SMU students skate to success
Who knew that national and international figure skaters roam the SMU campus? Dallas has become a mecca for up-and-coming skaters with the abundance of rinks and coaches, and SMU is their college of choice.
Two such skaters are sophomore Augie Hill and senior Chris Jones. Both are well acquainted with the challenges of juggling a full academic load and a competitive athletic career.
Hill, 19, makes a daily schedule to stay organized. “I always find myself having to glance at my schedule to see what is next,” he said. Despite their hard work and long hours, both of these students feel it is well worth it.
Hill, along with partner Kim Lauten, is the current National Junior Ice Dance Bronze Medalist. Their third-place finish at Nationals in Portland, Ore. earned them a coveted spot on the Junior Grand Prix international circuit. This level of competition, however, is not new for these two. Last season the duo competed in Romania and Belgrade. Their biggest goal for next year is a spot on the Junior World Team.
Hill believes that he and Lauten are perfectly matched. Hill describes Lauten as the “total package—a good skater, eager to learn, and pretty.”
The two are physically well-matched. Both skaters are tall and thin, characteristics ideal for ice dancing. They also meet the strict age regulations the International Skating Union imposes on athletes at the Junior level. Lauten, just 16, is a sophomore at Plano’s Shepton High School.
Hill, a computer engineering and math major, has made sacrifices to achieve his level of success. A native of Chicago, Ill., he started skating at age six. Skating runs in the family. Hill has two older sisters and a younger brother involved in the sport. It was sister Katy who first made the move to train with renowned coaches Warren and Olivia Maxwell. Hill followed Katy’s lead, and has lived in Plano for six years.
His parents recently made the move to North Texas with Hill’s younger brother, Charlie, a senior at Plano West. After missing much of their children’s childhood years, Hill said his parents wanted to spend more time with their three youngest children. The eldest, Lizzy, attends the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Hill thrives academically, even with a schedule that always keeps him on the go. Last semester, Hill began his day with a 5:45 a.m. practice. His day would not end until 9 p.m. when his lab on campus finished. He also taught private lessons and Learn to Skate classes, which he continues to do at the Dr. Pepper StarCenter in Plano.
Luckily, this semester is not as busy because the competitive season ended in January at the National Championships.
When asked what he does in his spare time, Hill responded, “What is that?” with a grin. Any break from studying or skating is spent catching up on sleep, playing pool or bowling.
Hill wanted to join a fraternity, but his competition schedule interferes with rush.
“During spring rush I am competing at Lake Placid and during fall rush I am at Nationals,” he said regrettably. According to Hill, traveling is one of the best things about competing, allowing him to visit some, “pretty cool places.”
Despite Hill’s high achievements, many students are unaware of the local talent on campus.
Sophomore Renee Noseff, 19, says “I had no idea that elite figure skaters were on campus. I think it is so neat that there is a wide variety of people here.”
Further adding to the diversity on campus is Chris Jones, 22, a senior broadcast journalism major. Jones, a native of the Dallas area, is a two-time sectional competitor. He excelled first in singles, then in pairs with his partner of two years, Molly Alexander.
Their story is an impressive one. Jones, who is about to test the highest level of skating, the Senior level, climbed the ranks of pair skating with Alexander in just a couple of years. They qualified for Sectionals in 2004, a competition to leading to the National Championships. Unfortunately, they could not compete because of Jones’ pulled rotator cuff, an injury from which he is still recovering.
Like Hill, Jones keeps a busy schedule. He chose to attend SMU to be able to continue training with long-time coach Julie Gilmore. During his freshman year, he took the full 18 hours, as well as skating every morning. Three hours a week were also spent at the rink, either skating or working with a personal trainer.
Eventually, Jones had to cut back on his schedule. He dropped his academic load to 12-15 hours a semester and skates only three days a week in the morning. The change has proved beneficial.
“Everyone always asks me ‘Are you going to the Olympics?’ I hate that question. Now I skate to just get better and I enjoy it more…I am skating better now than when I was training hard everyday.”
Jones experiences success on and off the ice. He currently takes 16 hours of classes and interns at the Dallas Voice. A broadcast journalism student, Jones admits to having a knack for words, Upon graduation in May, he plans to, “move to a big city and jump into the world of entertainment television.” He would eventually like to produce and co-host his own talk show.
Both Hill and Jones have experienced success training in Dallas’ booming skating atmosphere. Each has persevered to meet the challenges of being a competitive athlete and a full-time student. They are just two examples of the diverse student population and talent found on the Hilltop.
SMU students skate to success
