Cecilia earned this distinguished title at the 2020 U.S. Figure Skating Midwestern Sectional Final and U.S. Pairs Final held in in Allen, Texas this past November.
What’s next for the 12-year old attending Jones Middle School in Upper Arlington? She and eleven other juvenile ladies from across the country are bound for the inaugural U.S. Figure Skating High Performance Development Team Camp. They will be joined by other medalists at the Juvenile, Intermediate, and Novice levels in the Mens, Ladies, Pairs, and Ice Dance disciplines. (Read more about the program Here and Here.)
During the first portion of the camp, the athletes attend the 2020 U.S Figure Skating Championships next week in Greensboro, North Carolina. Then, on January 27th, they gather in Charlotte, NC where they attend training sessions with national and international judges and figure skating experts. Their sessions will include skating skills, jumps, spins, and off ice training, as well as clinics on nutrition and mental preparation, all designed to enhance the performance of a competitive athlete.
Get to Know Cecilia
This year was the first year for USFS’s National Qualifying Series (NQS). Tell us a little bit about the NQS and your season? Where did you get your highest score?
The NQS provides skaters the opportunity to earn a bye through their regional competition and go directly to sectionals by placing in the top six in their section. My season has had its ups and downs, as everyone’s does, but overall, it was my most successful season yet! I received my highest score at the 44th Annual Kathy Slack Summer Competition in Troy, Ohio.
What is a typical training day like for you?
A typical training day for me includes about two hours of on-ice practice six days a week and two off-ice conditioning classes a week at Chiller Easton. I also workout at the RPAC at Ohio State University a few times per week. In the spring and fall, I play on a u14 travel soccer team based in Upper Arlington.
What are your favorite subjects?
Some of my favorite subjects are math, science, and my exploratory arts classes.
What part of your program did you love doing?
I really enjoyed doing my spiral sequence because I could engage with the judges and show off my choreography more than any part in my program.
What are you looking forward to taking on next season?
I am looking forward to competing in the Intermediate Ladies category and adding triple jumps to my program.
Best piece of advice anyone has shared with you.
I have a poster in my room that says “Y cuando menos lo esperas todo sale bien” which in English means, “and when you least expect it everything goes well”. I got this on our most recent visit to Argentina, and it reminds me to stay positive.
Favorite non-skating activities.
Some of my favorite non-skating activities include playing soccer, riding my bike, hanging out with friends, playing the piano, and baking with my mom.
Who are your coaches?
My main coaches are Svetlana Khodoekovsky and Kelly Harper. I also work with Alex and Elena Lunin from the Fort Wayne Skating Club in Indiana and have traveled to Wilmington, Delaware and Boston, Massachusetts to train in the past year.
What should we know about you that we could never guess.
I have three passports – one from Argentina, one from Italy, and one from the United States of America.
Any music reveals for next season, yet?
We are planning on West Side Story for the free skate and The Nightmare Before Christmas for the short program.
Who do you admire in skating?
Some of my favorite skaters are Alena Kostornia, Mariah Bell, and Nathan Chen. I really enjoy Alena and Mariah’s gracefulness across the ice and Nathan Chen’s creativity and performance skills!
Favorite skating move(s). Skating moves you’d like to avoid. 🙂
My favorite is whatever the new challenge ahead is. For too long it was the double axel; next was the triple salchow, which I am still working on consistency with. Now, I am working hard on the triple toe which I hope to land soon! My favorite spin is the flying sit spin and the layback spin. I am working on my Junior moves in the field which I hope to test in February.
Thank you, Cecilia, for answering our questions. Good luck to you and your team this upcoming season. Be sure to send us a picture from camp, so we can post it on the CFSC Instagram account.
Article contributed by Vicki Tieche,
former CFSC Board Member
Columbus Figure Skating Club 