Club Spotlights
Congratulations to our largest NESC senior class to date, our 2021 Seniors!
Samantha Sebastiano
Amelia Dexter
Emma Nogueira
Michaela DeToma
Angelina Soares
Sophia McAvoy
Gabbi Zehme
Kayla O'Brien
Riley McGhehey
Robin Sage Murphy
Congratulations to our 2021 Get Up Champions, Emma, Joanna, & Riley!
Emma is a dedicated skater who loves performing with her teammates in her Ensemble and Synchro teams. She has competed in synchro for 6 years (4 with NESC) and this year she even cross skated on Pre Juvenile and Open Juvenile. Over the last few years, Emma has had to deal with illness and injury that has kept her from skating but she never missed a practice and worked as hard as she could to be ready to skate with her team when she was able. This has not gone unnoticed by her teammates who said that Emma is a kind and supportive teammate who puts 100% effort into every skating endeavor and pushes through adversity to continue her passion of skating, and that is why they thought she was deserving of this award.
Coach Joanna did not skip a beat when the COVID shut downs began last year - she organized virtual workouts, fun community building events, and researched new workouts to keep her individual and Theater on Ice skaters going. When things were confusing and lonely for skaters, she was an emotional barometer and very in tune with when routines or attitudes needed to be adjusted. When COVID forced changes in the administration of our synchro program Joanna didn’t hesitate to step into the interim director role and take on keeping the sport going for our skaters under unprecedented constraints and concerns.
New this year, peers could nominate skaters to be Get Up Champions. The peer who nominated Riley shared with us her thoughts on why Riley was a good nominee, "Riley has persevered through many challenges as a figure skater, including ankle fractures, asthma, and a hip injury. This season, she has continued to skate with her synchronized skating team despite tearing her labrum and hamstring this fall. She prioritizes her teammates and always stands up for what is right - no matter the personal consequences. She does not let anyone get her down and is always willing to try again when something doesn't go well. Riley truly represents what it means to be a get-up champion."
Congratulations to our 2020 Get Up Champion, Carolyn Hagy!
Carolyn joined NESC in the Fall of 2019 after moving to Massachusetts from Pensacola Florida. A move far from friends and school didn’t slow Carolyn down, she jumped into the NESC community with both skates on and has glided her way to being an important and respected member of the club. Carolyn joined the NESC Open Juvenile synchronized skating team, the Ice Illusions, and became a dedicated teammate.
Unfortunately, Carolyn suffered a painful shoulder injury partway through the season. For some this would have been a time to give up, but not Carolyn, she got up! While unable to skate she came to every practice to observe, learn, and support her teammates. Once cleared to return to the ice, she skated through great discomfort, with a smile and a positive attitude, while awaiting surgery.
Carolyn helped her team have a successful showing at Easterns and continued working hard toward her next test until just days before her surgery. Carolyn has passed her Pre-Juvenile moves in the field test, is an involved leader in the NESC Junior Board, and active in helping with the Learn to Skate program at the Norfolk Arena.
Carolyn is an excellent example of what it means to be a Get Up Champion!
Perfect weather and a great turnout for the NESC Junior Board's 2nd annual car wash fundraiser event this year, thank you to all of the volunteers!
Skaters had a blast during our 2019 April Vacation Clinic, thank you to all of our amazing coaches!
Congratulations to our 2019 Get Up Champions!
Jane Moran
Although Jane is not a figure skater, she is the mom of a figure skater and has been one of the longest standing club members of New England Skating Club. Jane was recently diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. When diagnosed, she did not feel defeated. She developed an attitude that was filled with strength and optimism. She looked cancer straight in the eye and knew that she would give it her all to become a survivor. Jane is everything that we look for when we talk about a person with great perseverance, strength and faith.
Jane was the New England Skating Club Treasurer from 2014 to 2018. Although she had to give up her role as club treasurer to focus on her health, she was never far away and continues to support and be an active part of NESC. Jane gets up every day and fights the good fight. She is truly a champion.
Gabbi Zehme
Gabbi Zehme’s name suits her well; she is a bright young lady who will “Gab” your ear off. Over the years Gabbi has grown from a shy little girl, who sometimes had trouble fitting in, to a confident, bright young lady. Gabbi has been knocked down both on and off the ice numerous times; she struggled with ADHD, learning and social issues that would have mired down many, but not Gabbi! She fought back and stood strong; Gabbi is now an honor roll student and has many friends who love and cherish. At the rink, Gabbi is always cheering everyone on and being supportive even if she was having a bad day. On the ice, Gabbi puts a great amount of effort into her sport she has: passed her MIF Junior test on the first try, won a spot on the Ocean State Theater on Ice Team, was one of the only 15 year olds to be selected for the Novice team that qualified to travel to Worlds this year in France. Gabbi has become the first member of NESC to be a member of Team USA!
Catherine Moran
Catherine is currently a Senior at Franklin High School in Franklin, Mass. She is always at the rink with a smile on her face and is consistently willing to help out anytime she is called upon. Catherine is a leader on her synchronized skating team and she provides a constant, positive example of good sportsmanship, what it means to be a supportive teammate, and demonstrates the value of hard work. The past year has been challenging for Catherine, as her family struggled with her mother’s breast cancer diagnosis. Even though she was going through a lot in her personal life, you would never know it when she walked into the rink. Catherine stepped up her leadership role at the rink, by taking on the position of President of the club’s Junior Board, helping as an assistant coach with the clubs Basic Skills 1 synchronized team, teaching Learn to Skate classes, and working as a rink employee. The coaches at NESC have known Catherine since she was in the Learn to Skate program and are so proud to call her a NESC Get Up champion.
Congratulations to our NESC 2018 Seniors!
Emma will be attending Johnson and Wales University to double major in Criminal Justice and Psychology and hopes to continue skating.
Nadia will be attending Elms College to major in Nursing with a minor in Spanish and will most likely continue with her synchronized skating career.
Anna will be attending the University of Cincinnati and will be in the College of Design, Art, and Architecture to study Industrial Design. She is planning to skate with the Skating Club of Cincinnati.
Bekah will be attending George Washington University and will be majoring in Political Communications.
All four of them were honored by USFSA as part of the Graduating Seniors Program. Nadia Lawrence received USFSA's highest award, the Platinum Level, which is a huge achievement. Emma Powers and Anna Eppihimer both received the Silver Level award, and Bekah received the Bronze Level award.
Our skaters had a blast at our 2018 April Vacation Clinic!
In 2017 Lia Totten attended Eastern Synchronized Skating Sectionals in Richmond with her Preliminary team. Her mother, Joann, stayed at home suffering from Stage 4 lung cancer to which she succumbed only two months later. Lia choosing to travel and compete at that difficult time and her dedication to her team are why she deserves a nomination. An integral part of the synchro program, Lia always has a smile on her face and is easily coachable. If you didn’t know about the heartbreak she endured in the last year, you could never tell from her demeanor.
When it comes to grit, perseverance, determination, and sportsmanship Sophia goes above and beyond. On the Open Juvenile synchronized team, she has worked hard to become one of the strongest skaters. Her first year on the team was tough; she took falls that would have put most girls on the bench, but always got right back up. You will ALWAYS find her cheering on fellow teammates; her spirit is contagious. Sophia volunteers for Learn to Skate and in no time had the whole practice area following her, working on skills. She is a great motivating force and truly a “Get Up” champion
Saturday, Michaela’s day starts at 8:00am in a notoriously cold rink with a 1 1/2 hour practice followed by a drive to her home rink, for TOI. Dependable, she leaves the ice only to retrieve cones and clip-boards for Learn-to-Skate. Treasurer of her Club’s Junior Board and an “A” student with a heavy honors schedule she is active in her Church Choir. Already aged 11 at her first Open Competition, her goal became to test up and compete in NE Regionals. Severe scoliosis that dramatically affected her skating line was an obstacle she surmounted to achieve her goal in 2016.
Congratulations to all of our NESC skaters that competed at the 2017 Colonial Open May 19-21!
Lots of fun during our 2017 April Vacation Clinic!
Thank you to Brad Vigorito, Jenny Kirk, and our NESC coaches!
Congratulations to NESC's first GOLD moves in the field skater,
Nadia Lawrence, who passed her senior moves during our
June 2016 test session!
NESC's first April Vaca mini clinic was a success! A big thank you to our NESC coaches and our guest coach Elin Schran.
Both Preliminary and Open Juvenile qualified to the final round at Eastern Sectionals in Richmond, Virginia!
Preliminary: final placement 7th out of 22 teams
Open Juvenile: final placement 11th out of 28 teams
Some NESC figure skaters at the 2016 Skating Club of Boston Basic Skills Competition!
NESC Skater Michaela DeToma placed 2nd in Well Balanced Preliminary Girls at the 2016 Bay State Games earning her a spot to compete at State Games of America - Grand Rapids Michigan!
Team Ice Illusion Placing 3rd of 8 at the 2016 Colonial Classic!
Hailey Kops represented NESC in the 2016 Regional Championships placing 6th in intermediate ladies!
NESC member Michaela DeToma at "Little New Englands" 2014 after qualifying for the final round by placing 2nd!
NESC was noticed by US Figure Skating's Dream Program
"The next synchronized skating program is out of the New England Skating Club!
Formed in March, 2014, the program currently has 38 skaters. These skaters are part of beginner 1 (Team Popsicles), beginner 2 (Team Icicles), pre-juvenile (The Starlings) and open juvenile (Ice Illusion) teams.
The teams represent the New England Skating Club in Norfolk, Mass., and are coached by Caryn Sylvestre, Noelle Meuse and Jessica Martley. They started off as a Basic Skills club with eight skaters and over the past six years, have expanded to a full U.S. Figure skating Club, along with four synchro teams!
The teams are doing four local competitions, and for the first time, the pre-juvenile and open juvenile teams will compete at the Eastern Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships in Lake Placid."