April was a big month for the 2011 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, in terms of major sponsorships. VF Corporation, led by its lucy and Kipling brands, has become our second local Presenting Sponsor for the U.S. Championships. Presenting Sponsor is the highest level of local sponsorship for the event. VF joins Lowes Foods at the Presenting Sponsor level.

VF is headquartered in Greensboro, host city for the U.S. Championships, and is the world's largest apparel company. In addition to lucy and Kipling, VF's leading lifestyle brands include The North Face®, Vans®, Wrangler®, Lee®, Nautica®, and 7 for All-Mankind®.

"This is a highly prestigious and very special event for Greensboro and North Carolina, and we are excited to be playing a significant role, given our presence in Greensboro," said Eric Wiseman, Chairman, President and CEO of VF Corporation. "Most important, the U.S. Figure Skating Championships offer an excellent platform for our lucy® and Kipling® brands to connect with consumers."

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Ice Sweepers Shine

With 130 skaters across the Carolinas registered, the Ice Sweeper auditions held Sunday, April 11, at the Triangle Sportsplex in Hillsborough, promised to be an exciting and competitive event. And it lived up to its billing!

Thanks to the excellent organization of coordinators Scott Cudmore and Bonnie Boaz, the auditions ran smoothly and 42 Ice Sweepers were selected for the 2011 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

The skaters chosen represented clubs in both North and South Carolina. The Ice Sweepers selected to participate in the 2011 U.S. Figure Skating Championships are: Lillie Ammons, Rachel Anderson, Alexis Batayneh, Rachel Byrd, Hana Chabinsky, Justine Chong, Olivia Colbert, Sophia Colbert, Nikki Cool, Joi Cooper, Abigail Coursey, Kate Dubis, Krystal Edwards, Angela Eilert, Mackenzie Garlick, Naomi Ghebremichael, Aaron Guo, Emma Hoke, Jill Holste, Tristyn Hudson, Caitlyn Kent, Gianna Kolesnik, Madison Mallard, Katelyn Mamrick, Lilly Marks, Ewan McKinley, Riley McNamara, Maurie Moore, Ellie Nedrich, Alexis Parker, Zoe Peller, Anna Poe, Haley Renkiewicz, Katie Ross, Eileen Rui, Kaley Taylor, Melanie Tompkins, Skylar Toms, Andersen Wade, Mackenzie Wade, Lucy Watson-Cook, and Nora Zubizaretta.