Crystal Palace figure skaters go all the way

Eight members of the Crystal Palace Figure Skating Club qualified and are currently skating in the USA Roller Sports National Indoor Speed and Figure Skating Championships at the Pershing Center in Lincoln, Neb.

The eight members qualified for nationals by placing in the top three in their respective age groups and divisions at the Southwest Region championships in Fresno, Calif.

The group is coached by Leslie Davis, a three-time regional champion and the 14-year coach of the Crystal Palace squad. The team practices at Crystal Palace Southeast on Boulder Highway, one of two Crystal Palace locations in the Las Vegas area.

The youngest member of the team -- whose members all reside in Las Vegas -- to qualify for nationals is 8-year-old Trevor Stojanovich, who won the bronze medal in 1A boys singles.

Samantha Thuna, 8, also qualified for nationals by winning the silver medal in juvenile girls singles free skating. Thuna and pairs partner Cassidy Ehnis, 11, also advanced by winning the silver medal in elementary pairs at the Southwest Regional.

Alexis Carver, 12, brought home the gold medal in 1C solo dance, as well as the gold medal in team dance where she paired up with Ehnis.

Married couple Don and Liane Tow won the gold medal in masters team dance to advance to nationals and have a decent shot at capturing gold there, according to Davis.

"I think the Tows, along with Cassidy, Alexis and Samantha all have a pretty good shot of winning golds at nationals," Davis said.

Another member of the team who qualified -- and the one Davis pegged as the one with the best chance to possibly qualify for the World Championships -- is 27-year-old Sheri Falwell, who took the silver medal in the junior ladies free skate at the Southwest Regional.

Katie Shirley, 21, also qualified for nationals by capturing the bronze medal in the 2C ladies singles competition in the Southwest Regional championships. The region is made up of artistic roller figure skaters from Nevada, Arizona and California and has always been one of the most powerful regions in the nation.

Davis is no stranger to talent as she has mentored three past national champions. In 1995, Katie Nogaim, who now works at the Rio, was crowned national champ.

Ehnis, one of Davis's prized pupils, won nationals in the pairs competition, and Dakota Wolf, 13, won nationals two years in a row in 2000 and 2001. Davis said Wolf is taking a break from skating this year but will be back on the team next season.

Davis has lived in Nevada for more than 20 years but grew up in Virginia where she first learned to skate and began competing. She hopes that one day roller figure skating will become an Olympic sport.

"Right now it's still a fight with the Olympic Committee letting us in," she said. "They're letting our speedskaters in -- racing on blades. We're trying to get in on their shirttails."


<<--[back]