Fancy Footwork Brings York Student Accolades

Brielle Maher, a York High School senior, is a part of the Starlights Synchronized Skating Senior Team, which has earned a fourth-place ranking in the nation. The senior division is the highest level of synchronized skating. 

On Friday and Saturday, Jan. 21 and 22, Brielle will represent the United States as a member of Team USA in an international competition in Salzburg, Austria, at the first Mozart Cup. Brielle is the first York student to have accomplished this level of synchronized skating while still in high school.

Brielle also is the recipient of the 2010  Athlete Alumni Ambassador Award from the United States Figure Skating Association. The award is presented to the top 10 figure skaters in the country who have achieved a level of excellence in their sport and balanced this success with an ability to volunteer and contribute within their communities.

Brielle co-founded Skate for a Cause, an annual ice skating benefit to help raise money for the Midwest Children's Brain Tumor Center at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. The fourth annual Skate for a Cause benefit will be held in early May.