A Seasoned Staff of Qualified, Professional Coaches
Kate Blanchette, Director of Synchronized Skating and Head Coach
Kate (Clark) Blanchette is the Director of Synchronized Skating and Head Coach of the IceLiners Synchronized Skating Team.
Kate skated synchro for the Colonials Synchronized Skating Team out of Massachusetts. She was a Junior Synchronized Skating National competitor and represented the United States at the Open World Invitational Synchronized Skating Championships in France, where they earned a Silver Medal.
Kate has coached figure skating for over 20 years. Her coaching disciplines include Synchronized Skating, Choreography, Basic Skills, Freestyle, Moves In The Field, Theatre On Ice, Stroking/Power Classes and Off Ice Training. She also has jump harness training. Kate is a Category A certified member of U.S. Figure Skating and Professional Skaters Association (PSA).
Previously, she was the Synchronized Skating Coordinator at Exton Edge Figure Skating Club in Exton, Pennsylvania, where she choreographed and coached the Exhibition through Open Juvenile teams.
Tara Kay Willis, Coach
Tara Kay Willis is a Coach for the IceLiners Synchronized Skating Team.
She has been coaching for over 15 years at all levels in numerous disciplines including Synchronized Skating, Choreography, Freestyle and Moves In The Field. Tara is a Category A certified member of Professional Skaters Association (PSA) and U.S. Figure Skating.
She holds a B.S. from the University of Delaware in Health and Exercise Science, minoring in Figure Skating Science. Figure Skating Science is a specialized degree of study for competitive figure skating coaches, blending theory and practice of sports psychology and biomechanics as they pertain to the sport of figure skating. Her degree also included being mentored by Ron Luddington and other National, World and Olympic coaches.
Previously, Tara was a Synchronized Skating Coach at Exton Edge Figure Skating Club in Exton, Pennsylvania, where she coached the Open Juvenile team.
Gianna Szpanka, Coach
Gianna Szpanka is a Coach for the IceLiners Synchronized Skating Team.
EMMA LUCKMAN, Coach
Emma Luckman is a Coach for the IceLiners Synchronized Skating Team.
Emma skated for renowned Skyliners Senior line out of New York. With her team, they were titled the U.S. Bronze Medalists. During her time at Skyliners, Emma represented Team USA competing at worlds in Berlin, Germany.
During college, Emma continued skating on the the Miami University Collegiate and Junior Varsity Synchronized Skating teams. Emma holds a national championship title as a member of the Miami University Collegiate Varsity Synchronized Skating Team. The team won Nationals in 2016, serving as Miami Collegiate’s twelfth consecutive national title.
Along with coaching synchro, Emma has also coached Special Olympics and is currently a Learn to Skate
and Freestyle Coach.
Emma holds a Bachelor of Science from Miami University in Early Childhood Education and an
Environmental Educator certificate. Emma is currently a third-grade teacher in Philadelphia.
SHERYL FRANKS, CHOREOGRAPHER
Sheryl Franks is a Choreographer for the IceLiners Synchronized Skating Team.
Sheryl is a U.S. Figure Skating Pairs 1980 Olympian, four-time world team and international member, and Disney on Ice principle skater. Sheryl has been coaching and creating choreography for the past 35 years for National, World and Olympic level skaters, as well as for synchronized skating teams including the Colonials and World Champions, the Haydenettes.
Trish Mills, CHOREOGRAPHER
Trish is a Choreographer for the IceLiners Synchronized Skating Team.
Trish is the current Head Coach and Choreographer for the Junior and Open Masters lines of Team Nexxice from Ontario, Canada. She has been the coach of the Team Nexxice Junior line since 2006 and has led the line to gold at World Championships.
Aubrie Roszell, Coach
Aubrie Roszell is a Coach for the IceLiners Synchronized Skating Team.
Rachel Kraber, Coach
TEAM USA Member:
2020 - Team USA Sliver Medalist
2019 - Team USA International Pewter Medalist
2018 - Team USA Midwestern Sectional Bronze Medalist
2018 - Collegiate National Sliver Medalist
During her 4 years at Adrian College Rachel earned the position as Assistant Coach for the Varsity Open
Collegiate Team. She also held an internship with the Head Coach of Adrian College Varsity Synchronized
Skating Team. Rachel graduated with a Bachelor of Business and Administration. Please welcome Rachel
to The IceLiners Family!