Synchro Nationals Recap

To no one's surprise, the Haydenettes took the championship. Again.

They're amazing, don't get me wrong, and they had some killer Level 4 moves. But the pessimist in me knows that the glory is short-lived, as they're not going to come close to the podium on the world stage. None of the US team lines are remotely close to being as crisp as some of the European teams, particularly the Scandinavian ones.

But back to Nationals. Just as predictably, Miami University came in second (just like last year, and the year before, and the year before that...though the did win in 2009!) The Skyliners came in third after a rally following a 4th place short program, and the Crystallettes took fourth.

A few notes:

First Place Haydenettes
I haaaated their music. They skated to a medley of music from the musical Sunset Boulevard, which I've skated to before myself. Maybe it's just because I actually hate the music itself (it's so dark) but it didn't seem to quite compliment the moves. It kind of dampened them for me. But clearly, not for the judges. I guess I just tend to like my synchro music less depressing.

Second Place Miami University
They looked sloppy. I don't understand the intricacies of synchro judging enough to know exactly why they placed higher than the Skyliners, but I'm guessing it was the technical base merit- i.e. they just attempted higher difficulty maneuvers.

Third Place Skyliners
I've been following this team for a while, as they're from my home club, and I'm really impressed with the way they've improved the last several years. The Senior team tends to pale in comparison to their Junior team, which has historically gotten all the wins and attention at their level. But the Senior team's footwork was stunning this time around, and with the exception of one fall, it didn't skip a beat for me. The program, set to a SYTYCD medley, which is the perfect kind of upbeat for me. They lack the difficulty levels that put the Haydenettes on top, but I think if they continue to improve as they have, there's a chance they could score higher in the coming years.

Again, despite the predictability of the results and some of the issues I had with the performances, the top teams really are all amazing, and very fun to watch.

In fact, watching high-level synchro is a head rush. So high energy, such display of athleticism, and everyone looks like they're having fun. And if synchro becomes an Olympic sport, I think we're going to see the quality of teams skyrocket.

And a big congrats to my peeps on Gotham City Synchro, who finished an impressive 5th place in the Masters event! See their great skate below!