Interscholastic Speedskating Challenge Looks to Put Skating Back in Schools

The 2025 Interscholastic Speedskating Challenge made its debut at the Pettit National Ice Center on July 3rd, 2025. The race featured 54 skaters, representing 32 schools in the US and Canada, who came together to compete for the pride of their schools and made for very intense and exciting racing. 

These 54 skaters were categorized into five groups, the Black Ring, Red Ring, Blue Ring, Yellow Ring and Green Ring. Do these colors sound familiar? If you caught on, it's the colors of the five Olympic rings! As this season is an Olympic year, the theme of the groups was based on the main symbol of the Games so that all of the skaters could feel the Olympic spirit surrounding them as they flew around the track.

But this competition held a deeper meaning past the Olympic Games. From the 1920s to the 1980s, speed skating enjoyed a rich presence within Illinois schools, and attracted thousands of enthusiastic spectators to cheer on their favorite student skaters on the ice. These events often incubated the careers of many Midwest speed skating Olympians and built the foundation for their legacies. But following various difficulties maintaining school teams and awareness, the excitement and popularity surrounding interschool speed skating competitions fizzled out by the 1980s.

However, the Interscholastic Speedskating Challenge sought to bring this kind of atmosphere back. For the first time in 45 years, students now have the opportunity to represent their schools with pride on the track, and showcase their amazing sport to their peers and classmates. By growing student excitement surrounding speed skating, the sport’s numbers can grow in unprecedented ways. 

That revival effort resonated with many who experienced school-based speed skating competitions firsthand. Gary Martin, a high school skater in the 1970s, recalled, “It was exciting racing for my high school even if it was just one meet a year.” 

Carl Cepuran, an esteemed figure in Midwest speed skating and longtime advocate for youth development, added, “If speed skating connects with school sports, it can grow quickly. Schools already have strong team spirit and structure, and people love representing where they’re from.”

The individual division awards were presented by Olympians Jordan Stolz (2022) and Julie Koons (1998 & 2002). The novice awards for first time competitors were presented by Youth Olympian Elizabeth Rhodehamel. 

Carolyn Spiewak, the Director of Speed Skating at the Pettit and the host of the event, was also one of the individual award presenters. She expressed her positive outlook on the impact through saying that “I noticed and felt the excitement from the skaters as they stepped up onto the podiums to celebrate their shared school-based victories.  From my perspective as a competition organizer, we win anytime we can create a sense of teamwork within an individual sport. Let’s see what can happen.”

But the name of this event is not deceiving; athletes competed for more than just personal experience but also accumulated points for their schools. The awards ceremony also incorporated a section for the schools with skaters earning the most points. 

The school awards were presented by Jean Lambert, a board member of Elmbrook School District; Elmbrook is currently the base of the only school district speedskating club in the nation. 

1st place: Brookfield Central High School, Wisconsin

2nd place: J. Slowacki, Illinois

3rd place: St. Augustine School, Canada

4th place: Hamilton High, Wisconsin

Thanks to the Pettit National Ice Center, Elmbrook School District (Wisconsin) and Let’s Skate Foundation for making this event possible, as well as all volunteers and guest presenters for their contributions to making the competition smooth and memorable. We hope to see everyone again next year for another edition of the InterSchool Speedskating Challenge!