DES MOINES, Iowa — Multiple days a week, 10-year-old Avey Collins wakes up before sunrise to practice figure skating, even making the trip to Kansas City every Saturday. Those reps are paying off because Collins is making Iowa history for the second time.
Last spring, Collins placed 9th out of 347 skaters in qualifying for the invite-only Excel National Final — and became the first Iowan to qualify for the event. Then, in November, Collins took her final U.S. Figure Skating Gold Skills Test and passed, earning her not only the title of a U.S. Figure Skating gold medalist, but the youngest one in Iowa.
After Local 5 spent a practice with Collins, it’s clear she talks more with her skating than with her words: when asked how she feels about the achievement, she said “it’s nice.” Her coaches agree…