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Saint Louis Synergy knows a thing or two about representing the red, white and blue.
The synchronized skating team competed for Team USA at the junior level for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. They brought home the junior silver medal at the 2014 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships.
"It just meant a lot to have that type of honor to be asked to represent our country," said head coach Charity Hendrickson. "Even though it was only our second year at juniors, [being on Team USA] had been the goal our club had set its sights on years prior to that."
At the end of the 2014 season, a number of athletes graduated from high school. Others left to try different sports. The departures forced Synergy to leave of the junior division and compete at the novice level.
Hendrickson admits the transition wasn't easy.
"It was really discouraging," she said. "It was hard to have come so far and then lose that. And then for the [athletes whose goal was to compete for Team USA, it was] really hard to see them not be able to keep going on at that level
."
The adversity illuminated the character of the skaters who remained. Despite the challenges, they remained dedicated to the sport— and to each other.
"They really just stuck it out," Hendrickson said. "It showed that they were really skating because they loved skating, not just because of what level they were [or] because of Team USA. It was all about wanting to be on a team."
With a goal of once again being a representative for the United States, Synergy went to work.
Their dedication paid off. The 2018-219 season saw Synergy's return to juniors.
While part one of the goal had been accomplished, there was still more to do. Up next: be named to the International Selection Pool (ISP) and reclaim a spot on Team USA.
An exceptional performance at U.S. Synchronized Championships in early 2020 gave  Synergy a chance to reach the ISP. Their total score of 119.72 was over the qualification threshold.
While they waited on a final decision, adversity struck again, this time in the form of a pandemic. The team's skills classes were suddenly canceled, and auditions initially planned to be in-person transitioned to a virtual opportunity. Though the circumstances were unforeseen, they had a silver lining.
"I honestly think [the pandemic] has brought us closer together," junior skater Sophia Miltenberger said. "Because I think that through challenges, it brings people together."
Miltenberger first began synchronized skating at age 10 and was drawn to Synergy because of the team's competitive nature. Learning the ropes of skating with a new squad wasn't always easy, but the benefits of the challenge went beyond the ice rink.
"[The most rewarding part is] definitely the bond that I've gotten to create with my friends and my teammates," she said. "At a more competitive level, we create goals and then we accomplish them together."
Haley Weilbacher, who has been with the Synergy organization for nearly a decade, believes their bond off the ice enhances their performances.
"I've been able to skate with the same group of girls for most of my career, so we've really been able to grow together as a team," she explained. "I think that's made our skating stronger, because we're more aware of each other's style and how we move as a unit."
Their connection with one another created a sense of normalcy as the team returned to the ice after a two-month hiatus. The world had drastically changed since their last competition, but skating served as an anchor for the Synergy squad.
Little did they know, it would also soon be a beacon of light.
Not long after practices resumed, Hendrickson received a voicemail from Colette Nygren, a U.S. official. She was checking in on the junior teams and asked Hendrickson to give her a call.
When the women first began talking, nothing about the conversation seemed out of the ordinary. Then, Nygren delivered the news.
The Saint Louis Synergy junior team had been named to the ISP.
Hendrickson was in disbelief. "Am I hearing you right?" she asked.
She'd heard correctly. The team had made it back to be one step closer to the international stage.
Still in awe, she called assistant coach Hannah Meneely, who was brought to tears by the news.
"I couldn't believe it. I thought it could happen, but it finally came true," she said.
For Miltenberger, the accomplishment validated all the work the team had put in since their previous stint in the ISP.
"It was very exciting, because it was kind of a journey of about two to two and a half years," she explained. "And to see it all finally come together [was incredible]. And we were in the middle of the pandemic, so it was kind of a light in the darkness a little bit."
Skating for Team USA will have to wait a little bit. International events are currently on hold due to COVID-19, and teams do not officially become United States' representatives until they have received an international assignment.
Competitions may have stopped, but Synergy has not. They are seizing the opportunity to hone their skills so that when the opportunity to perform again arises, they will be ready.
"We realize how lucky we are that we've been able to have ice for most of the season," Weilbacher said. "So we've been trying to take advantage of that and just improve our skating skills as a whole and our programs."
Synergy's journey since the end of the 2015 season has been filled with adversity. Through it all, they've kept their eyes on the end goal, knowing that when they finally do take the ice again for the red, white and blue, all of the twists and turns they've encountered along the way will be worth it.
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