18 Broadmoor Skaters Going to Junior Nationals!

World and Olympic dreams begin at a young age, and some of the best young figure skaters in the USA are being groomed right here in Colorado Springs. One reason is that the Colorado Springs World Arena Ice Hall's training atmosphere is excellent. That training atmosphere has paid off. This year, eighteen young figure skaters from Colorado Springs and the Broadmoor Skating Club have qualified for the 2009 U.S. Junior National Figure Skating Championships which will take place in Lake Placid, New York from December 10--13, 2008.

In order to qualify for the "Junior Nationals" event, the skaters competed earlier in the figure skating competition season at regional and sectional ice skating competitions. Only the top finishers won spots on Broadmoor Skating Club's Junior National Team. All skaters participating in the U.S. Junior Figure Skating Championships must be under eighteen.

The following skaters from Colorado Springs and the Broadmoor Skating Club will be participating at the 2009 Junior Nationals:

• Avery Kurtz - 2009 Southwestern Regional Juvenile Girls Champion


• Jessica Pfund - 2009 Southwestern Regional Juvenile Girls Bronze Medalist


• Ayaha Chen - 2009 Southwestern Regional Juvenile Girls Pewter Medalist


• Logan Bye - 2009 Southwestern Regional Juvenile Boys Champion


• Daniel Neudecker - 2009 Southwestern Regional Juvenile Boys Bronze Medalist


• Sam Anderson - 2009 Southwestern Regional Juvenile Boys - 6th Place


• Lukas Kaugars - 2009 Southwestern Regional Intermediate Mens Champion


• Rebekah and Joel Schneider-Farris - 2009 Midwestern Sectional Juvenile Pairs Bronze Medalists


• Nicole Perkey and Brandon Frazier - 2009 Midwestern Sectional Intermediate Pairs Silver Medalists


• Katie Shipstad and Logan Bye - 2009 Midwestern Sectional Juvenile Dance Champions


• Rebekah and Joel Schneider-Farris - 2009 Midwestern Sectional Juvenile Dance Silver Medalists


• Paolina Bushar and Jason Garofolo - 2009 Midwestern Sectional Juvenile Dance - 7th Place


• Molly Raymond and Douglas Stevenson - 2009 Midwestern Sectional Intermediate Dance Silver Medalists


• Jessica Mancini and Michael Hopkins - 2009 Midwestern Sectional Intermediate Dance Bronze Medalists

Three of the skaters participating have qualified to compete in more than one event: Logan Bye will be competing in both Juvenile Boys and Juvenile Dance, and Rebekah Schneider-Farris and Joel Schneider-Farris will be competing in Juvenile Pairs and Juvenile Dance.

Katie Shipstad, Logan Bye, Rebekah Schneider-Farris, Joel Schneider-Farris, Brandon Frazier, Molly Raymond, and Douglas Stevenson have participated at previous U.S. Junior Championships, but this is the first year that the other club members won berths on the national team.

"I am so excited about competing," says Rebekah Schneider-Farris. "It will be fun to make new skating friends in Lake Placid and at Junior Nationals. I am especially looking forward to seeing some great skating. It's such an honor to be competing in two events and to represent the Broadmoor Skating Club. I can't wait!"

_{Joel and Rebekah Schneider-Farris show off the pair and dance medals they won at the 2009 Midwestern Figure Skating Championships. Their placements earned them spots on Broadmoor Skating Club's 2009 Junior National Team - Photo Copyright © JO ANN Schneider Farris}