Skating granddaughter on title team

By John Kovach

The daughter of Lisa Appulese, a 1982 Austintown Fitch High graduate, is with a synchronized skating national championship team from Missouri.

AUSTINTOWN — MaryAnn and Dominic Appulese of Austintown enjoyed the opportunity and distinction of watching their granddaughter, Samantha Emrich, 12, be part of a synchronized skating national championship team.

The grandparents were on hand to see Samantha help her 16-member Synchro St. LouisIce Gems team win all three rounds of the senior division at the 12th annual Ice Skating Institute National Synchronized Skating Championships held April 11-13 for the first time at the Ice Gem’s home rink, the St. Peter’s (Mo.) Rec-Plex.

The national meet attracted 105 teams and 1,115 skaters from 10 states.

The Ice Gems, coached by Heather Hyatt and Kelly Little, skated to the music “Simply Irresistible” by Robert Palmer and to the soundtrack from the movie “Armageddon.”

Samantha, who has been skating since she was 5 years old, is the daughter of Lisa (Appulese) Emrich, a Fitch High (1982) and Ohio State graduate, and Tim Emrich, who live in Lake Charles (Mo). with their three children.

Lisa is a registered medical technologist at Barnes Jewish St. Peter’s Hospital in St. Peter’s, which is located across the street from the Rec-Plex where Samantha trains.

“We’ve seen her compete before. Her team competed at Miami of Ohio in Oxford at this same national championship last February. We went down there, [too],” said MaryAnn, who is retired from Gorant’s Candies. Her husband is retired from SBC. “They hold the national championship at a different city each year.”

MaryAnn loves to watch Samantha skate.

“I like the beautiful expression on her face. She has a pleasant smile on her face because she is skating with her team and happy they are doing well. And all of their practice time they put into skating that has paid off,” said MaryAnn.

She said that Samantha’s strong points are, “The composure that she keeps and the compatibility with the other skaters.”

MaryAnn explained how the synchronized skaters perform.

“They come out on ice, bow [and] skate around to get warmed up. They get into a routine. They do a synchronized routine. They all do the same thing,” said MaryAnn. “They skate in a line together and separate in and out of each other, in circles forward and back, some break off and skate on there own. They have a routine. They have judges that decide which is the best.”

MaryAnn said that Samantha steadily has advanced up the ladder through various synchronized skating divisions, including the Emerald Blades and Jay Blades, and is in her first year in her new division.

“She is the youngest on the team. She did well molding into the team that was already together,” said MaryAnn, noting that skaters must improve to advance. “You have to perform to a certain standard to be moved up to the next level. The standards are maintained by the coaches. They have to try out every year. She would have to try out again [for the Ice Gems next year].”

Then, “The next level is the diamond edges. That’s the top class.”

MaryAnn said Samantha “just enjoys the challenge of her advancement. She learns to try new routines and new aspects of the skating. They have been working on spirals, learning what the Olympic skaters do. They have a couple of girls who tried out for the Olympics.”

As Samantha advances, MaryAnn said her granddaughter “could branch out to be a skater on her own or get into teaching younger kids.”

Samantha’s mother said that her daughter has been a member of synchronized skating teams for six years, but is well-rounded as a skater and is an excellent student.

“In addition to skating team practice Samantha takes group lessons [and] private lessons under coaches Andrei Kirov [and] Kelsey Drewel,” explained Lisa, noting that Samantha practices skating six hours per week.

Lisa also said that Samantha is a straight-A sixth-grade student at Mary Emily Bryan Middle School, and is a member of the National Junior Honor Society, plays the trumpet in that school band, and is a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic church in Cottleville, Missouri.

kovach@vindy.com