Synchronized skating: D.C. Edge win juniors championships

It's not every day in the synchronized skating world that a first-year team is named the best in the region. But a team out of Washington, D.C., edged the competition to claim the junior division Eastern Synchronized Sectional Championship title on Saturday night at Germain Arena. 

The D.C. Edge closed out the four-day event with an electric performance in the championships' junior division to bring home gold. 

Synchronized Skating comes to Germain Arena

The Eastern Synchronized Sectional Championships — hosted by Lee County for the first time — featured more than 135 of the region's best synchronized skating teams competing for spots in the 2018 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships. 

With a 122.23-point performance themed around the Charlie Chaplin silent movie era, D.C. Edge took home the gold medal for its club. Team Delaware scored a 114.92 to finished with the silver, while the bronze belonged to Philadelphia Symmetry with 102.72 points.

"I've been skating for nine years and I've never won an Eastern Sectional Championship," said D.C. Edge skater Paige Leidig, 15. "It's amazing."

With skaters ranging from eighth grade to high school seniors, the team moved up from competing at the novice level into the junior division just this year. 

"It's unreal," D.C. Edge skater Dina Sapiro, 16, said. "This is our first year in the division and we just won the Eastern Sectional Championship — which is crazy and pretty unheard of. It's a good step for D.C. Edge."

As odd as seeing a competition like synchronized skating in Southwest Florida may be, skaters say it's a good sign for the sport as it makes its way down to warmer climates.

Locals:Everblades in Synk competes in Eastern Synchronized Sectional Championships

"It used to mainly be just Midwest and East Coast teams that you would see competing," D.C. Edge skater Alyssa Schuecker, 16, said. "Now you're starting to see a lot more teams pop up in California and Florida. We're trying to spread the word about the sport as much as possible. Hopefully it'll be an event in the Winter Olympics soon."

With Saturday's medal, the D.C. Edge will compete with 11 other teams in the junior division at the 2018 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships from Feb. 22-24 in Portland, Oregon. 

"We're really excited for nationals," Saprio said. "It's going to be really great. We're ready to put out our best skate forward."