The Florham Park Figure Skating Club had a strong showing at the 2026 USA Roller Sports United States National Championships, with seven of its skaters combining for 14 medals and two athletes earning spots on Team USA.

Ten skaters from the Florham Park, New Jersey, club competed at the national championships, held July 17-30 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Among the highlights was a national championship performance from 18-year-old Lydia Castelblanco of Chatham, who captured the Senior Ladies Figures title during her 10th and final appearance at U.S. Nationals.

The victory also marked Castelblanco’s fourth consecutive Team USA qualification, although she has deferred the opportunity as she prepares to begin college.

Castelblanco has built an impressive career in roller figure skating, earning 22 national placements across figures, loops and free skating. She has also finished in the top 10 at each of her three appearances at the World Skate World Figure Cup and has competed internationally in Germany, Italy, Argentina, China and Colombia.

Her accomplishments at Nationals extended beyond her performance on the skating surface. Castelblanco was presented with the 2026 USA Roller Sports Elmer Ringeisen Sportsmanship Award, which recognizes character, humility and respect in competition.

She served as the Florham Park club’s team captain for four seasons and was co-captain of Team USA at the 2025 World Figure Cup in Buenos Aires.

Fourteen-year-old Iris Acuña Salazar of Newark also earned a spot on Team USA after winning a silver medal in Cadet Ladies Figures. It marked her first Team USA qualification, and she is scheduled to compete at the World Skate World Figure Cup in Lynwood, Illinois, in September.

Acuña Salazar finished Nationals with four medals after adding three more silver medals in figures, loops and combined events. She also took over as the club’s team captain during the championships.

Several of the club’s younger skaters also turned in podium performances.

Nine-year-old Aadhira Venugopal of Parsippany successfully defended her 2025 national titles, winning gold in Primary A Girls Figures and Primary A Girls Figures/Loops Combined. She also earned bronze in Primary A Girls Loops.

Samhita Aniruddh, 7, of Livingston, earned silver in Primary A Girls Figures, while 10-year-old Adya Poddar of Morris Plains won silver in Juvenile A Girls Figures and bronze in Juvenile B Girls Loops.

Shrinidhi Bingi, 12, of Parsippany, earned silver in Elementary A Girls Figures and was also a finalist in Elementary B Girls Free Skating.

For 10-year-old Srinika Janardhanan of Randolph, the championships brought a milestone of her own. Janardhanan won her first national title July 26 by finishing first in Juvenile B Girls Figures. She also earned third place in the Juvenile B Girls Figures/Loops Combined event.

The skaters train at the Florham Park Roller Rink, which has operated continuously since 1937. They are coached in figures and loops by Scott Bartell, who has coached at the rink for nearly 30 years and serves as its Head Coach and Director of Competitive Skating.

“Fourteen placements at a National Championships is an unbelievable achievement for our club. It’s the result of hard work, trust in the process, and a team that refuses to settle. Seeing two of our athletes qualify for spots on Team USA is an incredible honor, but more importantly, it’s a reflection of the culture we’ve built together. I couldn’t be prouder of this group of athletes and the coaches I work side by side with, they showed what commitment, resilience, and belief can truly accomplish,” Bartell said. 

Bartell has also served annually as a Team USA coach at the World Figure Cup since 2023 and is chairman of the board of directors for USA Roller Sports. Current Team USA member Courtney Kennedy and former club competitor and 2021 Team USA member Gillian Muldoon also coach at the club.

Roller figure skating combines precision, strength and artistry. In figures, skaters must demonstrate accuracy, body control and concentration while tracing intricate patterns on circles painted on the skating surface. Free skating incorporates jumps, spins and footwork with music.

The sport also has connections to the Olympic movement. Olympic skaters including 1998 Olympic champion Tara Lipinski and 2010 Olympian Caydee Denney began their careers in roller skating and competed in national roller skating events early in their careers.

For the Florham Park Figure Skating Club, the results in Lincoln showcased the depth of talent developing at the longtime New Jersey skating rink — from young skaters earning their first national podiums to experienced competitors continuing to make their mark on the national and international stage.