YOUTH SKATERS HEAD TO REGIONAL EVENT

SCOTT CITY - The figure skating pair of Sarah Ashley Booth and Matt Buttrey will skate their way into the Upper Great Lakes Sectional Competition on Monday.

The duo won first place at the United States Figure Skating Association Upper Great Lakes Regionals in Madison, Wis., to move on to the sectionals in Rockford, Ill.

The competition will consist of the top four skaters from each regional level.

Sarah and Matt were the youngest of the Novice Pair division competitors in Madison, but skated well enough to win the gold in their technical and long programs.

The two have mastered several new moves during practice this summer and fall, including overhead lifts, new jumps and the double split twist. Such moves have made their programs very difficult, but are necessary for competition at the novice level.

Sarah and Matt are coached by Debbie Dodge Howe of Kirkwood and Michael Meyer of Chicago. The young skaters travel an average of 1,000 miles per week to various rinks to get the ice time needed for the pairs training.

If the pair place in the top four at Monday's competition, they will advance to the U.S. Figure Skating Association Nationals that are held Jan. 17-24 in Phoenix, Ariz.