Terps Take the Ice
Maryland Figure Skating Brings Top Athletes, Newbies Together
Maryland Figure Skating Club members, who practice just off campus at the Herbert W. Wells Ice Rink, regularly compete in freestyle and synchronized competitions throughout the school year.
Photos courtesy of Maryland Figure Skating Club
Speeding backward across the ice, one skater launches herself into a jump as another glides by in a graceful arc, arms spread, leg lifted, soaring like Michelle Kwan—both navigating around a beginner wobbling like a baby deer and two girls dissolving into giggles while doing an on-the-ice version of the latest viral TikTok dance.
It feels a world away from the pressure of midterms and lectures, but it’s actually just steps from campus at Herbert W. Wells Ice Rink, where the Maryland Figure Skating Club practices.
Allen Yuan
“It’s a very niche sport, so if you ask almost any member of the team, they’ll say their favorite part is having this community that’s genuine and supportive,” said Co-president Allen Yuan ’25, an environmental science and policy major.
UMD has long had a skating tradition, but the group became defunct during the pandemic, so when Yuan and current Co-president Ayeesha Fadlaoui ’25 arrived as freshmen, they helped revive it. While many competitive skaters hang up their blades after high school, they saw an opportunity to turn a sometimes-stressful sport into a fun, accessible activity.
“Collegiate skating is more laid back,” said Fadlaoui, an animal sciences major. “It’s much more social, people are cheering and it’s just a much different environment.”
The club encompasses both freestyle skating, focused on individual programs, and synchronized skating, where students compete group routines like last year’s “Mean Girls”-inspired program, and now has about two dozen regular members. It draws a mix of beginners and nationally—even internationally—known skaters, such as Team USA ice dancer Jenna Hauer ’28.
Synchronized skaters ready to perform their "Mean Girls"-inspired program
It's an undeniably expensive sport (members pay regular dues to rent the rink for practice and buy their own skates) but the team fundraises to send members to competitions. That includes skating skills bingo, where supporters can donate to see members do particular tricks on Instagram (who knew there was a “turtle” spin?). Winning isn’t the end-all, but the team proudly touts its three Eastern Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships wins as well as its highest placement, sixth, at the Blue Hen Ice Classic last year.
“I always knew I wanted to skate in college,” said biological sciences major Tracy Ly ’27 between practicing double flips—two rotations in the air—and a variety of other double jumps during an October practice. “A lot of other colleges don’t offer skating, so I was really glad Maryland had a skating team.”
While the synchro team has always had a coach (necessary for choreography and cohesion), the freestyle group was excited to get a volunteer coach this year: Katie Roberts, M.P.H. ’26, who skated and taught competitively throughout her undergrad years at the University of Vermont.
“It’s really meaningful to pass on my knowledge and passion for skating,” said Roberts, who toggled between teaching first-timers how to balance and helping information science major Asmita Brahme ’26 center her sit spin and avoid rushing during a roughly two-minute program.
Off the ice, the club members gather to watch competitions and cheer on their favorite skaters, and even met Olympic bronze medalists Maia and Alex Shibutani at an event in D.C.
“Skating is really freeing,” said Yuan. “I’ve worked on skills I never spent time on before, since practices are such a blast. I really re-found my motivation in college.”
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