HP_041218

hplandmark.com sports
the highland park landmark | April 12, 2018 | 41
Centennial skaters earn top honors at 2018 championship
Submitted by the Park
District of Highland Park
Eleven solo figure skaters,
and the Gems Showcase
Team, from the
Park District of Highland
Park’s Centennial Ice Arena
took top spots in their
respective groups at the
2018 Chicagoland Skate
USA Championship.
The event, which took
place on March 18 at the
All Seasons Ice Arena in
Naperville, represented
24 rinks and 10 skating
clubs throughout the
greater Chicagoland area
competed all weekend.
Centennials skaters
all placed Top 3 in their
groups including the
Gems Showcase Team
who finished in 2nd place.
Centennial individual
winners include: Addison
Shapiro, Blake Merel,
Caitlyn Carnow, Emily
Teifeld, Elizabeth Hansen,
Isabel Young, Keya
Fowler, Laine Farber, Liv
Klein, Sammy Cahan, and
The Gems Showcase Team skaters practice their routine at Centennial Ice Arena in Highland Park. Photo Submitted
Sloane Farber.
Members of the Gems
Show Case Team include:
Abigail Naughton, Addison
Shapiro, Blake Merel,
Caitlin Carnow, Cate
Meyer, Isabel Young, Lily
Alexander, Liv Klein,
Madeline Stevens, Paige
Wellen, Riley Bates, Samantha
Cahan, Sami Silver
and Sophia Jacob.
“It takes a strong team
of people, coaches, skaters
and parents, to make
that competition such an
unbelievable success”
said Carol Sassorossi,
recreation supervisor at
Centennial Ice Arena.
“Special thanks go out to
our skater’s coaches and
supportive families.”
Centennial Ice Arena
is a premier regional center
for ice skating with
a highly qualified staff
and progressive programming.
The arena is
a proud member of U.S.
Figure Skating and Learn
to Skate USA. For more
information about Centennial
Ice Arena, recreational
and competitive
skating programs, please
contact Inga Fedorova via
email at Ifedorova@pdhp.
org, Sheila Lonergan at
slonergan@pdhp.org, or
Carol Sassorossi at csas
sorossi@pdhp.org.
Alumni Spotlight
Kriss settles in at Boston U., posts new PR at relay
Brittany Kapa, Sports Editor
Veronica Kriss’ venture
into the world of collegiate
competition has not gone
as expected.
The Boston University
freshman, a 2017 graduate
of Highland Park High
School, suffered a groin
tear in the fall hindering
her from running cross
country.
“I knew I wasn’t going
to have much of a crosscountry
season,” she said.
“I was able to train a little
bit before indoors. I had
another setback during
indoors which was a quad
strain. Now, with rehab,
I’m feeling a lot better.”
Thus far Kriss, for track
and field this spring, has
competed in one indoor
event and an outdoor relay.
A distance runner for the
Terriers, Kriss surpassed
her goal at the Florida Relays
that were held March
29-31 in Gainesville, Fla.
“I only had a couple of
workouts coming back
from that second injury,”
Kriss said. “I wasn’t really
sure about how it would
go. My goal was to break
18 [minutes] and I was
well under that.”
Kriss came in well under
her goal and finished
the 5,000-meter run in 17
minutes, 39.51 seconds.
BU coach Paul Spangler
predicted Kriss would
break the 18-minute mark
and was confident she
would go 17:40 in the race.
“It’s really funny, I
doubt myself sometimes,
but coach always knows,”
Kriss laughed.
Kriss said the experience
was a new one for
her. The Florida Relays
marked her first collegiate
outdoor meet of her career.
“It was crazy being a
freshman and being able to
travel with the team,” she
said. “It was definitely really
nervous with it being a
travel meet and one of my
first races but it was really
good competition.”
Kriss’ nerves were eased
when she recognized a familiar
face at the relays,
Ania Grzeszczak, a sophomore
at Mercer College.
She added that it make the
experience that much better.
However, being at the
Florida Relays as a freshman
was a unique experience
all around.
“It was really crazy,”
she said. “We only had a
handful of people chosen
to go.”
Overall, Kriss said she
felt like she is performing
better as a runner despite
the injuries and the limited
practice time. She credited
her success with BU’s
track and field program
and her teammates.
“In high school I didn’t
always have people to
push me,” she said. “I’m
on a team full of really
fast girls and having those
people push me has made
a huge difference in my
training.”
Moving forward, Kriss’
goal is to keep building on
the positive progress she
has made.
“I want to make sure I
stay healthy by doing my
rehab and staying strong,”
she said. “I reached a big
goal of mine, which was
just to break 18.
“My next goal is I would
like to score at my Patriot
Leagues conference meet.”