Montgomery Parks to host special celebration at Wheaton Ice Arena on February 24 at 7 p.m. for skaters who have returned from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Greensboro, NC as well as those heading out for International Championship Competitions.
SILVER SPRING, MD— Montgomery Parks, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission is celebrating local ice skating champions who grew up training at Wheaton and Cabin John ice arenas. Both indoor ice arenas are operated by Montgomery Parks. The skaters will be performing in various competitions in the U.S. and abroad, representing a number of categories, including speed skating, ice dance and figure skating and synchronized skating.
A Celebratory Send-Off for Our Local Skating Champions!
Montgomery Parks is hosting a special send-off celebration for skaters who are heading out for competitions. The celebration will take place February 24 at 7 p.m. Skaters will perform and be available for autographs and photographs. The free event is open to the public and media.
Quinn Carpenter, a figure skater who has trained at Wheaton Ice Arena for many years, came in first place with his partner Lorraine McNamara in the Junior Dance category at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in January. Both skaters are getting ready to head out for the World Junior Figure Skating Championships in Estonia in March.
“I really enjoy training at Wheaton Ice Arena, everyone there is very friendly and supportive,” said Carpenter. “It is the arena where I first learned to skate when I was young, so it is very special to me. Junior Worlds in Estonia is going to be a very big competition but Lorraine and I are feeling confident and excited about representing the United States and are ready to skate our best!”
Following is information on the skating competitions and skaters who have trained at Wheaton and Cabin John Ice Rinks.
Speed Skating
Three speed skaters from Wheaton Ice Arena & Cabin John Ice Rink will represent the United States at the 2015 ISU Junior World Championships in Japan at the end of February. Skaters include:
- Thomas Hong competing as the U.S. Men’s Junior National Champion
- April Shin competing as the U.S. Women’s Junior National Champion
- Shaner LeBauer competing as 2nd Place Junior Men.
Ice Dance and Figure Skating
Two ice dance teams from Wheaton Ice Arena will represent the United States in the 2015 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships, which will take place the first week of March in Estonia. The teams include:
- Lorraine McNamara and Quinn Carpenter
- Rachel Parsons and Michael Parsons
Twenty-one figure skaters & ice dancers who train at Wheaton Ice Arena & Cabin John Ice Rink qualified & competed at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships which took place in Greensboro NC, January 17-25, 2015. They were:
Senior Ladies category:
- Maria Yang
Junior Dance category:
- Lorraine McNamara and Quinn Carpenter
- Rachel Parsons and Michael Parsons
- Gigi Becker and Luca Becker
Novice Dance category:
- Caroline Green and Gordon Green
- Emma Gunter and Caleb Wein
- Coco Becker and Val Katsman
Juvenile Dance category:
- Elizabeth Tkachenko and Alexei Kiliakov
- Jordan Lin and Morgan Sletten
- Maria Soldatova and Faddey Soldatov
- Claire Cain and Andrei Davydov
Five of the ice dance teams won medals; Lorraine McNamara and Quinn Carpenter finished in first place in the Junior Dance Category, followed by Rachel Parsons and Michael Parsons in second. Caroline Green and Gordon Green came in first place in the Novice Dance category; Emma Gunter and Caleb Wein came in third place in the same category. Elizabeth Tkachenko and Alexei Kiliakov came in first place in the Juvenile Dance category.
Synchronized Skating
All five teams of ice skaters from DC Edge Synchronized Skating who train at Wheaton Ice Arena and the Cabin John Ice Rink competed in the US Eastern Sectionals at Lake Placid. Teams that were eligible have qualified for the 2015 U.S. National Synchronized Skating Championships which will take place the last week in February in Providence, RI. DC Edge had eleven teams altogether competing at the event, six in categories not eligible for Nationals.
“We are very proud of these athletes who have dedicated so much time and work to the sport of ice skating,” said Christy Turnbull, Division Chief for Montgomery Parks Enterprise Division. “We feel like the skaters are part of our family. We are looking forward to sending them off in style with a special celebration on February 24 at Wheaton Ice Arena.”
Montgomery Parks offers a broad array of ice skating classes and private lessons at Wheaton Ice Arena and Cabin John Ice Rink, ranging from beginner lessons to advanced lessons in ice dancing, jumping and synchronized skating. General skating sessions for the public are offered during the week and on weekends. Both rinks also have party rooms that can be rented for special occasions and Pro Shops with an extensive line of equipment and accessories. For more details please visit www.WheatonIceArena.com and www.CabinJohnIce.com
About The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission Montgomery Parks
Montgomery Parks manages more than 36,000 acres of parkland, consisting of 420 parks. Montgomery Parks is a department of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), a bi-county agency established in 1927 to steward public land. The M-NCPPC has been nationally recognized for its high quality parks and recreation services and is regarded as a national model by other parks systems. www.montgomeryparks.org
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