coaching Staff
who we are:
The Great Falls Figure Skating Club facilitates the Learn to Skate Program (LTS). All of the LTS instructors are required to have a background check, be Safe Sport compliant and have completed the LTS instructor course. Some of our LTS instructors are also fully compliant USFS coaches, professional skating association rated coaches and ISI coaches and judges.
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Below we have provided our coaches and instructor bios. If you are interested in taking private lessons, please contact the coaches individually, as they are private contractors.
Stephanie Kazior
GFFSC President
LTS Director
Private Coach
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Stephanie comes to the Great Falls FSC after serving in the United States Marine Corps. Stephanie has a Bachelors in Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in Physical Education from Northeastern Illinois University. Stephanie was a long time member of the Windy City FSC in Chicago Illinois. Stephanie's skating career started with synchronized skating with the Chicago Skates. Stephanie later went on to coaching the pre-juvenile synchro team and assisting in getting them to place in the top 3 at Midwestern Sectionals in 2014 and 2015. She later skated for the Open Collegiate team for Northwestern Illinois University. Stephanie continues to compete at the adult level.
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Tests Passed:
Adult Senior Moves in the Field
Adult Gold Free Skate
Novice Solo Free Dance
Pre-Silver Partner Pattern Dance
Preliminary Figure Test
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Notable Competitions:
2022 State Games of America: Adult Silver Gold Medalist
2023 USFS Pacific Coast Adult Sectionals: Championship Adult Silver: Silver Medalist
2023 USFS Adult Championships: Championship Adult Silver Bronze Medalist
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2023 USFS Get Up Ambassador
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Jill Ahlbrecht
Competition Chair
Test Chair
Assistant LTS Director
Private Coach
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Jill Ahlbrecht is a triple gold medalist with United Skates Figure Skating in the disciplines of Freestyle, Figures, and Moves in the Field. She was the pewter medalist in ice dance at the 2019 USFS Adult National Championships, and the two-time winner of the World Figure Championships in 2015 and 2016. Jill comes to us from Denver, Colorado where she has been coaching skating full time since 2010. She is beyond excited to be joining the Great Falls Figure Skating community. Jill will be the assistant skating director and acting competition chair for the 2022-2023 season. For private lessons please contact Jill directly.
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Tests Passed:
Senior Moves in the Field
Senior Free Skate
Senior Solo Free Dance
Pre-Gold Partner Pattern Dance
Gold Solo Pattern Dance
8th Figure Test
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Notable Competitions:
2022 State Games of America:
2023 USFS Pacific Coast Adult Sectionals: Championship Solo Dance: Gold Medalist
2023 USFS Adult Championships: Championship Championship Solo Dance: Gold Medalist
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Hannah
Maynard
GFFSC Treasurer
Private Coach
LTS Instructor
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Hannah started skating at 10 years old in the Missoula, MT Learn to Skate Program. She fell in love with the sport and joined the Figure Skating Club. She started with a focus on Moves and Free Style and was introduced to Pattern Dance later and now balances time between the three. Hannah competed within Montana and skated in and choreographed for Missoula's Holiday and Spring shows. Additionally, she has coached Learn to Skate classes since 2013 and private / group lessons since 2015. Hannah moved to Great Falls this year from Southern Utah and is excited to get back on the ice after a two year hiatus.
Tests Passed:
Bronze Partnered Free Dance
Adult Gold Free Skate
Pre-Gold Partner Pattern Dance
Novice Moves in the Field
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Shanda
leritz
LTS Instructor
Private Coach
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Shanda started skating when she was 2 years old, at 7 Shanda started to compete and made her way through ice dances, skills and levels. Shanda won many competitions during her career and was in the top 10 in Canada up until she was 13 years old. Shanda stopped skating at that time and started playing volleyball which took her through college.
Figure Skating was Shanda's first love and will always be her passion.
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Tests Passed: Skate Canada
Senior Bronze Freeskate
Junior Bronze Freeskate
Gold Dance
Skating Skills Class 1
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Deb
Lajara
GFFSC Secretary
LTS Instructor
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Coach Deb started skating at the age of 4 at Michael Kirby Skating School in River Forest IL. She competed and performed with the school at the level of ISIA Freeskate 7. Deb went to Nursing school and achieved her RN. After a 15 year absence from the ice, she returned to skating and started teaching Learn to Skate programs in IL, WV, TX, OK and now MT. She has been teaching for 30 years and loves every minute of it! Other interests include scuba diving, kayaking, roller blading, skiing, yoga and rescuing dogs of which she has 6
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Laura
detrick
LTS Instructor
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Having trained in Pasadena, CA with World Hall of Fame coach Felix Kaspar and coach Sandy Gollihugh, Laura competed as a child and as an adult, medaling in every competition except one. Over the past 27 years, Laura has coached both private lessons and group classes, directed GFFSC Learn to Skate, served on the GFFSC board, choreographed portions of ice shows and solo programs, prepared music, judged competitions, performed in ice shows, recitals, and competitions, and continued to build her skills through testing, instruction from Kathy Casey, and training in such courses as the USFS “Learn to Teach” program. Coaching is as much a pleasure as ever as she passes on skating skills to new learners, guiding them to their own successes
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Junior coach
Josie
LTS Instructor
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When Josie was 8, the local dance studio in her small Wisconsin town closed. Josie decided to give figure skating a try, and enrolled in Learn to Skate Classes. She was instantly hooked! Josie joined the GFFSC in 2022 and in addition to her own training, she began assisting with LTS classes right away. She liked it so much, she became a certified junior instructor and continues to balance both coaching and skating, as well as excelling in school and running student government.
Tests passed:
Bronze Dance Test
Bronze Skating Skills Test
Pre-preliminary Freeskate Test
Notable competitions:
2023 and 2024 Montana State Games
2024 State Games of America qualifier (to be held in July 2024)
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