mobanmarketNORTHBROOK, IL — Though they’ve only been skating the discipline since August, it seems like Gabby Kaplan and Matthew Soifer are natural pair skaters. Kaplan, an eighth-grader at Wood Oaks Junior High in Northbrook, and Soifer, a senior at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire and resident of Riverwoods, were recently crowned the U.S. Intermediate National Champions for pair skating.
Kaplan’s mother, Alexis, recently told Patch that the duo were “shocked” when they won the November competition in Tacoma, Washington. This followed a second-place finish in their first competition together, scoring 12 points higher at the U.S. Pairs Final. The two were also recently named to the U.S. development team.
“For both skaters, it is beyond exciting,” Alexis Kaplan said. “For Matthew, it’s 14 years of hard work. Gabby has always had this as a goal and is really excited to work with the coaches at the U.S. figure skating development camp in Columbus in January.”
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The pair is coached by Christopher Knierim, who won an Olympic bronze medal with his wife, Alexa, in the figure skating team event at the 2018 Olympics. He is a three-time U.S. national champion.
“Chris is a great example for the kids. He is a champion as a skater but also as a coach,” Kaplan said. “He makes training fun and challenging while supporting the skaters’ development.”
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Kaplan said the young skaters benefit from spending time on the ice with Christopher Knierim, Alexa Knierim, and Timothy LeDuc, a U.S. national champion and Olympian.
Gabby Kaplan also skates singles. According to mom, the 13-year-old tried pairs with Chris Knierim at the Oakton Rink in Park Ridge and loved it.
“When she went to look for a partner, her singles coaches suggested they team up [Gabby and Matthew],” Alexis Kaplan said. “Skating together adds a different element and another way for them to express themselves. It’s nice to know they are a team and have someone else out there with them.”
Next up, the pair will be par of the Twin Rinks Holiday Show on Dec. 16. The two have skated as singles at the Buffalo Grove rink, so skating together should be special.
“It’ll be really exciting to hear ourselves announced as national champions at the Twin Rinks ice show,” Gabby Kaplan said. “The rink has been so supportive of us and welcomed us back with a fun banner signed by all the skaters.”
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