Newcomers help raise bar for synchronized skating program

Synchronized-skating-team-photo-with-coaches — Liberty's 12 synchronized skaters with Assistant Coach Haley Gram (left), Head Coach Hannah Pulley (right). (Photo by Matt Reynolds)

Energized by an influx of freshmen, Liberty University's synchronized skating team experienced a successful 2023-24 season, building anticipation for an even stronger program starting this fall. To top it off, third-year Head Coach Hannah Pulley has lined up a couple solid recruits to complement her nine returning skaters on the team this fall.

"Just having that group of girls as freshmen advancing our team each and every year with recruitment has really helped … our team grow stronger and stronger each year," Pulley said. "The team bonding events that we had this (past) season really helped further that bond and allowed them to skate well on the ice together."

Freshman Ava Galitsky said her first season of collegiate skating was better than she could have imagined.

"Coming in, I didn't know what to expect," she said. "But it really exceeded what expectations I did have because the atmosphere was so good, all the girls were so nice and welcoming. It went by really fast, but I think that means it was really good. It was really fun."

Lady Flames senior Emma Rietveld said elevating the difficulty of last season's routine, skated to the song "Champion" to reflect Liberty's mission of Training Champions for Christ, helped to push the team to higher levels of technical precision and artistic impression.

"We had a much harder program this year, which was a really good challenge," she said. "At our first (competition) of the season (at the Boston Classic), we ended up getting gold, which was a first for me in my time here at Liberty, so that was very exciting. Then, we ended up tying for first and getting silver at Eastern (Sectionals, Jan. 19-21 in New Hampshire), so it was a really good experience."

"It was amazing to see how well they did with that," Pulley added. "Going into that competition without setting (an expectation to win), really helped them to stay focused and to continue to just glorify God in everything that we do."

Pulley, who competed for the Lady Flames from 2017-21, is hopeful they can be reclassified to the Collegiate division of competition soon, after skating the past two seasons as an Open Collegiate program. That would make the team eligible to qualify for the United States Synchronized Skating Collegiate National Championships, as they did for the third time in 2021-22 when Pulley served as assistant coach.

Rietveld, who was a freshman on the team that year, noted that she would like to return for another season to help the Lady Flames reach their national goals.

"This has been definitely the best synchro year that I've ever had," she said. "I really wish … I could come back and skate another year. Everyone's really excited for what next year is going to hold. As we grow stronger with more difficult and stronger programs, continuing to perform really, really well, everyone is very energized and ready for the next season."

Video by Kylee (Lilge) Wright/Club Sports Video & Media Coordinator

Newcomers help raise bar for synchronized skating program

Players Mentioned

Ava Galitsky

Emma Rietveld

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