Babson’s Synchronized Skaters Help Team to Fifth Place at World Championships

April 29, 2022

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Laura Nicula and Elissa Kempisty pose together on the ice

Laura Nicula ’24 (left) and Elissa Kempisty ’23 celebrate their team’s performance at the world championships.

Two Babson students—Elissa Kempisty ’23 and Laura Nicula ’24—shared in their team’s global success at the 2022 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships.

Kempisty and Nicula skate for the reigning national champion Haydenettes team, which placed fifth at the world championships in Hamilton, Ontario. The Haydenettes, skating to “Hold on to Tomorrow” by Brennan Heart in the free skate, recorded 212.99 total points for their best world finish since 2017, when they were fourth.

Kempisty of Fulton, New York, and Nicula of St. Louis are two of the 22 skaters on the Haydenettes roster. In March, the Haydenettes won their 29th national championship—and 12th in a row—at the U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

“Figure skating has been a huge part of my life, and I have dreamed of competing at this level since I was 8 years old,” said Kempisty, a Natalie Taylor Scholar and member of the Babson Honors Program. “It is a unique experience and requires a lot of balance. I have the opportunity to represent Team USA and compete internationally while still pursuing my studies, working part time, and working on entrepreneurial ventures.”

Watch the Haydenettes’ free skate performance: