Dec. 11, 2004

MARQUETTE, Mich. - Miami's collegiate synchronized skating team won the Intercollegiate Conference Competition on Saturday at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Mich. The competition's format showcased individual RedHawk skaters competing in 22 different disciplines.

The RedHawks won seven of the 22 disciplines and totaled 75 points, beating their closest competitors by more than two dozen points. Hilary Kula (Springfield, Ill./Sacred Heart-Griffin) won the intermediate solo dance competition, while Cari Drake-Wittenborn (Elk Grove, Ill./Conant) won the novice solo dance, Sally-Anne Kaminski (Whitefish Bay, Wis./Whitefish Bay) took the senior solo dance event and Missy Smith (Annapolis, Md./Annapolis) won the pre-intermediate A freestyle competition. A team of Lisa Headen (Columbia, Md./Howard), Brittany Treacy (Elgin, Ill./Larkin) and Kara Davey (Huntington Woods, Mich./Berkley) gave Miami a win in the intermediate team maneuver competition.

"We competed really well and got valuable critiquing from the judges after the meet. Their evaluations gave us things we can work on as the year goes on," said collegiate team head coach Heather Paige.

The team is off from competition until the Bronco Challenge Cup at Western Michigan University Jan. 21-22, 2005. Their senior-team counterparts compete the week before at the Mid-American Championships in Fraser, Mich.