Capital Classics ice-skating team takes home national title

Members of Team Radiance demonstrate their winning moves Thursday, May 8, 2019, on the ice at Washington Park Ice Arena in Jefferson City.
Members of Team Radiance demonstrate their winning moves Thursday, May 8, 2019, on the ice at Washington Park Ice Arena in Jefferson City.

After months of hard work, Capital Classics Team Radiance took home first place at the Ice Sports Industry National Synchronized Champions last month.

The Jefferson City team consists of nine girls, ages 10-13: Eliza Thomas, Blair Borlinghaus, Jackie Rogers, Bella Penn, Ali Snellen, Alyssa Roadruck, Izzy Tucker, Anna McDonald and Alison Arounpradith.

Amazing, accomplished and excited were just some of the words the girls used to describe how they felt about winning first place.

"It's real exciting because it's the first, first place I've ever got doing nationals," said Arounpradith, who is the youngest member on Team Radiance at age 10.

Since August, the team practiced every Saturday perfecting their show. The members performed a Disney "Tarzan"-themed show at the national competition in April.

With synchronized skating, the girls create formations as a team, but they have to be linked most of the time. This means many of them held each others' hands and shoulders while creating formations.

This is the Team Radiance's first national title in several years, coach Korby Pyles said.

Those interested in ice skating or joining Capital Classics should "just go for it," said Thomas, who is 12 years old.

"I didn't know how to skate at all, but if you just go for it and you try your hardest, it's really fun," she said. "And teamwork - You build a lot of great friends along the way that you will be with for a while."

Pyles and coach Courtney Gragg described the girls on Team Radiance as "best friends."

"If things aren't going well at school, they have another group of people who support them and encourage them outside of the school setting," said Gragg, who participated in Capital Classics when she was younger. "A lot of our girls are in middle school, and that can be a tough age. They enjoy each other, and I think it's a neat, supportive environment."

Ice skating teaches skills on and off the ice, including teamwork, perseverance and hard work. They can also express their creativity, something Rogers said is her favorite part of ice skating.

"You get to pick your own music, your costume, the makeup, the colors and the sparkles, sparkles, sparkles," said Rogers, who is 11 years old. "It's just so much fun because you get to express your own creativity."