BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — In January, 23ABC spoke with 17-year-old figure skater Melania Delis of Bakersfield, who was preparing to compete in pairs competition with her partner, Jaden Schwab, at the Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships on January 24.
Now, after the competition, Delis and Schwab say they're still looking to make an impact on in the world of figure skating.
"It was honestly the best experience I've ever had with figure skating, and definitely an experience I am going to remember," said Delis.
The pair ultimately placed fifth in competition, but Schwab says he's happy with their performance.
"No matter what the place was, first place, last place, it didn't really matter. It just mattered that we did our best, and because we did that I am very, very content, especially with that being my first junior nationals," said Schwab.
Delis recalls her thoughts as she stepped onto the ice at the Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
"I just remember, like, I took a lap before we competed on my own, and I just looked at all the stands, and being in a big arena, and it just felt so good," said Delis.
Now the pair is looking to build on their success and focus on refining their performance.
"We need a lot of improvement on our elements. That includes, like, our side-by-side jumps. I really want to, we both really want to, really trying to get side-by-side triples, and some throw triples," said Delis.
Even though the pair has only competed for a short period, Delis says she sees them improving a lot in the off-season. She's hopeful that they will be competing again later this year.
