Torn meniscus puts Alexander’s ice skating on hold

Feature — By Brianna Bitout on March 19, 2010 1:00 pm

By Rosalie Chan, Staff Reporter

Alison Alexander, sophomore, has been ice skating since she was about four and doing synchronized skating, where a team of skaters skate in different formations, since second grade.

Alexander belongs on the synchronized team Chicago Jazz. While she was on the team, her team has qualified for nationals five times and has even once won nationals in 2005. However, she currently cannot skate because of a torn meniscus in her knee.

During the skating season from July to March, Alexander has to practice four to five times a week at Rolling Meadows Ice Arena. She skates with her 19 teammates in circle, passer and block formations. In addition, she and her team travel to other states for competitions.

“Ice skating is her life. I’m not even joking. Her entire life is devoted to ice skating,” Andy Gonzalez, sophomore, said.

According to Alexander, she does not know exactly how she tore her meniscus, but she twisted her knee while skating and found out at the hospital that she had more than one tear in her meniscus.

On March 5, she had surgery to remove the cartilage and repair her knee. She had to walk on crutches temporarily.

Alexander said that her favorite part of being on the synchronized skating team was the people she met.

“She always talks about her friends and her team,” Gonzalez said. “We’ve never met them in our life.”

At skating practices during the season, Alexander’s team warms up on the floor with exercises such as aerobics, jumping jacks, push ups and ballet. Next they walk through the program they will perform on the floor. Then they skate on the ice to practice footwork and different formations.

“She’s (Alexander is) a great teammate. She helps yell at people when they’re not doing their stuff. She tries really hard,” Melanie Ward, senior at Buffalo Grove High School and teammate of Alexander, said. “She influences others in a positive way.”

The team goes on overnight trips for competitions, usually in Michigan. On the day of the competition, they practice in the morning, compete and watch other United States Figure Skating Association synchronized skating teams.

According to Alexander, this year her team did not qualify for nationals because two skaters fell.

“We knew we could’ve made it. It was a bad skate at a bad time,” Alexander said.

Alexander said that not making nationals was “heartbreaking.”

“When we first found out, I was shocked. While my teammates were crying, I was just shocked, when we got in the locker room, it started to sink in,” Alexander said. “But there’s always next year.”

The skating season ended, but the team will have skating auditions after spring break.

“I’ve been doing it (ice skating) so long, it’s kind of easy. I know the basics, so it’s easier to work my way out. New jumps and footwork are a real challenge. You can always improve, even if it’s a little thing like pointing your toe,” Alexander said.

Alexander, who wears a U.S. Synchronized Team Skating Championships hoodie and a ring with an ice skate on it, said her injury made her feel angry.

“I have to sit at practices and watch. I want to be out there, and I want to skate,” Alexander said.

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Tags: alison alexander, andy gonzalez, chicago jazz, ice skating, melanie ward, meniscus, rolling meadows ice arena, synchronized, u.s. synchronized team skating championship, united states figure skating association