Three golds for Queens skating sensation
Fresh Meadows girl takes home third-straight top prize as part of synchronized team
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Emma Estrada didn’t
expect to win her third
consecutive National
Championship Gold medal
at the February 2019
U.S. Synchronized Skating
Championships held
in Michigan.
“We kind of just went into
the competition wanting
to skate our best,” said
Estrada. “When we found
out we won, it was unreal
for a while.”
Estrada, a 17-year-old
senior at St. Francis Prep
in Fresh Meadows, won her
third consecutive gold medal
with her teammates on The
Skyliners Synchronized
Skating Team, established
in 2001 by a group of
parents who wanted to
create the most competitive
synchronized skating club
in the tri-state area.
The Skyliners Skating
Team capped its 2018-
19 season with historymaking
results and five
national medals at the
USA Hockey Arena in
Plymouth, MI, for three
days of intense competition.
Three Skyliners qualifying
lines — Junior, Novice and
Juvenile — won National
Championship Gold Medals;
the Intermediate line won
Bronze; and the Senior line
won Silver.
“It’s been an amazing
season for Skyliners,”
Emma Estrada of Fresh Meadows captured her third-consecutive gold medal at the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships in February.
said Josh Babb, Skyliners
head coach and director
of Synchronized Skating.
“As our team grows, so do
our accomplishments. Our
skaters work extremely
hard, and their efforts have
really paid off this year.”
Estrada, a part of the
Skyliners Novice team
(ranging between the ages
of 14 to 17), performed
“The Greatest Showman”
program, scoring a
season’s best 76.13 points.
Intermediate locked in the
Bronze medal with their
“Go-Getter” program,
earning a 66.17.
And Juvenile captured
their National title with
an entertaining “Circus”
program, scoring a season
high score of 61.94 points.
“It was one of the best
weeks ever because I just got
to spend multiple days with
my best friends, skating
doing what we love and then
winning,” said Estrada.
“We stayed in Michigan
days after watching teams
compete and hanging out
with each other one last time
before the season ended.”
Estrada began to learn
how to ice skate at the age of
3. Following in her mother’s
footsteps, who was a figure
skater and is currently a
coach, Estrada fell in love
with ice skating and joined
the Skyliners Synchronized
Skating Team in 2011,
she said.
“Honestly, they were one
of the top teams and I was on
another team for a while,”
said Estrada. “I decided to
make a switch because I
was becoming competitive
and I’ve been so happy. I’ve
met all of my best friends in
the team.”
In preparation for the
competition, Estrada
practiced with her
teammates on Saturdays
and Sundays, spending
five to six hours on the
ice and off-ice training
to go over their program.
Additionally, the team had
to attend choreography
classes and fitness training,
Photo courtesy of Celeste Cote
and expected to practice on
their own during the week
as well.
“Every time I’ve
competed it’s unreal and it’s
such an amazing experience
hearing the crowd cheer for
you, and once the program
is over it’s almost like a
blur. It happened so fast,”
said Estrada.
Aside from ice skating,
Estrada is a part of the
Drama Club at St. Francis
Prep participating in plays
and musicals.
“I’m definitely into
theater and different
performing arts,” said
Estrada, who will be
attending Tampa University
in the fall.
Although she won’t be
competing next year, she
plans to continue skating
individually, she said.
“I’m planning to major in
marine biology and hopefully
minor in performing arts,”
said Estrada. “It was an
adventure at St. Francis
Prep. Every year had
something different to offer,
and I’ve learned so many
things that I will take with
me for the rest of my life.”
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by e-mail at
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.
com or by calling 718-260-4526.
44 TIMESLEDGER, APR. 5-11, 2019 QNS.COM
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