COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The Trine University Collegiate Synchronized Skating Team won the bronze medal at the 2025 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships, securing a third consecutive championship medal and further establishing a tradition of excellence on the national stage. Trine's Senior Team earned a new high overall score and placed 6th in their inaugural season.
 
On Friday, Trine Thunder supporters gathered in the Broadmoor World Arena to cheer on the Collegiate team as they performed their Miami Heat routine for the last time this season. Skating to a medley of upbeat Latin-pop music, including Gloria Estefan's "Congo," "Hot" by Daddy Yankee and Pitbull, and an "Oye Como Va" remix, the team performed with passion and sureness. Their program, which earned a season's best of 98.29 points, was highlighted by four level four elements including their strong travelling element, organized twizzles, and synchronized spins.
 
"I am so impressed with how this team came together during their final weeks of practice, stayed focused and put out their best skate of the season when it mattered most", beamed Head Coach Rachel Franchock, "With such a large incoming class this season, there was a big learning curve at the beginning of the year but this group proved they are coachable and ready to work to maintain and improve the standard of success our Collegiate team has built the last several seasons. I'm so proud of them!"
 
This is the third year in a row that Trine's collegiate team has stood on the podium at the National Championships. The team earned the Pewter medal in both 2023 and 2024 with this year's bronze marking the best placement a Trine Synchronized Skating Team has ever received at nationals.
 
"It means a lot because we've had this legacy to continue from the past two years and we had some difficulties in the weeks leading up, so it was nice that we came together in the moment that was important," graduate student Kaitlin Gunter explained.
 
Trine's Senior Team performed on the national stage for the first time and rose to the occasion, earning season high scores in the free program and overall. In the fall, this team was plagued by nerves at competition and made mistakes that didn't normally happen at practice. However, when they took the ice in Colorado Springs, it was clear the team had blossomed into a confident and cohesive senior-level squad.
 
Their short program, set to a blend of Rihanna songs earned a total of 55.31 points. Although the team missed technical calls on a few of their elements, their execution scores increased dramatically. Their performance featured a level four travelling element and a components score of 27.20 - almost a four point increase compared to their results at the Midwest Sectional Championships a month earlier.
 
The team shone in the Free Skate, earning a new record high score for Trine and cementing themselves as the sixth best Senior team in the country and the second highest ranked varsity program behind Miami University. Skating to dramatic music inspired by a desert mirage, Senior earned level four technical calls in four of their elements and averaged between 6.5-7 in all three aspects of their components score - composition, presentation, and skating skills. The team was also awarded an additional 6.15 points to their technical score, solely based on the quality of the elements that they performed. With a free skate score of 108.45, and an overall score of 163.76 points, the Senior team completed their season both fulfilled from an amazing first season and hungry to continue improving and work towards earning the distinction of being Team USA.
 
"This has been an incredibly special season to coach such a passionate group of skaters" explained Coach Franchock, "with nearly every skater rostered on this team being new to the senior division this year, they took every challenge in stride and truly started to come into their own near the end of their season. Seeing their confidence build as a team was incredibly rewarding for me and I'm very much looking forward to continuing to build momentum throughout spring and summer training so we can achieve even more next year."
 
Looking to next season, Trine University's Synchronized Skating teams are anticipating continued growth for the 2025-2026 season and are inviting interested skaters to attend auditions which run from Saturday March 22 to Sunday, March 23. Those wishing to register can do so by using the online registration form and questions can be directed to coach Franchock by email.
 
The detailed results for the competition can be found here on US Figure Skating's Website.
 

Collegiate Results
Place	Team Name	Score
1	Miami University	107.16
2	Northernettes	99.32
3	Trine University	98.29
4	Western Michigan University	95.56
5	University of Delaware	94.14
6	University of Michigan	93.45
7	Michigan State University	84.19
8	University of Illinois	78.05
9	Boston College	73.17
10	Team Excel	72.11
11	Adrian College	67.96
12	Boston University	62.79
Senior Combined Results
1	Haydenettes	220.71 (78.77/150.94)
2	Miami University	210.15 (70.04/140.11)
3	Skyliners	209.51 (68.48/141.03)
4	Hayden Select	203.20 (65.67/134.53)
5	Teams Elite	196.68 (62.32/134.36)
6	Trine University	163.76 (55.31/108.45)
7	Adrian College	149.07 (52.53/96.54)