NEUCHÂTEL, Switzerland -- The Adrian College Senior Synchronized Skating Team will take the ice tomorrow in Neuchâtel, Switzerland at the Tissot Neuchâtel Trophy to compete internationally for the first time in more than two years.
 
The team has been training together since August, working to create two programs to debut on the international stage. This year, both programs were choreographed by head coach Ashley Carlson, who collaborated alongside associate coaches Brandon Forsyth and Victoria Smith. 
 
Carlson, who has led the Bulldogs to seven consecutive seasons as Team USA said, "It's an honor and a privilege to coach this team as they compete on behalf of Team USA at the Neuchâtel Trophy. Whether it is each of our athletes' ninth international competition or their first, the opportunity to take the ice representing the United States is incredibly special."
 
Smith, who took gold at the 2015 World Synchronized Skating Championships as a member of Team Canada, began working with Adrian College in the fall.
 
"Working with these talented athletes and coaches during a tumultuous pandemic season has been an inspiring experience of unified perseverance. The growth that has occurred within each of us on and off the ice has been a truly collective effort," Smith said.
 
This year, the team is skating their short program to "Waloyo Yamoni" by Christopher Tin. The music, sung in Lango, an East African dialect, means, "we overcome the wind." Essentially, Tin's album celebrates the way each human is the essence of humanity, much like how each drop of water is the essence of the sea. 
 
Elizabeth Hume, a senior and tri-captain of the team, echoes Smith's testament to the team's perseverance. "Our team has been putting in a lot of work, making tremendous improvements at practices. I am looking forward to putting out powerful skates at such a high-caliber competition," Hume said. 
 
The team's free skate is titled "The Butterfly Effect." The butterfly effect, stemming from Chaos Theory, is the idea that one small thing can have a non-linear impact on a more complex system. Inspiration for the concept came from veteran team member Nikki Czuhajewski, who proposed it to Carlson during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic prior to the 20-21 season.  Carlson then solicited musical suggestions from members of the 20-21 team and worked with musical designer Hugo Chouinard to create a unique and cohesive piece.  The first half of the choreography was developed in 20-21 and completed by the 21-22 team.   
 
Hume said, "Our free skate this season is one of my favorites that I have skated in my 16 years in the sport, and to do it with such a powerful, talented, and supportive team makes it that much more special."
 
While Hume is celebrating her fourth season as a bulldog and fifth season representing Team USA, there are a handful of team members who are competing internationally for the first time. 
 
Carlson said, "There is no greater gift as a coach than knowing you've contributed to the achievement of a lifelong dream for your athletes. For this reason, it is especially meaningful to me that more than half of our team earned their first international assignment as Bulldogs. The 2022 Neuchâtel Trophy will be the first time 7 of our team members take competition ice hearing a crowd chant 'USA! USA! USA!' They will carry this moment with them for the rest of their lives."
 
Echoing this sentiment, Forsyth, who has worked alongside Carlson since the team's inception in 2014, added, "The entire team is excited and proud to be competing on the international stage, making lifelong memories doing what we love."
 
The senior division at the Tissot Neuchâtel Trophy will be highly competitive, featuring a total of ten teams from seven different countries, including Belgium, Finland, Germany, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States.  The Bulldogs will skate their short program sixth out of the ten teams.  
 
The event is immediately preceded by the junior division, which features Team USA representatives DC Edge, Northernettes, and Starlights.

The free skate for both junior and senior divisions will take place on Saturday.

The competition will be livestreamed at https://neuchatel-trophy.ch/en/livestream/.  The competition schedule, starting orders, and results can be found at https://neuchatel-trophy.ch/en/.
 
#TeamUSA #ACVSST #rolldawgs