Merrill Ice Reflections hosts State High School Figure Skating Finals, Merrill team earns first-place titles

The Merrill Ice Reflections Figure Skating Club hosted the State High School Figure Skating Finals on March 8, 2026, at the Merrill Area Recreation Complex in the Smith Center, 1100 Marc Dr. in Merrill — the first time the event was held in Merrill.
“Teams from all over the state competed at State,” Merrill Ice Reflections Board member Kelly Kraegenbrink said. Competing teams represented were Eagle River, Lakeland Union, Northern Edge of Rhinelander, Stevens Point, Mosinee, Wisconsin Rapids, Manitowoc County, Fox Valley, Coulee Region, Seven Rivers, Waupun, Greater Green Bay, and Merrill. The event was sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating and judged by U.S. Figure Skating Officials.
“Over 200 skaters competed for team points and awards,” Kraegenbrink said. Skaters competed in Skating Skills, Jumps, and Spins, as well as a team Entertainment Showcase, across four levels: Aspire, Bronze, Silver, and Gold.
The Merrill High School team, coached by Montana Grabowsky, competed at the Aspire and Bronze levels and brought home first-place finishes in both, along with the top spot in the Entertainment Showcase.
Merrill’s team includes Senior Korina Kraegenbrink; Juniors Lauren Zuelsdorff, Mya Meyer, and Lilly Hoffman; and Sophomores Emily Freyer and Madalyn Karsnia.

Being on a high school figure skating team isn’t new for these skaters. “They used to be on the Timberline High School Team out of Wausau, which was a co-op team for many years with skaters from the Merrill and Wausau area, but they recently decided to make their own team to represent their hometown since most of the team was from Merrill,” Kraegenbrink said.

Team results:
Aspire
1st – Merrill
2nd – Stevens Point

3rd – Manitowoc County
Bronze
1st – Merrill
2nd – Coulee Region
3rd – Eagle River
Silver
1st – Fox Valley
2nd – Coulee Region
3rd – Wisconsin Rapids
Gold
1st – Wisconsin Rapids
2nd – Greater Green Bay
Entertainment Showcase
1st – Merrill
2nd – Wisconsin Rapids
3rd – Eagle River