2022 National High Performance Team

The 2022 U.S. Figure Skating Championship Series presented by Toyota took place Oct. 4 – Nov. 20, 2021, in eight locations, permitting athletes to compete at up to two competitions in the location of their choice. Our own SDFSC members have qualified for the National High Performance Team with the following results:

Olivia Mendoza and Aiden Elswick – Novice Pairs
Ranked 3rd Nationally
Ranked 1st in the Pacific Coast Section

Jesse Zhong – Juvenile Boys
Ranked 2nd Nationally
Ranked 1st Pacific Coast Section

Aiden Elswick and Olivia Mendoza
Jesse Zhong

2020-2021 Membership In Action

Each year we ask members to submit photos and videos to help celebrate our club and the skater’s achievements. Here is the result from the 2020-2021 membership year. Short and sweet due to COVID.

Dropbox Link

Smaller Mobile:

Congratulations & Good Luck

​​Congratulations to all SDFSC skaters who participated in the USFS Virtual Celebration of Competitive Skating in February.  A virtual event where videos were submitted for Juvenile/Intermediate Free Skate or Free Dance.  A special congratulations to the skaters who qualified for the National High Performance Development Team:

  • Olivia Mendoza/ Aiden Elswick 2nd out of 9 in Juvenile-Intermediate Pairs.
  • Luana Stein, associate member 2nd out of 162 skaters in Intermediate Ladies 11-13-year-olds. 

The first in-person competition will be the Fiesta Skate 2021 held in Peoria, AZ to be held April 15th-18th, 2021. The SDFSC has 14 members registered to compete.  To help keep them safe on their trip there, and to return safely, SDFSC has ordered each of the skaters and coaches going an SDFSC logo mask with filter inserts (will be delivered 🤞 to the coaches) :

Stay safe and have a great skate!

Congratulations to all Graduating Seniors

Each year U.S. Figure Skating recognizes student-athletes who have worked hard to pursue figure skating while maintaining their academics. While figure skating is not a traditional school sport, it requires the same dedication, perseverance, and time management as any varsity sport. It is the goal of the Graduating Senior Award program of U.S. Figure Skating to help ensure these student-athletes are recognized for those skills.

Graduating Senior Awardees, San Diego FSC:

  • Sydney Canty, Gold
  • Remy Reeb, Gold
  • Milan Canty, Gold
  • Lili Barton, Silver

Congratulations on all the hard work during these trying times. Here is a message from Team USA athletes for the Class of 2020.

Isabelle Emler Representing Team USA

San Diego FSC member Isabelle Emler has been named to Team USA and competed in Advanced Novice this week in Den Haag, Netherlands at the Challenge Cup 2020. She was 3rd place of 37 skaters after the short program, and finished the competition in 8th! Congratulations.

Isabelle Emler with Jason Brown
Challenge Cup 2020 – Den Haag, Netherlands

Justin Ly is first adult skater to pass Tea Time Foxtrot

The U.S. Figure Skating – Adult Skating Committee congratulated Justin Q Ly! Justin passed the Tea Time Foxtrot, making him the first adult skater to ever pass 11 International dances. And not only was he the first adult skater to pass the Tea Time Foxtrot, but he was also the first male skater to pass the dance. To make it all the more impressive, Justin achieved this feat by testing “standard,” meaning that he was judged with the same expectations of a younger skater.

PHOTOS: Left – Justin with his Tea Time Foxtrot partner and coach, Sinead Kerr. Right – Justin with his wife, Erin Clabeau-Ly, who was helpful in learning the partnering for the dance. Erin and Justin compete as a team in Championship Adult Dance.

Alumni Spotlight: Nicole Buddie & Victoria Buddie

Nicole and Victoria Buddie are San Diego natives who began skating at the age of 3 years old. They joined the San Diego Figure Skating Club at 11 years old and began synchro with Team del Sol at the Juvenile level. Both Nicole and Victoria were coached at SDFSC by Coach Natasha, who graciously coached them in skills, MITF and helped them continue and compete in freestyle competitions until college.

The Buddie’s were also coached by Karen Weismeir for synchro and were a part of the competitive Team del Sol for six seasons. They skated for the Senior team at SDFSC for two seasons as well, and were a part of Team del Sol in 2015-2016, when they earned Team USA, with Del Sol.

After their senior year of high school in San Diego and being able to be a part of such an incredible synchronized skating program in the West Coast which brought them so much joy and being on only 1 of the 2 Senior synchronized skating teams in the west coast, plus bringing home a gold medal with TdS for the United States at the Trophy D’Ecosse, they decided to further their competitive skating career throughout college.

Nicole and Victoria skated for Adrian College for 2 seasons, in Adrian, Michigan. Victoria skated for the Senior team (Team USA) and Nicole the Senior (Team USA) and Collegiate team. (Freshman and Sophomore year). However, they still now attend Adrian College, but skate for the Senior Dearborn Crystallettes, out of Dearborn, Michigan. Which they commute 1.5 hours, four times a week to train with their team.

This past season, their Senior Team represented Team USA at the Spring Cup in Milan, Italy and brought home the Bronze Medal for the United States, and competed at the Trophy D’Ecosse in Dumfries, Scotland and brought home the Silver Medal for the U.S. Additionally, at the 2019 U.S Synchronized Skating Championships the Senior Crystallettes placed 3rd in the Senior division and earned the position of alternates for the World Team. (for the 2019 U.S Synchronized Skating World Championships)

These San Diego natives will continue to skate for the Senior Crystallettes, the following season and hope to help synchronized skating grow and prosper all over the country and most importantly throughout the West Coast.

Their love for skating never dies.

They are both double majors in Spanish and Communication with a minor in Journalism at Adrian College. They are currently studying abroad this summer in Santiago, Chile for their Spanish major, since they are unable to fulfill that requirement throughout the year due to the competitive synchronized skating season. They will continue to train and practice at a rink in Santiago, Chile in hope of becoming the best athletes they can be for the following competitive season, meanwhile studying abroad.

2018-2019 Volunteers of the Year

Each year we rely on generous volunteers for all the functions of the club. And each year we choose two special people who have gone above and beyond to ensure the club’s success. This year we recognize Karen Aiken and Lisa Stone.

Karen Aiken (left), Lisa Stone (right)

2018-2019 Membership In Action video

Each year we ask members to submit photos and videos to help celebrate our club and the skater’s achievements. Here is the result from the 2018-2019 membership year including a few alumni.

2019 U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships

SDFSC member accomplishments from this year’s nationals held in April at the Salt Lake City Sports Complex in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Justin LyAdult Gold Solo Free Dance1st Place
Carolee PurdieAdult Gold Dramatic Entertainment V
Adult Gold Ladies IV, V
1st Place
3rd Place
Fernan BalsalubreAdult Bronze Men I, II1st Place
Erin LyAdult Bronze Light Entertainment II 3rd Place
Nathan Meyers and Joanne KnudsonAdult Pre-Silver Dance4th Place
Erin Ly and Justin Ly Championship Adult Dance5th Place
Nathan MeyersAdult Pre-Silver Solo Pattern Dance6th Place

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