Trevor Marsicano gave his fan club something to cheer about.
The Ballston Spa teen charged to the lead three laps into the 27-lap men’s 3,000-meter final at Sunday’s American Cup III short track speed skating meet at Saratoga’s Weibel Avenue Arena, and he never looked back as he took first place with a time of 5:06.46.
I wanted to pull a flyer (a breakaway from the pack) to see if I could do it, said Marsicano. `It was a goal for me to do it.`
As Marsicano charged around the ice by himself, his cheering section ` comprised of family and friends from the Saratoga Winter Club ` roared with excitement, especially after he caught the pack three laps later. They cheered loudly again when Marsicano pulled the move a second time.
`They’re so amazing for them to come out and watch this,` said Marsicano.
Marsicano’s effort in the 3,000 was symbolic of what the 17-year-old accomplished at AmCup. He also scored victories in the 500 and 1,000 to claim the overall title with 3,175 points ` nearly double that of his nearest competitor.
Those performances came on the heels of a successful run at the Junior World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Prague, Czech Republic last week. Marsicano earned a silver medal in the 1,500 and placed in the top third overall.
`It was my first time going overseas, so it was overwhelming. I had a lot of fun,` said Marsicano.
The field at last weekend’s AmCup wasn’t as strong as what Marsicano saw at the Junior Worlds, but it was no less challenging. The skaters came from across the United States, as well as parts of Canada.
`It was kind of a nice meet to unwind to,` said Marsicano.
Saratoga Springs teen Petra Acker also had a strong weekend at AmCup. The 13-year-old reached the A final in the 1,500 and won the 3,000 B final to place ninth in the overall standings with 321 points.
For Acker, it was a major step up from the youth divisions she had been competing in.
`It was really an honor,` said Acker. `I was thrilled just to get a seeding.`
Acker said she didn’t know what to expect competing against older skaters for the first time, and her performance at AmCup has changed her outlook on what she can accomplish in the sport.
`I will probably expect more out of myself, but I’m not going to put too much pressure on myself,` she said. `When it stops being fun, I don’t want to do it.`
More than 150 skaters participated in last weekend’s AmCup and related Eastern States meet at Weibel Avenue arena. The Saratoga Winter Club hosts the annual event, which draws skaters from as far away as California and Florida.
`They know it’s one of the largest short track competitions in the country, so they know the competition is good,` said meet director Bill Ralston.“
