Ice instructors named top coaches

Two University of Delaware ice skating instructors received the Developmental Coach of the Year Award given jointly by the U.S. Figure Skating Association, the Professional Skaters Association and the U.S. Olympic Committee in June.

Jeff DiGregorio and Pam Gregory were nominated for their work with champion UD Figure Skating Club competitors Sara Wheat, Kelsey Drewel, Anna Pang and Christine Zukowski.

Wheat is the 1999 junior national champion who is now competing in senior ladies and Drewel is the 2001 novice ladies champion.

In the 2001 junior national competition, Pang finished second in intermediate ladies and Zukowski earned first place in juvenile girls.

Both instructors have long-term relationships with the UD ice skating program. "I have been an instructor at Delaware since the arena has been open," DiGregorio said. "I was a student training here and decided that I wanted to teach."

Gregory has been teaching in the program for 10 years and even met her husband here. "It is a fantastic environment to work in," Gregory said. "And, what makes it even better is the fact that I have some really good kids."

DiGregorio and Gregory have been working together for the past four years.

"We just sort of became partners over time," Gregory said. "We started off collaborating with students individually and eventually just ended up as partners."

Before becoming partners both DiGregorio and Gregory individually received awards for excellence in technique and development by the Professional Skaters Association and the U.S. Figure Skating Association.

The new award is the icing on the cake in a year when they worked with two national champions, a national silver medallist and a junior world team member.

"This is the first year the Professional Skaters Association, the U.S. Figure Skating Association and the U.S. Olympic Committee have joined to give this award," DiGregorio said.

Also nominated for the award this year were UD coaches Karl Kurtz and Priscilla Hill.

–Drew Chyzus

Photo by ERIC CROSSAN