Two local figure skaters are about to represent Jefferson City in a national competition - and they're just 13 and 15 years old.
Wyatt Prosch, 15, and Mylee Hawkins, 13, have been skating as a pair for about four years. On Tuesday, they'll head to Allen, Texas, to compete in the U.S. Figure Skating Pairs Final against other juvenile teams from across the country.
While they've only been alive a total of about 28 years, they have a combined skating experience of more than 20 years. Hawkins has been skating since she was 2 years old, and Prosch since he was 4.
Hawkins started because of an older sister who skated, while Prosch first went to the rink with some friends. While she started competitively just a few years later, Prosch has only been competing for about five years.
"It started out as a hobby, then it became something that I got more into," Prosch said.
When asked how they ended up as a pair, Prosch joked he was "forced" into it.
About four and a half years ago, they tried out as individuals for the annual Ice Show, held at Washington Park Ice Arena. Instead, they were asked to perform as a pair, and they've stuck together ever since for pairs competitions.
"Once we started that, we just didn't stop, and we kept going with it," Hawkins said.
Their families call them "Team Wylee."
The partnership seems to have paid off. Back in October, the pair traveled to Colorado Springs, where they took second place in the Midwestern Sectional Pairs Challenge. The top four teams qualify for next week's national competition.
Brent Echols, who has been coaching the pair for four years, said they are the first skaters from Jefferson City to compete in the national competition.
"I'm super excited for them to have that experience," Echols said. "It's a tremendous opportunity to see the rest of the country's competition. I think it's going to be a thrill for them."
The pair practices at Washington Park Ice Arena, gliding across the frozen surface in sync and practicing their spins, jumps and lifts. Their two-and-a-half-minute routine takes them all around the rink, sometimes performing side by side or working together to perform a jump or lift.
Right now, Prosch can only lift Hawkins near his shoulders, but as their ages and skating levels increase, they'll soon have to learn how to do overhead lifts.
Prosch and Hawkins were thrilled to qualify for the national competition, and Echols was excited for them.
"It was really exciting because from our rink, we're really the only pairs team," Hawkins said. "So we were excited that we have the opportunity to go there."
When asked how he felt about qualifying, Prosch said, "Ditto."
As a former national pairs competitor himself, Echols hopes his team can do even better than he did.
"That's my dream for them," Echols said. "They're super motivated inwardly, and that makes it so wonderful to work with them."
Hawkins said Echols has helped not only to coach them, but to make them feel ready for the competition.
"Right now, Brent has been teaching us that we are prepared to do what we learned how to do, and so there's no reason to be nervous because all you can do is your best," Hawkins said.
For their routine this year, Team Wylee is using an "American Bandstand" theme. They skate to two songs from the big-band, 1950s show - "My Boogie Shoes" by K.C. and the Sunshine Band and Barry Manilow's "Bandstand Boogie." Hawkins sports a polka-dot dress, and Prosch dons a fedora and bow tie.
"It's fun, it's peppy, it's totally them," Echols said. "So it's nice to have that inward essence come out that they love the music, and it's exciting and fun to watch. We were really trying to bring out their characters."
Those characters are evident as the pair jokes with each other and as they skate.
"The sense of humor on these guys - they keep me laughing, they keep it fun, they keep it joyful and they work super hard, and they're accomplishing what they want to accomplish," Echols said.
For Prosch, the chance to entertain is one of his favorite aspects of skating.
"I like doing outlandish, silly tricks to impress people," he said. "Frick and Frack were an inspiration for me."
Hawkins loves the chance to keep growing as a skater.
"My favorite thing about skating is no matter what, there's more to do," she said. "No matter what you do, there's always more to the sport, which I love."
The pair will compete in the U.S. Pairs Finals, which takes place Nov. 12-16.