Needham Skaters Compete In U.S. Synchronized Skating Champion

NEEDHAM, MA — Two Needham residents will compete on Boston-based Team Excel Juvenile and Team Excel Junior at the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships. Laine Wiesel and Olivia Lynch will be with the team for the competition, which is from Feb. 26 to the 29th in Providence, RI.

Weisel is a Pollard Middle School student and Lynch is a Needham High School student. Team Excel is a synchronized skating team representing the Skating Club of Boston.

Team Excel Juvenile was one of six Juvenile teams to qualify for Nationals at the Eastern Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships earlier in January and will be one of only thirteen Juvenile teams from across the country to compete at this elite level. Team Excel Junior took second place at Eastern Sectionals, earning them a bid to compete on the national stage. In addition to its Juvenile and Junior Teams, Team Excel Collegiate and Adult have also qualified to compete at the U.S. Championships.

Synchronized skating is a demanding discipline of figure skating in which teams of eight to 20 skaters perform a program together, blending elements of singles skating, pairs skating and ice dance.

Programs are characterized by teamwork, speed, intricate formations and challenging step sequences. Athletes in this sport work and train diligently year-round. Team Excel practices eleven months a year, for a minimum of 8 hours a week, on and off the ice. In addition, each skater trains with private coaches on individual skating skills, such as footwork, edge quality, free style jumps and spins and ice dance