Beachwood figure skaters delivered an impressive performance at the Ohio High School Skating Championships, held at Thornton Park Ice Arena in Shaker Heights from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1.
The event brought together 17 teams representing 39 schools from across the state, with the Bison competing as part of the Eastside Blades team, which includes skaters from Beachwood, Orange and Twinsburg.
For senior Co-Captain Lorena Tovanche, the competition carried special meaning as her final season with the team.
“It’s honestly a really great feeling,” Tovanche said. “A lot of us stay together the whole weekend, and it’s just a lot of fun.”
The Eastside Blades earned first place in the team maneuvers event, with Beachwood skaters including seventh grader Natalia Agudelo, freshman Jacob Isaacson, senior Lorena Tovanche, senior Anna Tonyushkin, freshman Masha Tonyushkin and freshman Dominik Herjan contributing to the victory.
Beachwood skaters also saw success in individual competitions.
Herjan secured first place in intermediate men’s free skate, while Tovanche earned medals in both intermediate solo free dance and silver solo pattern dance.
Heading into the competition, Tovanche focused on making the most of her final opportunity on the ice.
“This is my senior year, I wanted to make it my best game and hoped the entire team would do well,” she said.
When stepping onto the ice, senior Co-Captain Anna Tonyushkin focused on the elements of the routine rather than the pressure of the moment.
“I was just excited and grateful for the chance to be out there with my team,” she said. “In the moment I focused on which elements I had to complete and not be too worried about everyone else.”
Notably, the team’s victory in the maneuvers event was the highlight of the weekend.
“We were shocked because we thought we performed better at that event last year than this year,” Tovanche said. “There are low, intermediate, and high maneuvers, but we only competed in the low and intermediate levels, so we didn’t expect to win.”
Tonyushkin expressed a similar sentiment.
“I was incredibly proud and happy about our placement and definitely could not believe it for a while,” she said. “I remember jumping up and down and celebrating with Lorena and the rest of the team as the realization set in.”
Preparation for the championships began months earlier, with team practices starting in November.
Tovanche shared what training weeks look like during the season.
“For competitions, we meet about once every two weeks and practice on our own,” she said. “Personally, during the regular season, I skate Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, and Tuesday and Friday mornings.”
Tonyushkin added that the team production began months before the championship.
“Back in the early fall Lorena and I picked a theme and music and started working with our choreographer,” she said.
The demands of the sport can be a lot for high school students.
“Just making sure everyone could attend practices was difficult because everyone is so busy, “ Tovanche said. “Remembering the choreography and steps was also challenging.”
Tovanche also reflected on the unique experience of being on a team representing multiple schools.
“I think it’s a really good bonding experience,” she said. “It’s great for younger skaters because they get to make new friends from other schools.”
Tonyushkin agreed that the sense of teamwork made the season especially memorable.
“This year was probably the most fun I’ve had as part of the Eastside Blades team because we were more competitive than ever before and spent a lot of time together coming up with and executing our team production,” Tonyushkin said.
The most difficult part of preparing the group routine was coordinating with the other skaters.
“The most challenging part for the team production was definitely getting everyone to know the program well and not only complete it but sync all the movements,” she said.
According to Tonyushkin, the team’s first place finish in the maneuvers event was unexpected but rewarding.
“I came into the event with low expectations, and we miraculously managed to win first place,” she said. “[Everyone] tried their best on their move and we were rewarded for our hard work.”
Tonyushkin has been skating competitively since she was around five years old.
“[I started skating] before I even had a choice or opinion and nothing has ever stopped me from wanting to compete,” she said. “I was also definitely looking forward to joining the team for this competition when I moved to Ohio freshman year, as I was excited for the group production and teamwork aspect.”
Beyond competition, both captains emphasized the importance of representing Beachwood at a statewide event.
“As figure skaters, we don’t really get much representation in our school,” Tovanche said. “So being able to represent Beachwood and bring home a plaque was really [an accomplishment.]”
Tonyushkin echoed that sentiment, noting conflicted feelings.
“It is a little bittersweet because schools like Shaker Heights have figure skating as an official varsity sport and are actually given credit and recognition for their work, unlike Beachwood which does not recognize figure skating as an official school sport,” she said.
However, she added that she loved being able to represent Beachwood and show some school pride at the event, especially among much larger schools.
As they prepare to graduate, both captains hope younger students will consider trying the sport.
“Go learn to skate and take it slow,” Tovanche said. “Figure skating is a hard sport and you’re going to fall, but you just have to keep going.”
Tonyushkin encouraged interested students to take the first step.
“Even if you’re only a little interested—give it a shot,” she said. “There are many levels of commitment in this sport and everyone in any level can compete at OHHS with the team and in personal events.
She suggested that students start by trying a beginner program.
“Sign up for a learn to skate class at Thornton Park Ice Arena and give it the full six weeks to see if it is something you enjoy,” she said.
