By Greenwich Sentinel
The New York City-based Skyliners junior team, a synchronized skating faction currently ranked second in the International Skating Union (ISU) Junior World synchro standings of which four of its members hail from Greenwich, scored silver this past weekend at the 2025 Santa Claus Cup in Brno, Czech Republic, marking a rock-solid start in their first international outing of the 2025-2026 season.
This faction, who claimed bronze at the 2024 ISU World Junior Synchronized Championships, is comprised of 20 total skaters of which four are Greenwich residents, including Anna Dolgov, a Greenwich High School sophomore, Jenny Kessler, a Greenwich High School senior, Danielle Kim, a Greenwich High School senior and Lilia Schukin, a Rye Country Day School sophomore.
At this event, held December 13th and 14th, the Skyliners earned the second-highest total, a 204.78, among the 12-entry field, with Teams Elite junior of Northbrook, Illinois, the 2024 ISU World junior synchro champions who currently stand first in the ISU Junior World synchro rankings, claiming gold with a 216.31 and Team Musketeers Junior of Finland, listed at third in the most recent ISU Junior Synchro World standings, clinching bronze with a 195.86.
The Skyliners Junior faction of skaters is coached by Josh Babb and train at several rinks based in the Fairfield County, Connecticut and local New York areas.
This coming January, the team is slated to compete at the Challenger Series Brittania Cup in Nottingham, Great Britain and Challenger Series U.S. Synchronized Skating International Classic in Norwood, Massachusetts, respectively.
For more information on the Skyliners, synchronized skating and figure skating in general, please visit the U.S. Figure Skating website at: www.usfigureskating.org
