The Cornell Figure Skating Team took fifth place out of 10 teams competing at the U.S. Figure Skating National Intercollegiate Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich., April 5-6. Sixteen Cornell skaters of all levels competed, participating in different, equally weighted events to earn points depending on placements, as in a track meet.

Placing in the top five is an especially proud achievement for the team, because it hasn't qualified since 2004, said Stephanie Chan '08, public relations chair of the team.

"Moreover, Cornell was among four teams representing the Eastern conference, while there are usually three -- Cornell was included in a three-way tie for second place in the East," said Chan, a nutritional sciences major. "The Cornell finish is also impressive because unlike most schools, Cornell's team is self-coached and has fewer resources than most of the teams it competed against."

Other teams, for example, practice every day (some twice a day) but the Cornell team practices only three times a week. Cornell is also the only team in the region without a coach. "The team prides itself on its independence and its tight-knit team spirit -- few teams cheered louder for their skaters than Cornell," said Chan.

Besting Cornell for the top four spots were, in order: Dartmouth College, Indiana University, University of Delaware and University of California-Berkeley.