When the Miami University senior synchronized skating team walked through the tunnel at the Peoria Civic Center for their short program practice at the 2023 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships, they knew immediately that this event would be special.
Surrounding the tunnel were the program's most recent alumni.
"There was excitement and a little bit of nerves, but that just calmed everything down and make us feel like we were right at home," team captain Brittany Rivelli said. "I think being in the Midwest, a lot of our parents and our fan clubs could come, so we were anticipating having a big crowd, but I think it was greater than any of us could've imagined."
Indeed, while Peoria, Illinois, is more than four hours away from Miami's home in Oxford, Ohio, the program firmly belongs to the Midwest. They have strong alumni communities in Chicago, Detroit and St. Louis, and a drivable U.S. Championships always means a whole lot of Miami RedHawks in the stands.
"We had people from classes as far back as 2012 and '13, who I haven't seen since they graduated, that came to cheer on the teams and watch them skate," said assistant coach Lee Ann Shoker. "So that was really fun, to connect with some people who hadn't been in touch with us in a long time."
The comfort the team felt ahead of their practice carried over into the competition itself. They scored 73.56 points for their short program, a season's best by more than six points.
Rivelli recalls skating the end of the no-hold and seeing former team captain Sarah Noonan sobbing in the stands.
"It was really special, and I think we took everything into our own hands at that moment and did everything we knew we could," Rivelli said. "So coming off the ice, we were really proud, and it was one of the first times I think the team felt like, 'Okay, no matter the scores, no matter the placement, we are going to be proud and take this feeling from the ice, and this is what we're going to remember from that specific day.'"
"When you get on the ice, you're told to smile and you're supposed to present, but it wasn't even hard," added team captain Annie Givens. "You're just naturally so excited and so happy to be out there. So that was a cool feeling."
In the free skate, the RedHawks scored 150.07 points – a new season's best by more than 10 points – en route to their second consecutive silver medal.
They admit that the free skate can be a challenging event to go into as they're coming off the adrenaline rush of the short program, but that they woke up the day of the free skate in Peoria re-energized and ready to attack it.
"This team is really good at staying in our own bubble and energizing ourselves up, so when you add that with the crowd, I think we came out and were able to perform a very powerfully beautiful free skate that we were just so proud of," Rivelli said. "I think we always are told to just get off the ice, smile and then you can hug right after, but this was almost like an irresistible moment. I think everyone just wanted to hug each other, and I think it was just all of that passion coming out of us and letting the crowd feel it, too, is what we were feeling at the end of that."
It was an emotional skate, and one the coaches knew was going to be one to remember.
"Most of the time, as a coach, you know from when they first step on the ice and they're skating those warm-up laps how the event is going to go, how the program is going to go that day," head coach Carla DiGirolamo said. "And I knew from the second that they stepped on the ice that they were going to get it done and they were going to have a great skate.
"I mean, I always squeeze Lee Ann's hand really tight when they skate. I'm sure I've caused some bone damage," she said with a laugh. "But I just got to enjoy watching them skate because I knew in my heart that it was going to be a great one."
Their top-two finish also meant that Miami would be heading back to a second consecutive ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships. Last year, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, they placed sixth.
This trip to the World Championships will be even more special, however, as it's taking place on home ice March 31-April 1 in Lake Placid, New York – where the event that was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19 was due to be held.
"It really kicked in that we were going to a home World Championships when we got to talk to the officials that will be traveling with us, and when we were sitting with [the] Haydenettes," Rivelli said. "Between us and Hayden, only one skater has been at a home World Championships. So we don't even know the magnitude of what we're going to experience. So just sitting there and hearing all these people talk so highly of it I think got us really excited."
Since it's a home event, the Miami fan club presence will be strong in Lake Placid. Rivelli and Givens both have family coming, as do the rest of the skaters, and a number of them will have former coaches and teammates in attendance as well.
If the U.S. Championships are any indication, Miami is in for another incredibly special experience.
"I think, when you get to a World Championships, the sky's the limit," DiGirolamo said. "You go in, you shoot for the top and you see where you land. And I think that's the really exciting thing about it, is that being the pinnacle of the season, making it there is a huge accomplishment, and now being able to compete at that event I think just opens up a whole different level of opportunity and excitement for the skates and what's to come out of that."
