A student from Nikola Tesla STEM High School stayed cool this summer by winning gold on the ice. Sophomore Anugraha Pillai competed at the National Solo Dance Skating Competition. The event took place in Santa Clarita, Calif. from September 7-10. Anugraha danced past her competition by taking home first place in the pre-gold solo dance event. She also won the pewter medal (fourth place) in the junior combined dance event. 

Qualification for the National Solo Dance Final is based on results from the Solo Dance Series. That began in March and ended in August. The top 18 skaters in solo pattern dance and combined events get an invitation to go to the National Final. More than 790 skaters skated in this year's solo dance series.

Solo dance provides an opportunity for skaters to ice dance on their own. It is open to skaters of all ages and ice dance levels, from preliminary to gold and international. This event is conducted by US Figure Skating. They are the national governing body for the sport of figure skating in the United States. It is recognized as such by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

In addition to competing, Anugraha is in a dance club that coaches younger kids. She has also founded the Kent Valley Figure Skating Club’s Junior Board and is serving as the president. They organized an ice-skating fundraiser show on October 1 at the Kent Valley Ice Centre. All the proceeds will go towards Scott Hamilton’s CARES Foundation for cancer treatments and research. Anugraha also performed her national-level medaling programs at the event.