Kathleen Criss competes.

Stellar skaters

UD skaters record strong performances in national collegiate competition

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2:32 p.m., Aug. 28, 2015--Three University of Delaware students in the College of Health Sciences turned in stellar individual performances at the U.S. Collegiate Figure Skating Championships held Aug. 6-8 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Taylor Aruanno, a freshman athletic training interest student, won the junior ladies competition. Kathleen Criss, a senior athletic training major, finished third in the junior ladies competition, while Hannah Kimberly, a senior exercise science major, finished 13th in the senior ladies event. 

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With UD figure skating coach Jeff DiGregorio tweeting and watching the championships online, Aruanno said she also received support at the rink from her fellow Blue Hen competitors. 

“Kathleen and Hannah did an amazing job and put me on the ice,” Aruanno, a member of the Class of 2019 who is embarking on her academic career at UD, said. “They were so supportive and would cheer after every element I did, even in the warm-ups. I already feel like part of the team.”

Sharing the ice with Max Aaron, the 2013 U.S. national champion, and Olympian Mirai Nagasu, made the competition unlike any other, Aruanno said. 

“At first I was nervous because I knew I had a chance at a national title,” Aruanno said. “I trusted my training and put it all out there on the ice.”

Aruanno said her passion for figure skating began at age 7, when she would accompany her mother to weekend public sessions at a nearby ice rink. 

“My mom was taking lessons at the time, just for something to do for herself, but then she started to give me five minutes of her lessons,” Aruanno recalled. “Five minutes turned into 10 minutes and the rest is history. Twelve years later, and I am just as much in love with the ice, if not more, than I was when I could barely even do a waltz jump.” 

While describing herself as ecstatic about winning the junior national championship, Aruanno plans to continue skating both as a UD student and, down the road, as an alumna. 

“I definitely see myself coaching and also becoming a technical specialist in the future,” Aruanno said. “After I graduate, I would like to do some skating shows overseas. I love to travel, and that would be an amazing opportunity.” 

Criss, a member of the UD Collegiate Figure Skating Team, which has five national championships to its credit, wanted to go to the nationals with teammate Kimberly. 

“Hannah had never competed at the collegiate nationals, while I competed last year and had a really good time,” Criss said. “We wanted to go and have some fun since we won’t be able to compete next year.”

The two seniors joined up with freshman Aruanno, to offer support and encouragement during the competition.

“The nationals are a great way for college students who are still training to come together and compete,” Criss said. “It was great having Hannah and Taylor there to share this experience and it gets us excited about performing with our UD team this year.” 

An asthma flare-up weeks before the nationals limited training opportunities prior to the competition in Pittsburgh, Criss said.

“Having won my event last year, I was frustrated about not going into this year as strong as I could be and knowing I wouldn’t skate my best,” Criss said. “Placing third under the circumstances was an accomplishment for me.” 

Skating for Criss began at age 4, when she would dance off the ice while her older sister and other skaters completed their programs.   

“I finally got my chance and fell in love with it immediately,” Criss said. “Skating will always be a huge part of my life, and hopefully I will be able to coach while I’m in graduate school and maybe incorporate skating into my career later on.”

Kimberly, who serves as vice president of the UD Collegiate Figure Skating Team, is a veteran of three of the team’s five national championship-winning squads. 

Back from a UD study abroad trip to Vietnam less than three weeks before the national championships, Kimberly said that placing 13th among 37 competitors exceeded her expectations.

“I just wanted to skate the best that I could and have fun. I actually I ended up skating seventh best in free skate,” she said. ”I was incredibly happy with my scores and very proud of myself for being able to skate a respectable program that scored so well.” 

Skating in the nationals meant a chance to catch up with other skaters also trying to balance full-time college careers while pursuing personal skating goals, Kimberly said.

“Having teammates Kathleen and Taylor present at the competition made it even better because they were there to support me while I skated,” Kimberly said. “Being able to share the success of my teammates and my own is incredibly rewarding. It’s one of the many reasons I absolutely love skating at UD and being on the intercollegiate team.”

A skater from an early age, Kimberly said she hopes to skate as much as possible and stay connected with the sport while fully enrolled in a doctorate program in physical therapy after graduating from UD. 

“I started skating at the age of five, when my family was living in Michigan,” Kimberly said. “My mom enrolled me in 'learn-to-skate classes,' and I instantly fell in love with the beauty and grace of the sport. My mom practically had to drag me off the ice after every lesson.” 

Article by Jerry Rhodes

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