UpDate - Vol. 12, No. 38, Page 7
August 5, 1993
Skaters mine gold, silver at San Antonio Olympic festival

     Karen Courtland and Todd Reynolds, from the University of Delaware
Skating Club, captured the gold in the senior pairs category at the U.S.
Olympic Festival, held last month in San Antonio.
     Another U.D. skater, Jenna Pittman, won the silver medal in the senior
ladies category.
     The U.S. Olympic Festival, sponsored by the U.S. Olympic Committee, is
a major sporting event in the United States for top athletes from the
entire country. Being invited to participate is an honor in itself,
according to Bob Young, who coaches Courtland and Reynolds with Ron
Ludington, director of the University's Ice Skating Science Development
Center. In some sports, the Olympic team is selected from this competition.
In skating, the event is an important step in the selection process.
     Winning the gold was exciting and thrilling for the skaters and Young.
"Their performance was outstanding, particularly this early in the season,
which gives us time to perfect and polish their skating for future
competitions. Karen and Todd, who have skated together for more than two
years, are rated second in the country and, if they continue to skate this
well, will make the Olympic team," he added.
     Young also gave high marks to Pittman, who is coached by Tracy
Poleitis. "This is the first time Jenna has skated at the senior level in a
national competition, and to win the silver was impressive," he said.
     More competitions for the skaters lie ahead-Skate America in Dallas in
October, the Trophee Lalique in Paris in November, the Pro/Am Competition
in Philadelphia in December, and the Nationals in Detroit in January. All
lead to the Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, in February.
     Other skaters from the University invited to participate in the San
Antonio contest were Aimee Offner and Brad Cox, and Robin Heckler and Jeff
Tilley in the senior pairs category; and Cheryl Demkowski and Sean Gales,
Rachel Lane and Ben Williamson, and Debbie Koegel and Hayes Knorr in the
senior dance category.
                                        -Sue Swyers Moncure