Liberty University Club Sports
University of California, Los Angeles
Figure skaters excel at second national competition in Southern California
4/18/2023 11:17:10 AM | Figure Skating
Liberty University’s women’s figure skating team finished a program-best sixth out of 16 teams at the U.S. Figure Skating Collegiate National Intercollegiate Finals over the weekend in Anaheim, Calif., improving on last year’s eighth-place showing at its first national appearance.
Lady Flames junior Kristine Neumeyer won a gold medal in the Excel Pre-Juvenile freeskate to lead the team to its sixth-place total of 159 points, landing behind only Boston University (276), Southeast Section rival Delaware (270), New York University (230), Adrian College (221), and Dartmouth College (180). They placed in front of UCLA (157.5), Cornell (154), Penn State (145.5), Trine University (136), Denver (133), South Florida (131), UC Berkeley (124), Ohio State (114), Michigan (108.5), and UC San Diego (96.5) in the final team standings.
Three of Liberty’s sophomore skaters placed in the top eight in the Intermediate women’s short program — Rachel Berger in second, Emma Richards in third, and Greta Snukis in seventh. Richards also placed third, Snukis 13th, and senior Rebekah McBrayer 15th in the Excel Intermediate freeskate before Berger placed 11th in the Excel Novice freeskate.
Senior Hannah Bruckner and sophomore Shaeleigh Stewart finished fifth and sixth, respectively, in the Excel Preliminary freeskate, Emma Zajone and Anna Holloway landed in fifth and sixth, respectively, in the Excel High Beginner freeskate, and senior Hailey Jordan came in fifth in the Excel Preliminary Plus freeskate.
Liberty’s Low Team Maneuvers team of senior Marissa Harter, Neumeyer, senior Sarah Hicks, and sophomore Kamden Carrera placed fourth.
Hicks and Harter also came in seventh and eighth, respectively, in the Juvenile Solo Free Dance after Carrera finished seventh in the Juvenile short program, Hicks ninth in Preliminary Pattern Dance, Neumeyer 11th in the Silver Pattern Dance, and Harter 12th in Pre-Bronze Pattern Dance.
Senior Olivia Walker finished second in the Pre-Gold Pattern Dance competition and 10th in the Senior solo free dance. Carerra came in 15th in the Excel Juvenile freeskate.
Senior Claire Rivas placed seventh in the Bronze Pattern Dance event, 10th in the Senior short program, and 17th in the Excel Senior free skate.
Senior Jamie Gordon landed in fifth place in the Senior solo free dance event and took 10th in the Senior short program.
Complete results are available online.
This Saturday, the figure skating and synchronized skating teams will collaborate on their annual PraiseFest on Ice event from 7-9 p.m. at the LaHaye Ice Center. Tickets are $6 at the door.
