2022 Kalamazoo Kick-Off Classic Preview

by Amanda Moyer

This weekend, many teams will be making their 2022 debut as they travel to Kalamazoo Michigan to compete in the Kalamazoo Kick-off.  This event will take place at Wings Event Center and will be hosted by the Greater Kalamazoo Skating Association. 

Open juvenile group A and group B kick off the competition bright and early. Each containing six teams. It will be intriguing to see these teams progress when qualifying rounds come up in January.  Seven open collegiate teams will be taking the ice next, Adrian College, University of Missouri, Western Michigan University, Ohio University, Michigan State University, Trine University, and University of Michigan. Two hefty groups of nine teams will be taking the ice in the preliminary division followed by the junior short division.  Synchronicity will be the only team in this division.

Next on the ice will be the adult division with three teams competing, Starlights, Kansas City Illusion, and Crysallettes.  The next division will be the juvenile division. A strong group of seven teams will be competing. Teams Elite and Crystallletes took the gold and silver at last year’s competition. It will be interesting to see who takes the top four this year.

All eyes will be on the collegiate division as many of the top national teams will be competing. This is the first year that Miami University will compete at Kalamazoo Kickoff..  A very strong group of seven colleges will be taking the ice. Western Michigan University and University of Michigan took home the gold and silver medals in last year’s kickoff in 2021. 

Up next will be two large groups of pre-juvenile, each containing seven teams spanning across the midwest. One junior team will take the ice next to compete their freeskate. 

The next division will be the open-masters teams. Five strong teams will compete, Kansas City Illusion, Starlights, Kalamazoo Kinetic, Arctic Edge Unity, and Allegro.  Four open adult teams will compete next. 

Following the adult division is the intermediate division, containing ten teams.  The teams to keep an eye on will likely be Teams Elite, Fond Du Lac Blades, and Intensity.  We will see many teams debut for this upcoming season. The next division that will be competing is the masters division. Allegro, Kalamazoo Kinetic, Starlights, and Kansas City Illusion will all be competing.  To close out Saturday, the novice division will begin. Teams Elite will be challenged by Crystallettes and Fond Du Lac Blades. 

To start off the second day of the competition, aspire beginner will kick off the day with two groups of five teams competing. Two groups of aspire preliminary will compete before six snowplow sam teams take the ice. To close out the competition, six aspire pre-preliminary teams will compete.  

Best of luck to all of the teams competing this weekend! Be sure to follow Get It Called at @getitcalled and @GIC_Results for updates from the competition.