First-ever HBCU figure skating team set to make history at competition this weekend

Seven members of Howard University's newly formed figure skating team are heading to an intercollegiate tournament, marking a milestone for HBCUs.

This weekend, teams from across the country will gather at the University of Delaware for their chance at a trophy in an intercollegiate figure skating tournament. One of them, however, will be making history no matter how they score.

In 2024, Howard University is fielding the first-ever figure skating team from a historically Black college or university. You can see the team above with Diversify Ice founder Joel Savary.

The team is led by co-founders Maya James and Cheyenne Walker, shown below, who recently spoke with U.S. Figure Skating about the formation and ambitions of the team.

U.S. Figure Skating

“I think what really was my driving passion to get this club up and running was the fact that figure skating is such an amazing sport, but not everybody has access to it,” Walker said. “Especially being on an HBCU campus, I thought it was so important for us to bring not only the sport to the campus but [make] sure it’s accessible and for everyone.”