1:22 p.m., Feb. 3, 2009----The University of Delaware's collegiate synchronized skating team has won the 2009 Eastern sectional championship, which was held from Jan. 28 to Feb. 1 in Morristown, N.J. This is the 11th time the UD team has won this competition.

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The collegiate team was one of eight teams the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club sent to the competition.

Along with the collegiate team, Delaware's adult and senior division teams earned Eastern sectional titles in their respective divisions.

Also, the masters team earned fifth place, the preliminary team placed sixth in a qualifying round and the open adult team placed in sixth in its divisions, while the juvenile team earned the pewter medal.

“We were so happy to have our teams go out there and skate an entertaining performance,” Megan O'Donnell, director of the synchronized skating program and coach of four of the teams, said. “To have earned three titles was great and to have our juvenile team skate well and make nationals was icing on the cake.”

O'Donnell said the collegiate team, featuring 27 University of Delaware students, performed a four-minute program with various technical elements that are embellished by artistic qualities. The theme for their performance was “The Power of Color.” The show goes through different colors and displays feelings and emotions associated with the colors.

With UD's previous success on the rink, O'Donnell says that the team went into sectionals with high expectations. “Going into this competition every year, there is so much pressure to live up that that reputation,” she said.

O'Donnell said the University of Delaware is unique in that the collegiate team has so many additional teams representing the University figure skating club, with more than 110 skaters in the entire program. She added that this helps the team in terms of support and spirit.

The juvenile, masters, adult, senior, and collegiate teams all earned spots at the 2009 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships, which will be held March 3-7 in Portland, Maine.

“We hope to have them go out there, have a great time and really put out confident, technically clean and entertaining performances,” O'Donnell said about the upcoming competition.

Article by Jon Bleiweis