Our Skaters

Brooke Tufts is an accomplished competitive solo ice dancer and certified skating coach with an impressive record of national and international achievements. A two-time National Solo Dance Final Champion in the Senior Combined event (2021, 2023) and two-time silver medalist (2022, 2024), Brooke has consistently ranked among the top solo dancers in the United States.

Her success extends to the global stage, having earned the title of Senior Solo Dance Champion at both the inaugural International Solo Dance Event in Helsinki, Finland, and the 2025 Edge Cup in Katowice, Poland, as well as Edge Cup in Italy.

In addition to her competitive accomplishments, Brooke has garnered numerous medals across Junior and Senior Combined Solo Dance Series events. She holds a Gold Medal in Skating Skills and has completed all partnered ice dance tests through the gold level.

As a Learn to Skate USA Certified Coach, Brooke brings her experience, dedication, and passion for the sport to the next generation of skaters, helping them build strong foundations and achieve their own skating goals.

🏅 National Solo Dance Champion – Senior Combined (U.S.)

• 2021 – Crowned U.S. Senior Solo Combined champion at the National Solo Dance Final – her first national title

• 2022 – Took silver finish at nationals, coming in 2nd .

• 2023 – Regained gold, winning Senior Combined with a total score of 183.78 (rhythm: 73.10, free dance: 110.68)

🌐 International Solo Ice Dance Achievements

• 2024 – Became the inaugural champion at the first-ever ISU International Solo Ice Dance event in Helsinki. Triumphed in both segments (rhythm dance “Cold Hearted Snake” & free dance “Carmen”) in a 10-skater senior field

• Also won the first U.S.-hosted ISU International Solo Ice Dance event in Reston, Virginia, over competitors from countries like Great Britain and Finland

Solo Dance Circuit Highlights

• Teamed up with Lucas Appel in a friendly rivalry: she took Senior Combined gold in 2021 and 2023, while Appel claimed it in 2022 – trading top podium positions across recent years

• Summer and regional competitions: frequently set season-best scores in rhythm and free dances, often placing 1st RD and top 3 FD

Background & Training

• Began skating at age 3; transitioned to solo ice dance at 14 after sustaining a spinal injury that hindered jumping

• Coached by Kristin Fraser Lukanin & Igor Lukanin at Montclair State University. Her RD and FD are choreographed by Igor Lukanin

Style & Significance

• Known for high speed, precision, and charisma on the ice.

• Pioneer in growing solo ice dance as an international discipline, showcasing solo artistry on a global stage

Summary of Titles

Rylen Lukanin & Patrick O’Brien are a rising Team USA novice ice dance team, making their mark with strong performances both nationally and internationally.

The duo earned national recognition as the 2022 U.S. Ice Dance Final Juvenile silver medalists and followed it up with a 2023 Intermediate pewter medal. Most recently, they represented the United States at the 2025 Egna Dance Trophy, where they captured the Intermediate Novice silver medal, further establishing themselves as a team to watch on the international circuit.

With a combination of technical precision and expressive performance, Rylen and Patrick continue to build momentum in their competitive journey as promising young ambassadors of U.S. ice dance.

Rylen Lukanin & Patrick O’Brien are an up-and-coming Team USA ice dance duo competing at the novice/intermediate level. Here's a breakdown of their progress and notable results:

🏅 Competitive Record & Results

• 2021–22 Season – As juvenile-level skaters, they captured gold in the Juvenile Combined Dance at the 2022 Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships.
  They also medaled (bronze) in Juvenile Pattern & Free Dances at the Dallas Cannon Classic.

  • Won silver in Intermediate Combined Dance at the 2023 Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships.

  • Earned a strong 4th-place finish at the 2024 U.S. Ice Dance Finals in Intermediate Dance.

• 2024 Season – Continued in novice/intermediate category:

  • Claimed gold in Novice Combined Dance at the 2024 Pickens Classic.

  • At the 2024 Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships (Novice), they scored 85.11, despite a fall during a dance spin. The team showed resilience and split calmly to regain composure.

  • Finished 5th and 6th in Novice Combined (52.58) and Free Dance (57.28) segments at the 2025 Midwestern Sectional championships.

Style & Development

• Training under coaches Kristin Fraser‑Lukanin & Igor Lukanin, Rylen and Patrick display solid basic technique and are gaining consistency in twizzles, pattern dances, and spins.

• Lake Placid recap highlighted their grit: after a fall, “we tried to pick it up… not to rush as fast as we could… we stayed together” — showing mental resilience.

Trajectory & Potential

• Strong early-season podium finishes at juvenile and intermediate levels show a steady climb up the ranks.

• Even with challenges like falls, their ability to recover mid-program is a promising sign of competitive maturity.

• With more seasoning and polish, they're poised to challenge the top tier of novice teams and potentially move successfully into junior levels soon.

Summary Table

Fatima Gomez Sandoval is a trailblazer in Mexican figure skating, proudly making history as the first solo ice dancer to represent Mexico on the international stage. Her groundbreaking presence in the discipline marks a significant step forward for the sport in her country, opening doors and inspiring a new generation of skaters.

Fatima began her solo dance career at the U.S. Solo Ice Dance International and has since competed at top-tier events, including the 2025 Helsinki Solo Ice Dance International. Before transitioning to solo dance, she represented Mexico as a single skater at the 2023 ISU Junior Grand Prix in Istanbul, gaining valuable experience at the international level.

With determination, artistry, and pride in her heritage, Fatima continues to pave the way for future Mexican solo dancers and redefine what’s possible for athletes from underrepresented nations in figure skating.

Fátima Gómez Sandoval is a pioneer in Mexican solo figure skating.

• At 18 years old, she became the first Mexican solo ice dancer to compete internationally after the discipline was officially recognized by the International Skating Union (ISU) in 2024.

• She began skating at age 4 and has overcome numerous injuries, demonstrating resilience and determination.

🏆 International Results

• ISU Junior Grand Prix Istanbul 2023 (Junior Women’s Singles):
  — 30th place in the Short Program
  — Total score: 72.53 (SP: 24.20 / FS: 48.33)

• Mexico Cup 2023:
  — 5th place (Junior Women)

• Triglav Trophy & Narcisa Cup 2023:
  — 27th place overall (Junior Women)

• Solo Ice Dance debut – Atlanta, USA, March 2025:
  — Short Dance: 44.54 (9th place)
  — Combined score: 122.42 (8th place overall)

Potential and Impact

• She is the second Mexican woman to compete at a Junior Grand Prix and the first ever in solo ice dance, making her a groundbreaker.

• Her journey is inspiring a new wave of young Mexican figure skaters to explore this emerging discipline.

Anna O’Brien is an accomplished international ice dancer and solo dance competitor, proudly representing Azerbaijan on the global stage. As a Team Azerbaijan International partnered ice dancer and Solo Dance Series international competitor and medalist, Anna has made her mark in both partnered and solo disciplines.

A U.S. Figure Skating National Championships competitor four times over, Anna is also a two-time U.S. Sectionals gold medalist and a National Qualifying Series Novice national medalist. Her competitive excellence has earned her the honor of participating in the U.S. National Development Camp on three occasions.

Anna holds gold medals in Moves in the Field and has completed ice dance tests through the gold level. She is a certified U.S. Figure Skating judge in both ice dance and singles competition and test events, and also a Learn to Skate USA certified coach passionate about nurturing the next generation of skaters.

In 2025, Anna continues her leadership off the ice as the Team Leader for Azerbaijan at the U.S. Figure Skating World Championships, bringing her international experience and dedication to a new level of team mentorship and development.

Anna O’Brien, a versatile athlete, competes in both partnered ice dance (for Team Azerbaijan) and the Solo Dance Series. Her dual-discipline approach showcases her technical prowess, artistic versatility, and competitive depth.

🏅 Partnered Ice Dance Highlights

• Represented Azerbaijan in International Junior Partnered Ice Dance events alongside Steven Wei, following a country switch in late 2022.

• Competed in the 2023 U.S. Figure Skating Championships’ Junior Ice Dance category as an Azerbaijani athlete.

Solo Dance Series Accomplishments

• A Solo Dance Series national medalist in the U.S..

• Began competing in solo Free Dance events around 2019, earning experience and recognition at sectional and national finals.

Recent International Medal – Bronze, Italy

• In approximately March 2025, Anna Sofia O’Brien captured a bronze medal in a senior-level Italy event (18 skaters from 15 countries), with a total score of 129.35 across Short and Free Dance