Maxwell continues to excel on the ice

Angela Maxwell, the 2008 U.S. junior ladies silver medalist, is one of the rising stars in the division. Before reaching the podium in 2008, Maxwell won the novice ladies title the previous year. The talented teenager also reached the national level in intermediate and juvenile girls.

Maxwell placed fifth at the 2008 ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Korea. She qualified by winning a silver medal in the Czech Republic and a bronze in Great Britain.

"It was cool to make the Final," she said. "It was so cool to be there. I could have done better in my free, but I'm happy I held up."

The 16-year-old started skating when she was six. "My mom was watching skating on TV, and I saw it on TV," Maxwell said. "I thought it was really awesome, and I wanted to try it. I like to feel the music and skate with my whole heart.

"Before I started skating, I was in gymnastics," Maxwell added. "I started when I was five and stayed until I was 10. I didn't do competitions but I trained a lot. I loved to tumble.

"I was also in a dance company when I was five and six," she continued. "I did jazz and tap. We used to compete as a team, and we won some championships."

Once Maxwell gave up dance and gymnastics for figure skating, she progressed quickly. She landed a double Axel at 11 and a triple Salchow one month later.

Her short program includes a triple toe-triple toe combination, triple Lutz and double Axel. For the long, Maxwell does a triple Salchow-double toe-double loop, triple flip-double toe and triple toe-triple toe combinations. She also includes a triple flip, triple loop, and triple Lutz and a double Axel.

"I want to keep getting better and improve my jumps," she said. "I've tried a triple Axel, but I had to stop because my double Axel was getting bad. I was close to landing it.

"I've been working on triple Lutz-triple toe and triple flip-triple toe," she continued. "I've landed both combinations but not consistently.

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