Published Sunday, November 24, 2002
Herald Staff Writer
Amanda Milich has been ice skating for only 41Ž2 years. But the Pymatuning Township teen has already glided with her talent to an international level.
Milich, 17, is a member of the Hess Ice Rink's World Team, which features skaters who compete on an international level in the International Skating Institute.
Althought the Neshannock Township-based rink boasts girls of all ages who twirl, dance and glide across the ice while performing spins and loops and lutzes, Amanda is among its shining stars.
"I like performing," she said. "I just like to get out in front of people and skate."
At the team's mid-summer competition in Boston, Amanda placed first in the Spotlight competition, an event she described as an artistic event.
"I used 'I Hope You Dance' as my song because it's one of my favorites," she said. "You're allowed to use props, so I used a ballet bar, which I built myself, and skated around it."
Amanda also placed second in Footwork 4 and third in Solo Dance in the international competition.
Despite her impressive success, Amanda's skating career actually began on wheels, not blades. But the transition to ice was easy, she said.
Amanda and the other girls in the group practice from six to 10 hours Monday through Friday before closing the week with another practice on Saturday.
"Everyone is really friendly," she said. "We all get along."
Several of the global competitors have not yet reached their teens, but are already showing signs of greatness. Jenna Loader, a fourth-grader at Neshannock, is one of them. Jenna, who's been skating since she was 5 years old, took fifth place in the Compulsories, Solo dance and Spotlight competitions in Boston.
"We live close to the rink and she liked to watch the other girls skating," her father, Skip, said, explaining how she got started. "She said, 'I want to skate,' so I enrolled her. She's been with it ever since."
Loader said his daughter hopes to compete in the Olympics some day.
"We're so proud of her when she competes," he said.
Skip Mackall is the team's coach and the director of skating at the rink.
"We have skaters from age 4 to age 62," he said, adding that participants are taught not only basic skating skills, but also jumps, spins and ice dancing.
In addition to the competition in Boston, the team has traveled to Columbus, Ohio, and Minneapolis. The next competition is Jan. 8 in Boardman, Ohio.
You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Amanda Smith-Teutsch at:
ateutsch@sharonherald.com