HIGH ACHIEVERS: Perfect synchro skating season ends with Canadian title for Starlight

By Martin Cleary

Debbie Heuchert is leaving synchronized skating on the highest of notes.

After watching the Starlight synchro skating team win its first-ever Skate Canada Cup, complete an unprecedented undefeated season and have her daughter celebrate those feats in her final year, she thought it was the perfect time to take her final bow as the combined Goulbourn and March-Kanata skating club’s director of synchro.

“It’s a wonderful group and club to be part of. But winning the national championship seemed like a good time (to set down),” Heuchert said in a recent phone interview about her eight-year run at the volunteer position.

In late February, she travelled to Waterloo, ON., to support coach Susan Chouinard and the 17-skater Starlight team, which was competing in the Intermediate (Gold) synchro class. The skaters ranged in age between 15 and 18 years old.

After finishing as silver medallists at the 2023 Skate Canada Cup synchro skating championship, Starlight took a giant step forward last month and seized the first national title in club history. Starlight also was the first Ottawa youth synchro team to win a Canadian championship. Adult synchro teams have won national titles in the past.

“Last year, they got along well, but obviously it’s a different vibe with different girls (this year),” said Heuchert, who added the Starlight team welcomed two skaters from other clubs and three skaters new to synchro. “This year, there was more confidence on the ice to go that extra mile.”

Starlight placed first in both freeskating aspects at the national championship, according to the Skate Canada results. After winning their opening program with 42.94 points, Starlight captured the final freeskating program with a season-best score of 88.96 points for a total of 131.90 points. Starlight’s final program went three minutes and 40 seconds.

NEXXICE of Burlington, ON., was second at 127.28 points, while Edge of Orillia, ON., finished third with 122.87 points.

In synchro skating, a team of skaters work in unison performing technically difficult moves like lines, circles, blocks, intersections and spins.

The skaters on the Starlight team were: Ella Naughton, Cadence James, Rachel Heuchert, Aimee Zhang, Malea Kulkarni, Taylor Glover, Abby Levac, Angela Zheng, Chloe Leclaire, Hayley Smith, Kadynn Morrison, Tess Overvelde, Knox Marshall, Olivia Goldie, Keke Qiu, Emily Qin and Chloe Wilkes.

Coach Susan Chouinard choreographed the Overcome freeskating program and the 16 female and one male skaters presented its powerful movements and captivating emotions on the ice.

“This team was special from the very beginning, the skaters trusted the process, put in the practice and believed in each other,” Chouinard said in a club press release. “It was a coach’s dream.

“This team surpassed my wildest expectations with an undefeated season.”

In the past three months, Starlight skated gold-medal performances at competitions in St. Hubert, PQ., Kingston and Oakville as well as at the provincial qualifier. Winning the national title was the crowning moment for the skaters as well as Heuchert.

“Our current president (Cheryl Goldie) was the synchro director. When she moved up to club president, I saw a hole I could fill. That needed to be done,” Heuchert added firmly.

Heuchert knew she couldn’t help with the coaching of the club’s four teams, which also includes the Star 4, Star 6 and Star 8 groups.

“I can’t skate. I’m terrible,” she continued. “I’m an organizer. I saw an opportunity and said I could do that.”

But Heuchert hasn’t limited her volunteering administrative skills strictly to synchro skating. She also is on the board of directors of the West Carleton Crusaders Minor Hockey Association as the director for level co-ordinators and social events, and also serves as the ice scheduler.

At the club’s annual general meeting at the end of April, Heuchert will say good-bye.

“I will hand over the reins. It will definitely be hard for me,” said Heuchert, who also is leaving about the time the 2024-25 Starlight Intermediate (Gold) team is forming.

“We never really know about a season until the first competition. I think we were confident (this season) as we finished last year strong. They were confident, but I didn’t know if they would win nationals because it’s a dream.”

Starlight’s entire season was a dream.

“We won every event,” a proud Heuchert said. “It’s like unheard of. It’s a bit unusual. But they are great skaters with great choreography.

“This has been building with many years of work. Four girls have been skating together for eight years. We’ve had some tough years for sure. We lost skaters last year, but we were lucky some moved to Ottawa for university. And we had some new skaters, who wanted to try synchro. We had the perfect combination.

“They are strong individual skaters and skate well together. The coach put together an amazing program (and) the skaters bought into it.”

The Starlight team practised four to six hours a week, including one hour of off-ice training.

“We were all so happy,” Heuchert said about making club history with its first national championship. “It was impossible not to be ecstatic. They (skaters) worked so hard. It was unreal.”