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NLA to host district skating competition

Alpena’s best high school skaters will have a chance to showcase their skills on their home ice this weekend.

Nearly a dozen Alpena Wildcat high schoolers will compete in the Michigan High School District 4 Figure Skating Competition #2 Sunday at Northern Lights Arena.

The competition begins at 1 p.m.

For the first time ever, the Wildcats will host the event and will host teams from several areas of the state including Kalamazoo, Lansing, Midland and Traverse City.

The Wildcats have done well in recent tournaments and they’re hoping for more good performances with home ice advantage.

“We’re hoping to build confidence. It’s nerve-wracking going out on the ice when there’s four teams and you go out all by yourself and do your element,” Meghan Cameron, who coaches Alpena’s team with Maggie Erkkila, said. “We’re building confidence, poise and we hope that they have fun.”

In all, 11 Alpena skaters–Zeynep and Mehmet Jozwiak, Megan Schram, Justice Torz, Haley McKenzie, Maya Ayala, Hunter and Alicia Ballor, Grace Villanueve, Addison Marceau and Lauren Johnston–will compete as part of two teams in six different competitions.

Those competitions include jumps, moves in the field and spins and each of the competitions has six elements that team members will compete in.

District competition typically rotates and in previous years the Wildcats have gone as far as Kalamazoo to compete. In front of what they’re hoping is a large home crowd, the Wildcats are hoping to show just how good they are on a big stage.

“It’s really exciting for us. We’ve never hosted it before, but we get to show all of the community what the Figure Skating Club does and what the Wildcat team is all about,” Cameron said. “They’re more excited I think because they’ll have a larger crowd; more of the friends and family will be here.”

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