Successful SCWNY Test Session
Congratulations to all of our skaters that passed tests at the December 8th test session at Leisure Rinks!
Skate Great would like to recognize Eric Fiorello for passing his Senior Moves in the Field Test! Eric is a sophmore at Buffalo State College.
Congratulations skaters!
Skate Great Survey
Please download this survey and email back to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or hand in to the registration table to receive $5.00 ANY Skate Great Program! We appreciate your feedback.
Skater advances to Junior Nationals!
Congratulations to Jimmie Koszuta for qualifying for the 2012 Junior National Championships in Michigan! Koszuta finished 6th in Juvenile Boys at the North Atlantic Regionals.
Congratulations to our other Regional Competitors:
Mary Kate Deacon, Gabriella Dignitti, Lindsey Jenson, Erica Wong and Emily Beckman who placed 3rd in the Initial Round of Intermediate Ladies and finished 10th overall!
North Atlantic Regional Championships
Good luck to our skaters at the 2012 North Atlantic Regional Championships held in Amherst, NY from October 14-18! Pictured from left to right: Lindsey Jenson (Juvenile Ladies), Mary Kate Deacon (Intermediate Ladies), Emily Beckman (Intermediate Ladies), Erica Wong (Intermediate Ladies), Gabriella Dignitti (Juvenile Ladies), Jimmie Koszuta (Juvenile Men). Missing from picture: Kaitlin Hawayek (Junior Ice Dance)
Hawayek and Bramante finish 4th in Romania
Kaitlin Hawayek and her partner, Michael Bramante, placed 4th at their first Junior Grand Prix event in Romania! They have been selected to respresent the U.S. in their second Junior Grand Prix Event in Estonia later this month. Please click on this link to watch their international debut:
Hawayek Selected for Junior Grand Prix
Kaitlin Hawayek and her partner, Michael Bramante have been selected by USFS for the Junior Grand Prix event to be held at Brasov, Romania from September 21-25th!
According to the USFS - The 2011–2012 ISU Junior Grand Prix will be the 15th season of the ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP), a series of international competitions organized by the International Skating Union. It is the junior-level complement to the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating contested by senior-level skaters. Skaters will compete in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies singes, pair skating, and ice dancing.
Skaters will earn points towards qualifying for the final at each of the seven Junior Grand Prix events. The top eight skaters/teams in the series from each discipline will meet at the Junior Grand Prix Final, to be held concurrently with the senior final.
Team USA is defined as those skaters who are selected by the International Committee, International Committee Management Subcommittee and/or the International Skating Union to represent the United States at ISU events including, but not limited to, spring internationals, Junior Grand Prixs, Senior Grand Prixs, Senior B internationals, ISU championships (Four Continents Championships, World Junior Championships, World Championships, World Team Trophy) and the Olympic Winter Games. In addition, Team USA consists of the primary coaches, secondary coaches, judges, team leaders and medical personnel selected to represent the United States at the competitions mentioned above.
While attending international assignments, team members are recognized as ambassadors for U.S. Figure Skating and the United States of America. Not only is it an honor to be selected, but it is also an opportunity for team members to gain valuable experiences on an international stage.
2011 State Games Medalists
Congratulations to our 3 competitors who competed at the 2011 State Games of America in San Diego, California!
Emily Beckman won the Gold Medal in Intermediate Ladies, Erika Augustyniak won the Bronze Medal in Novice Ladies and Leanne Schroeder took the Bronze Medal in the Junior Level.
Congratulations skaters!
Skate Great finishes 6th in the US!
Skate Great has been ranked 6th in the country by USFS for the 2010-2011 skating season out of over 1000 Basic Skills Programs!
We continue to be the #1 Basic Skills provider in Western New York.
Thank you for another successful year!
Skate Great Skaters at Nationals!
Congratulations to our Skate Great skaters who just competed at the 2011 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Kaitlin Hawayek and her partner Michael Bramante won the bronze medal in the novice dance category.. She is the first skater from the Skating Club of WNY to win a medal at U.S. Nationals.
Jordan Bauth placed 11th in the novice ladies category.
Both Kaitlin and Jordan are graduates from the Skate Great programs. Congratulations Skaters!
Skate Great's Newest Gold Medalist
Congratulations to Maggie Miller for accomplishing her Gold Medal in Moves in the Field!
Maggie is a senior at Orchard Park High School and plans to attend college in the fall to study Biology and Art. She is in the top 10% of her class and has received the high school's Academic Excellence in Biology award. Maggie is the treasurer of the high school's Japanese Exchange Club and has been teaching herself the language to prepare for the Japanese students' visit here this spring as well as her trip there this summer. Congratulations Maggie!
Skate Great Skaters go to Nationals!
Congratulations to our Skate Great skaters who will be competing at the U.S. Figure Skating NationalChampionships in January.
Kaitlin Hawayek and her partner, Michael Bramante, took first in the Midwestern Sectional Championships Novice Dance event.
Jordan Bauth placed second in the Novice Ladies event at the Eastern Sectional Championships.
Good Luck in January!
Janice Smith 1958 - 2010
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Skate Great's founder and director, Janice Smith, after a valiant 3-year battle with cancer.
Under her leadership, Skate Great became one of U.S. Figure Skating's largest Basic Skills programs in the country. During her 30-year coaching career in WNY she coached 30 skaters to their USFS gold medals and coached numerous skaters at the regional, state, sectional, and national levels.
Jan will be forever remembered for her devotion to the sport of of figure skating and her positive, lasting influence on the skaters she coached.
Click here to read Janice's obituary in the Buffalo News
Congratulations Regional Competitors!
Congratulations to our SCWNY competitors at the 2011 North Atlantic Regionals in Lake Placid, NY. Emily Beckman, Amber Guizzotti and Mary Kate Deacon competed in the Intermediate Freestyle event. After placing 2nd in the Initial Round, Beckman advanced to the finals where she competed in both her Long and Short Programs. Beckman finished in 11th place! Congratulations skaters!
Congratulations to our Newest Gold Medalist
Skate Great congratulates Jennifer Cirino on passing her Senior Moves in the Field Test in August! Jennifer has achieved the highest honor in figure skating while attending the University at Buffalo Medical Program full-time. Congratulations Jennifer!
Congratulations to our Lake Placid Ice Dance Double Medalist!
Congratulations to Kaitlin Hawayek and her partner, Michael Bramante, on placing 2nd in the Novice Free Dance and Championship Round in Compulsory Dances at the 2010 Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships! Elise Wong and Jimmie Koszuta also competed their Free Dance and Compulsory Dances at the Juvenile level.
Skate Great is on Facebook!
Skate Great and Independent Health
Skate Great is now a participating provider in Independent Health's Health and Wellness FlexFit Family Network. This means that you can use your Independent Health FlexFit Family Debit Card to register for any oour programs online.
