top of page

Athletes of the Issue: Lexington Synchronized Ice Skaters

Updated: Jan 15, 2019

October 3, 2018

By Lily Lawrence and Ilana Rosker

Mary Carney is an LHS junior and synchronized skater.

With the start of the new school year, the Hayden Recreation Center skating teams are already in full swing with their practices.


Emily Barnes is a junior at Lexington High School and has been skating since she was five. This year, she is on a new skating team with Hayden.


“I am on the Lexettes, which is a Team USA junior level team,” Barnes said.

Barnes’ new team boasts a highly successful track record. In 2018, the Lexettes were U.S. National Silver Medalists. They have consistently won top three places at international competitions and have represented the US globally for six years.


Barnes looks forward to traveling internationally with her skating team this year. The Lexettes are likely to compete in France, Croatia, and Switzerland.


“Of course I love being around friends and having an amazing team and community, but as I get older, I love the competitiveness more and more. Getting to travel with the team and compete our programs that we’ve worked so hard on is an incredible feeling,” Barnes said.


While competitive skating is very popular in Lexington, there are also opportunities available for those who want to skate without competing.


“Skating is enjoyable for everyone, no matter what age they are. Hayden has great ‘learn to skate’ classes and public skate is a time when anyone can skate for fun,” Mary Carney, an LHS junior and Hayden synchronized skater, said.


Regardless, balancing high school academics with demanding athletic extracurriculars, an inevitable difficulty for many high school students, soon became a reality for Juliet Stevenson, a senior.


“Some mornings I skate before school and then I go to school. Weekdays, when I skate with my team, I wake up at 6:30 and go to school. Then I go to skating at either 4:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. and get home late. I still have to finish homework and go to bed,” Stevenson said.


Nonetheless, Stevenson notes her love for the sport despite its rigorous requirements.


“It's not just elegance and smiles. It’s intense competition all the time. There are long hours and coaches who intimidate, but it’s all worth it for the feeling you get in your stomach when your music starts playing … I love this sport so much,” Stevenson said.


The common denominator among the skating experiences of Barnes, Carney, and Stevenson is not just the large time commitment; their shared athletic passion and drive motivate them through a busy schedule.

24 views

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


Commenting has been turned off.

© 2018 by The Musket

  • Facebook Social Icon
  • Twitter Social Icon
  • Google+ Social Icon
bottom of page