The
Lexettes earned their best-ever result at the ISU Challenger Series Synchronized Skating, clinching the gold medal on Saturday in Sesto San Giovanni, Italy.
The junior team from Norwood, Massachusetts, secured international seasons' best scores in the short program, free skate and overall score at Spring Cup – the final Challenger Series event of the season – to win their first international medal of 2022-23 and second Challenger Series medal ever.
Skating their short program to "Rhythm Nation" by Janet Jackson, the
Lexettes achieved all positive grades of execution and earned the segment's highest total element score, opening with a Level 3 Intersection with a Level 4 point of intersection, a Level 4 twizzle element and a Level 4 pivoting block for a score of 67.18.
In the free skate, the
Lexettes scored 121.32 points for a total of 1811.50, crushing their international season's best by more than seven points. Their highest-scoring element came halfway through their performance set to music from
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg by Michel Legrand as they were awarded nearly nine points for their Level 3 intersection with Level 4 point of intersection. The
Lexettes also earned Level 4s on five additional elements – their synchronized spin, traveling element, second intersection, line and move element.
The result improved on the
Lexettes' previous best result at the Challenger Series, which came at this event in 2020 when they claimed bronze. This also marked the team's first gold medal internationally since 2017.
Teams Elite junior also represented Team USA in the junior division, finishing fourth.
The four-time Challenger Series medalists, including the silver medalists at Neuchatel Trophy earlier this year, faced a setback in the short program. Despite a great start with a Level 3 intersection with a Level 4 point of intersection that received nearly 10 points from the judges and a strong Level 4 twizzle element, three falls on their pivoting block dropped
Teams Elite junior to fourth with a score of 59.76.
But the 2022 World Junior bronze medalists rallied in the free skate, taking third with 119.21 points. Their skate to a medley of Black Eyed Peas songs secured Level 4s on four of their final five elements, including on their second intersection, which included a Level 4 point of intersection, the highest scoring element of the performance. They just missed the podium with 178.97 points.
Canada took silver and bronze with Les Supremes earning silver and Nexxice claiming bronze with scores of 187.81 and 185.66, respectively.
In the senior division, the
Skyliners and
Miami University skated for the red, white and blue.
The
Skyliners, who stood on the podium at their first Challenger Series event of the season with bronze, got off to a strong start in the short program with a Level 4 intersection with a Level 4 point of intersection. Their performance to "Crazy" by Britney Spears also included a Level 4 twizzle element, giving the 2022 U.S. bronze medalists 67.85 points.
Setting new international season's best scores in the free skate and total score with marks of 137.54 and 205.39, the
Skyliners opened their free skate with their two strongest elements of the performance, a Level 4 pivoting block and Level 4 group lift. The routine to music from
SIX the Musical then featured three more Level 4 elements – a move element, intersection and synchronized spin – and the
Skyliners finished fifth.
The
Skyliners teammates,
Miami University, took home a sixth-place result.
Although
Miami University suffered a fall, the 2022 U.S. silver medalists and World Team members rebounded with a Level 4 intersection, their highest scoring element. They scored 60.63 for their short program.
In the free skate,
Miami University executed six Level 4 elements to "Ode to Joy" by Karl Hugo, scoring 131.93 points in the segment for 192.56 points overall.
Like in the junior event, Canada's Les Supremes and Nexxice earned spots on podium. The senior squads secured gold and bronze with scores of 231.81 and 228.41, respectively. Claiming the silver medal was Unique of Finland with a total score of 230.84.
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