April 2, 2003

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MIAMI TO REPRESENT U.S. AT WORLD SYNCHRONIZED CHAMPIONSHIPS: With a silver-medal finish at March's U.S. Synchronized Team Skating Championships, held in Huntsville, Ala, Miami University's synchronized skating team has earned the right to represent the United States in the International Skating Union's World Synchronized Championships for the fifth time in the last six years.

Miami, which will be making its sixth overall appearance at the World Synchronized Championships since 1996, garnered the honor by finishing second to the three-time defending U.S. Champion Haydenettes. Five times the RedHawks have placed second at the U.S. Championships, and their last national title was in 1999.

The Red and White led off with a strong showing in the short program, meriting nine second-place ordinals from the panel of nine judges to finish close behind the Haydenettes. The Haydenettes garnered all nine first-place ordinals in the short program.

Despite a solid performance in the free program, Miami could not overcome a stellar performance by the Haydenettes that netted all nine first-place ordinals in the long program, completing a perfect showing at the competition. Miami, which has finished in the top three at every U.S. Championship since 1994, netted scores ranging from 5.6 to 5.7 in the program while capturing all nine second-place ordinals yet again. Team Elan from the Detroit Skating Club finished third behind the Haydenettes and Miami.

MIAMI VERSUS THE WORLD: Miami's synchronized skating team made its first appearance in world competition in 1996 and is making its sixth appearance overall. Miami cracked the top 10 for the first time in 1998 with an eighth-place finish at Bordeaux, France, and earned its highest finish in 1999 when it placed sixth in the world at Goteborg, Sweden.

Miami is the only varsity college team competing at the senior level and the only college team to compete in the world championships. Last year's competition set the standard with a total of 24 teams competing for the championship.

MAKEUP OF A WORLD CONTENDER: Miami's 2002-03 synchronized skating team is a diverse group that has united to form what is arguably one of the best teams in the program's history. In all, 11 different states, ranging from as far south as Florida, as far west as California and as far east as Massachusetts, are represented on Miami's roster. Ohio is the most well-represented state on the RedHawk roster with five natives competing, while Michigan and Illinois have five representing their borders.

WHERE TO FIND RESULTS?: The RedHawk faithful can find results of this weekend's ISU World Synchronized Championships on two sights on the World Wide Web. Complete results are available at www.isu.org, while Miami-specific results will be linked at Miami's website, www.MURedHawks.com.

LOOKING AT THE 2002-03 SEASON: Head coach Vicki Korn and assistant Bonnie Grosel have guided Miami to two first-place finishes this season, including this weekends' berth at the world championships.

Dr. Richard Porter Classic - The RedHawks opened their season with a very strong showing at the Dr. Richard Porter Classic in early December by running away with the title. Miami was flawless on the ice, receiving all first-place ordinals from the judges in the short-program only competition. The victory marked the second straight year that the Red and White have won the Porter Classic.

Midwestern Championships - After a one-year sebatacle from the Midwestern Championships, the RedHawks returned to the competition in 2003 with a dominant first-place finish. In similar fashion to its peformance at the Porter Classic, Miami scored all first-place ordinals in both the short and long program to run away with the title. In the long program of the competition, the RedHawks did something that had not achieved since 1999 by recording two perfect 6.0 scores.

Neuchatel Trophy - In their first true international competition of the season, the senior team travelled to Neuchatel, Switzerland to compete in the Neuchatel Trophy. After a third-place showing in the short program on the first day of the competition, the Red and White responded with another strong performance in the free skate to hold onto its third-place finish.

U.S. National Championships - With their third-straight world championship appearance on the line in Huntsville, Ala., the RedHawks delivered with two strong performances to finish second in the nation. Yet again, Miami played second fiddle to the Haydenettes who received every first-place ordinal in the competition. However, both teams will represent the U.S. in April's World Championships being held in Ottawa, Ontario.

HEAD COACH VICKI KORN: Vicki Korn is entering her 19th season as head coach of the nation's first collegiate senior-level synchronized skating program. Korn, who served as Miami's skating director from 1984-2001, started her synchronized skating program at the club-level in 1984. She led the team to a national championship at the junior level in 1993, and two bronze medals at the senior level (1994-95).

Since her program was upgraded to a varsity sport during the 1995-96 season, Korn has guided Miami's senior-level synchronized skating team to a U.S. National Championship in 1999 and three World Challenge Cup appearances between 1996 and 1999. The Miami squad has finished in the top three nationally at the senior level every season since it attained varsity status.

During the landmark 1998-99 campaign, Miami captured the first international medal in its history, earning the bronze at the Canada International in Mississauga, Ontario. After capturing its first U.S National Championship in Tampa, Fla. later that year, Miami advanced to its second consecutive World Cup Challenge, capturing an impressive sixth-place finish.

Korn was honored as the 1998-99 U.S. Synchronized Skating Coach of the Year by the Professional Skaters Association, following the spectacular season in which Miami captured its first national championship in any team sport.

A Chicago-area native, Korn has been active at the national and regional levels in figure skating. She has served on the board of directors of both the United States Figure Skating Association and the Ice Skating Institute.

During a stint as the USFSA Collegiate Chairperson, Korn was instrumental in forming the Midwest Collegiate Figure Skating Conference, in which Miami's collegiate team has gone unbeaten through the first four years of its existence.

Last season, Korn and Bonnie Grosel directed Miami's Senior Synchronized Skating team to a second-place finish at its national championship, and a ninth-place finish at the ISU World Synchronized Championships. Miami also won the first U.S. National Collegiate Conference Championship in 1999-00.

Korn and her husband, Mitch, who serves as the director of Miami's Goggin Ice Arena, reside in Oxford with their 14-year old daughter, Ashley.

THE CHOREOGRAPHER BEHIND THE SCENES: Miami's synchronized skating team is looking to improve on its ninth-place finish at the 2002 World Championships, and its first step in that process was working with renowned ice skating choreographer Sarah Kawahara. Kawahara's resume is a "Who's who" list in the figure skating world.

For the first time in her acclaimed career Kawahara is working with a synchronized skating team. Just prior to her arrival in Oxford, Kawahara accepted an Emmy Award, her second, for her choreography of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. She earned her first Emmy Award for Disney's production of Scott Hamilton's "Up Side Down".

Another project on Kawahara's docket in 2002-03 is the Scott Hamilton and Friends TV Special, which was being taped in October. She also is serving as the choreographer for the Champions on Ice 25th Anniversary tour, which opens in December and tours into 2003.

Kawahara has worked with some of the brightest stars in the figure skating world. Most recently she choreographed Michelle Kwan's long program for the 2001-02 season and the 2002 Winter Olympics. Also on her list of soloists are Kristi Yamaguchi, Scott Hamilton, Victor Petrenko, Oksana Baiul, Elvis Stoiko, Dorothy Hamill and Robin Cousins, to name a few.

The United State's Figure Skating Association "Choreographer of the Year" in 1993, Kawahara, also has done several television specials. Kawahara served as the primary choreographer for Michelle Kwan's TV Special in 2001, as well as Disney's 75th Anniversary Special in 1999. In addition to these specials, she also choreographed the Nancy Kerrigan Special, the "Wizard of Oz", Toller Cranston's Christmas Special and three specials of the Ice Capades.

"This is the first time that the synchronized skating world has had a choreographer of this caliber work within its ranks," head coach Vicki Korn says. "It's nice to see Miami University setting the tone for collegiate skating by bringing in such a highly respected choreographer."