful for my coaches Gracie Gold and James Hernandez and my family, my mom and my sister,” said Allen. “I definitely could not have skated the way I did without God on my side; I’m just elated.”
Gabrielle Brandt (SC of New York) skated a Broadway inspired free skate to Chicago to grab the silver medal. Her free skate began with a solid double Lutz-double toe loop-double loop jump sequence and finished with a Level 4 combination spin.
Jessica Martinelli (Duluth FSC) clinched the bronze medal with 70.48. The highlights of her free skate were her Level 4 combination and layback spins.
Megan Audet (SC of Phoenix) earned the pewter medal with 69.43 points.
Festival
Along with the competition aspect of the Excel National Festival, skaters were excited by the different opportunities offered, including on- and off-ice sessions and meet-and-greets with Team USA Olympians Jason Brown, Karen Chen, Ashley Cain and Timothy LeDuc.
In addition to classes led by the featured U.S. Olympians, skaters took part in movement classes with renowned choreographer Adam Blake and on-ice stroking sessions with two-time Canadian Olympian Kaitlyn Weaver.
“This was a wonderful opportunity to work with the up-and-coming generation,” LeDuc said.
“We are both really passionate about skating and wanting to spread that joy within the community,” Cain added.
Full results from the 2022 Excel National Festival are available here.
