The Cleveland Edges Teen Team is competing for national honors Saturday in Colorado Springs. The team is the first Ohio teen synchronized skating team to qualify for the National Championships. (Photo by Larry Bennet)

Area synchronized skaters go for national title
By Jeff Gallatin
North Olmsted
Published July 27, 2005

A group of icy cool area teenagers on a hot streak have headed west to compete for a title in the National State Games in Colorado Springs Saturday.

Coach Jeff Marshall and the 10 members of the Cleveland Edges Teen Team, which consists of synchronized ice skaters from the Cleveland metro area, will be skating to music in a program likened to the Rockettes on ice. The teen team is part of the Cleveland Edges Synchronized Skating Club, a North Olmsted skating club based at the city Recreation Center on Lorain Road.

Members of the team performed their competition program again at the Recreation Center July 22 before heading West. Marshall said the team is ready to compete for the national title in its category.

"All teams like to compete at a certain level but you know how with some teams you can tell they're really ready to go by a certain look," Marshall said. "Well, this team has that look. They're a very competitive group and they're ready to go."

Marshall said the team has already shown a fierce competitive edge just by qualifying for the National State Games. The Edges Teen Team is the first synchronized skating team in its group in Ohio to qualify for the games. It qualified earlier this year by placing third in the Midwest Championships in Dallas. It also took second place at both the Mid-America Championships and Tri-State Championship.

"That was a lot of fun in Texas, you could tell the kids were really into the competition," said Traci Clough, team publicist. Clough, whose daughter Ashley competes on a younger team in the skating club, said like many good teams, they're close-knit.

"It really is like a big extended family," Clough said. "Members of the teams are all friends with each other and look out for each other. We've got members of the other teams here today cheering for the teens before they go to Colorado."

Her daughter Ashley said she enjoys the club.

"We've got people from different places but we all work together," Ashley said. "I want to keep doing this in the future and be in the best skaters group."

One of the teen members going west, Alec Montforton of Westlake, said its been a long-term commitment for her.

"I've been doing it for about 10 years," she said. "I saw it and just really wanted to get involved with it. I wanted to just keep doing it and get better so I can compete at higher levels."

Alec's father Dolphe Montforton, said he knew when he saw his daughter's reaction to it the first time he and the rest of the family would be busy.

"We went to Winterhurst Rink and saw some of the exhibitions and she just fell in love with it," Dolphe said. "She has stayed with and worked very hard at it. We've had some of the 5 and 6 a.m. practices and helping out she so can do this. We're all pretty proud of her."

Alec's boyfriend, Jordan Stiver of North Olmsted, enjoys seeing his girlfriend on ice for another reason.

"I played hockey until this year so it's fun seeing her out there on the ice," Stiver said. "We can talk about skating and different things about the competition."

Reema Suhwail of North Olmsted was on hand along with her mother to cheer for sister Rena Suhwail.

"We want to support her and the others," Reema said. "They've done very well. It's exciting that they're going to the competition out in Colorado."

Other family members are on the team together.

Brothers Derek and T.J. Ontko of Columbia Station will tell you they enjoy being together on the ice.

"Our mom got us into the skating," T.J. said. "I found out I really enjoyed it and just kept going."

Derek said they make friends and talk with other people about the team.

"We'll talk some in school and other places about it," he said.

Other team members include: Michelle Bottini, Avon Lake; Devin Copfer, Cleveland; Britton and Jaime Mariage, Bay Village; Michelle Meszaros, Berea; Avery Ozimek, Olmsted Falls.

Marshall said the skating club presents opportunities for a wide range of people, noting the club members ages range from 5 to 65 and that there are five different age levels. He added that the adult team is currently ranked fifth in the United States.

"Our teams have pretty good histories," he said. "We'll try and add more next week."