Addison-native Alexa Scimeca-Knierim took home the gold on Saturday afternoon as she and partner Christopher Knierim won the United States championship in pairs figure skating.
The victory gives the duo a great shot at being named to the United States Olympic team for the first time in their career. They scored a huge win in the event, with a 206.60 combined score.
it was also the culmination of a long and hard-fought journey back to the top, as Scimeca-Knierim spent much of 2016 battling illness. She underwent three abdominal surgeries, and was off the ice for months as she battled her way back to health.
"It was horrifying," Scimeca-Knierim's mom Tina said. "I wanted to be there and just hold her and make it all go away. Hopefully we are past (the illness) and heading into something terrific this year."
A dazzling free skate helped Scimeca-Knierim and Knierim beat out Danny O’Shea, who grew up in Gurnee, and Tarah Kayne for the title. O'Shea and Kayne combined for a 200.80 to grab the silver medal.
A Look Back at Ice Skating Star Alexa Scimeca Knierim's Career
Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Natahn Bartholomay finished in third with a combined score of 197.65. Jessica Catalang, a Glenview native, and Zack Sidhu finished in ninth place.
