SILVER MEDAL STARS: Local Teens Win Second Place in Switzerland with Team USA
Ella Piltz and Paige Southworth competed with The Northernettes, a Minneapolis-based skating team
Two local figure skaters now have an international silver medal to add to their impressive trophy cases.
The Minnesota-based Northernettes Synchronized Skating team represented Team USA in a competition in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, which took place from Feb. 11-12. The Northernettes earned a silver medal in the junior free program category with a score of 116.40, garnering them their first international medal. It was their best-scoring performance of their season.
The 21-member team includes two members from the Chippewa Valley, Ella Piltz, a 16-year-old Memorial high School student, and Paige Southworth, an 18-year-old from Elk Mound. The team spent a week together in Switzerland, with their performance taking place this Saturday, Feb. 12.
“We are proud, humbled, and so thankful to have had this opportunity to represent the United States of America,” the Northernettes wrote in a social media post. “This is the most incredible privilege, and this past week was truly a dream come true. Thank you to everyone who has helped us get to this point. To say we are grateful would be an understatement.”
The routine included a well-executed Level 4 move element with Level 3 moves in the field as well as a Level 4 traveling circle and a Level 3 intersection with a level 3 point of intersection.
“This really means a lot to us,” Piltz said. “Not many people know much about figure skating, so it’s cool for people to recognize that I’m a part of Team USA Figure Skating even though they might not know much about the sport itself. It’s an honor most people never get to have.”
Team USA won an additional medal at the Neuchâtel competition, with the Illinois-based Starlights Synchronized Skating Team earning a bronze medal in the junior synchronized skating category.
Learn more about the Northernettes Synchronized Skating on their Facebook page.
