Category: Alumni

Nicole and Victoria Buddie are San Diego natives who began skating at the age of 3 years old. They joined the San Diego Figure Skating Club at 11 years old and began synchro with Team del Sol at the Juvenile level. Both Nicole and Victoria were coached at SDFSC by Coach Natasha, who graciously coached them in skills, MITF and helped them continue and compete in freestyle competitions until college.

The Buddie’s were also coached by Karen Weismeir for synchro and were a part of the competitive Team del Sol for six seasons. They skated for the Senior team at SDFSC for two seasons as well, and were a part of Team del Sol in 2015-2016, when they earned Team USA, with Del Sol.

After their senior year of high school in San Diego and being able to be a part of such an incredible synchronized skating program in the West Coast which brought them so much joy and being on only 1 of the 2 Senior synchronized skating teams in the west coast, plus bringing home a gold medal with TdS for the United States at the Trophy D’Ecosse, they decided to further their competitive skating career throughout college.

Nicole and Victoria skated for Adrian College for 2 seasons, in Adrian, Michigan. Victoria skated for the Senior team (Team USA) and Nicole the Senior (Team USA) and Collegiate team. (Freshman and Sophomore year). However, they still now attend Adrian College, but skate for the Senior Dearborn Crystallettes, out of Dearborn, Michigan. Which they commute 1.5 hours, four times a week to train with their team.

This past season, their Senior Team represented Team USA at the Spring Cup in Milan, Italy and brought home the Bronze Medal for the United States, and competed at the Trophy D’Ecosse in Dumfries, Scotland and brought home the Silver Medal for the U.S. Additionally, at the 2019 U.S Synchronized Skating Championships the Senior Crystallettes placed 3rd in the Senior division and earned the position of alternates for the World Team. (for the 2019 U.S Synchronized Skating World Championships)

These San Diego natives will continue to skate for the Senior Crystallettes, the following season and hope to help synchronized skating grow and prosper all over the country and most importantly throughout the West Coast.

Their love for skating never dies.

They are both double majors in Spanish and Communication with a minor in Journalism at Adrian College. They are currently studying abroad this summer in Santiago, Chile for their Spanish major, since they are unable to fulfill that requirement throughout the year due to the competitive synchronized skating season. They will continue to train and practice at a rink in Santiago, Chile in hope of becoming the best athletes they can be for the following competitive season, meanwhile studying abroad.

Kate Liang started skating at SDIA’s Learn to Skate Program as a tot in 2003. Within six months of taking classes Kate joined Shining Blades and thus the beginning of her journey with synchronized skating. After skating with Shining Blades for three years Kate decided she wanted to be more competitive and began skating for Team del Sol and Karen Wiesmeier. Ten years later, having skated Juvenile through Senior Level, Kate had earned a U.S. Synchronized Skating Championship at the Intermediate level in 2013, an Intermediate Pewter medal in 2011, ten Pacific Coast Sectionals Championships, and at the Senior level, an International Gold Medal in 2016 at Trophy d’Escosse in Dumfries, Scotland. In addition, she earned gold medals in both Moves in the Field and Dance and did some Free Skate tests as well. She served as the SDFSC Jr. Board President for 3 years and was Volunteer of the Year in 2015.

Now in 2019, Kate has been skating with the University of Michigan Synchronized Skating Team for the past three years at the Collegiate level earning back-to-back U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships in 2017 and 2018 as well as a Bronze Medal in 2019. As an all-student run team, Kate has been in a leadership role for the past two years, one as the VP of Travel and Competition and this year as President. Kate was re-elected to serve as President for her senior year. Kate continues to be passionate about synchronized skating and eventually wants to skate on an adult team once her education is completed.