Local News 3

Local Figure Skaters Land in top 10 for National Competition
Tomoki Hiwatashi, 10, placed first overall, and Eric Stinehart, 12, took 8th place.

Local figure skaters Tomoki Hiwatashi, 10, and Eric Stinehart, 12, placed in the top 10 for the U.S. Junior Championships in Salt Lake City, Utah last week.

Hiwatashi trumped the competition with a 56.22 standing, winning the finals with almost a six-point gap between first and second place. Meanwhile Stinehart earned 46.64 points, missing 7th place by nearly one-fifth of a point.

"Eric ended up 8th, but skated his best program ever ... even better than the qualifying rounds." Cydèle Fadeyev, one of the boys' coaches, told Patch in an email interview, "We are very happy that they performed so well and that our two boys ended up in the top 10 at this national championship."

Stinehart and Hiwatashi practice at the Wilmette Park District's Centennial Ice Rink, under Cydèle and her husband Alexander Fadeyev, who is the 1985 men's world champion.

Stay tuned to Patch for comment from the boys and more on the event.

http://wilmette.patch.com/articles/local-figure-skaters-land-in-top-10-for-national-competition