Oceanside skater invited to compete internationally

Oceanside skater Samantha Cesario received some exciting news this month. Fresh off her first run as a senior level skater at the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships in Spokane, Wash., she was offered the opportunity she'd been hoping for – an invitation to represent the United States at an international competition.

Following her performance at nationals, the United States Figure Skating Association invited Samantha, 16, to compete in the Gardena Spring Trophy, an international skating competition that takes place in Italy April 1 – 3. “I was really excited,” Samantha said. “This was exactly what I needed from nationals.”

This will be Samantha's first trip abroad, and her first time skating overseas. Her coach, Mary Lynn Gelderman, said the invitation is a vote of confidence from the USFSA, and a sure sign that the association believes she is a young, up-and-coming skater to watch. “It's a very elite and tiny group and I think it's very exciting for her,” said Gelderman, who will join Samantha on the all-expenses paid trip to Italy.

So far, it's been a very exciting competitive year for Samantha. She worked her way up to nationals after skating to the top at several competitions in 2009. In October, she finished first overall at the North Atlantic Regional Competition in Hackensack, N.J., outskating 2006 Olympian Emily Hughes. From that competition, she advanced to the Eastern Sectionals in Newark, Del. in November, and finished third. That ranking allowed her to advance to nationals Jan. 14 – 24 in Spokane, where she competed against the country's top skaters in an Olympic year, and finished 14th overall. The top two skaters from the competition, Rachael Flatt and Mirai Nagasu, are representing the U.S. at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. Samantha knew it would be a long shot to make the Olympic team, and said she was excited just to have the opportunity to skate as a senior at nationals in an Olympic trial year.