Saugerties skaters brought home seven medals from the Empire State Winter Games in Lake Placid, which took place January 31 through February 2. Nine skaters who train at the Kiwanis Ice Arena in Saugerties competed at the annual event.
Winning gold medals were: Stella Phoenix in the aspire 3 event, Shauna Keating in adult beginner, Eloise Erwin in aspire 4 and Maria Reynolds in adult gold solo dance and master’s junior/senior. Rounding out the medals were Kelsey Beers winning a silver in adult pre-bronze and Alexis Horton winning a bronze medal in aspire 4. A trio of fifth place finishes were achieved by Aurora Freeman in novice excel, Emily Ascenzi in preliminary plus excel and Lily Vogel in aspire 3. All medalists are now eligible to compete at the State Games of America, which will be held in Summer 2026.
Club president Tracey Ascenzi praised the skaters, “All of our skaters put in hours of hard work and practice leading up to the event and they showed off some excellent performances to the judges and crowd. We are really proud of all our skaters.” The club looks forward to sending skaters to competitions in North Carolina, New Jersey and Connecticut in the upcoming months as well as the club’s annual show in April.
The Skating Club of Saugerties was founded in 2015 and is dedicated to helping students of all ages learn figure skating at the Kiwanis Ice Arena. The club offers group and private lessons to beginner and advanced skaters. A new session of learn to skate classes begins on March 3. For more information, visit www.skatingclubofsaugerties.com.
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