Miami skating heads to national championships

The Miami University synchronized skating teams are renowned in the skating world for their precision and success. The collegiate team has won three-straight national titles, and the senior team finished third in the 2023-24 national championship.

This year, the senior and collegiate teams will travel to Colorado Springs for the national competition starting Feb. 28.

To make nationals, the collegiate team competed in two “classic” events: sectionals and regionals. After taking second and fifth place in its classic events, the team regrouped and was able to win both competitions.

At its first competitions, the Boston Classic and the Dr. Porter Classic, the collegiate team scored 95.03 and 90.01, respectively. To round out its season before nationals, the team won both the Midwestern Sectional Championship and the Tri-State Competition with scores of 111.23 and 106.69.

This season was markedly different for the collegiate team, with different coaches and a third of the team being first years as well. Through the changes and challenges of the season, it’s evident the team is eager to be back at nationals with something to prove.

“It's exciting to be back with a new team, new coaches and to prove to the skating world that we are still Miami,” senior Caroline Yaeger said. “This year, it’s taken a shift in our mental mindset.”

With all the change, the collegiate team is hoping to add its fourth-straight national title in its 12-team division.

The senior team will also compete at nationals, hoping to place in the top two in order to make the world championships. If they perform well enough, the RedHawks will make their 15th appearance at the World Championships.

The senior and collegiate teams often practice similarly, but the structure of their competitions is much different.

“They are competing in entirely different divisions,” said assistant coach Sammie Levine. “They’re competitive in different ways, and their training is of a similar caliber.”

The team feels great going into nationals with a staunch support system. The coaches play a big role as a support for them, but another factor is the popularity the team has gained over so many successful seasons.

“Hitting that ending position, seeing Sammy and Katie on the other side of the rink and hearing the cheers behind us is amazing,” sophomore Emalie Werkowski said. “It’s fulfilling just knowing that all of our hard work went into this one moment.”

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Miami skating is a huge name for this sport and recruits at a high level. This year, the RedHawks boasted 12 first years across both teams, coming from varying high level backgrounds in synchronized skating.

Imagineably, this atmosphere seems daunting to enter for younger girls who may have never competed at this level. The team promotes culture, trust and understanding to ensure its chemistry shows on and off the ice.

“Growing up, I would always be watching Miami skate from the other side, and seeing the whole stadium cheering for Miami,” first year Rachel Grinfeld said. “It’s been a crazy experience to actually be on the ice while everyone is cheering for you.”

The pressure is greatly outweighed by the support of fans of the RedHawks and synchronized skating as a whole. The team values this encouragement greatly and hopes for a good show out on the national stage to support the RedHawks as they aim to bring another national championship back to Oxford.

The senior and collegiate teams will both compete on Friday, Feb. 28 at 5:46 p.m. and 7:32 p.m. The national champions will be announced at awards after 8:30 p.m. the same night. The senior team will get another chance to compete if it lands in the top seven teams.

rosente2@miamioh.edu