Calla Urbanski

Calla Vita Urbanski-Petka (born June 26, 1960)[1] is an American former pair skater. With Rocky Marval, she is the 1991 Skate America champion, the 1992 NHK Trophy bronze medalist, and a two-time U.S. national champion (1992–1993). They represented the United States at the 1992 Winter Olympics and finished tenth.

Calla Urbanski
Personal information
Full nameCalla Vita Urbanski-Petka
Country representedUnited States
Born (1960-06-26) June 26, 1960
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Height1.50 m (4 ft 11 in)
Former partnerJoseph Mero
Rocky Marval
Mark Naylor
Michael Blicharski
Former coachRonald Ludington
Former skating clubUniversity of Delaware FSC
Former training locationsWilmington, Delaware
Retired1994

Personal life

Urbanski was raised in Skokie, Illinois,[2] the daughter of a radio engineer and a hair stylist.[3] She worked double shifts as a waitress and barmaid during her skating career.[3]

Career

Competing with Michael Blicharski, Urbanski placed 6th at the 1988 U.S. Championships. Their partnership ended when he decided to join an ice show due to financial problems.[4] She then competed two seasons with Mark Naylor but they split after finishing seventh at the 1990 Goodwill Games.[4]

Urbanski teamed up with Rocky Marval in 1990. They were coached by Ronald Ludington in Wilmington, Delaware.[3] The media dubbed the pair "The Waitress and the Truck Driver" because of their occupations.[2] In the 1991–92 season, Urbanski/Marval won gold at the 1991 Skate America and at the 1992 U.S. Championships. They were named in the U.S. team to the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France and finished tenth. Both developed chest colds at the event and waited a day for medication because the approved type had initially run out.[5] The pair placed seventh in the final event of the season, the 1992 World Championships.

In June 1992, Urbanski and Marval announced the end of their partnership.[6][7] Both arranged tryouts with other skaters — Urbanski with Scott Kurttila and Marval with Natasha Kuchiki — but the two decided to reunite in late July.[8][9] They competed together for one more season, winning bronze at the 1992 NHK Trophy and their second U.S. national title.

Urbanski then teamed up with Joseph Mero. After the pair finished seventh at the 1994 U.S. Championships, she reunited with Marval and turned professional, enjoying several successful years in the mid-1990s. She coached in Wilmington, Delaware[10] and then in Florida.[11]

Results

With Blicharski
International
Event 1986–87 1987–88
Winter Universiade3rd
National
U.S. Championships6th

With Naylor
International
Event 1988–89 1989–90
Nations Cup3rd
Goodwill Games7th
National
U.S. Championships5th4th

With Marval
International
Event 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93
Winter Olympics10th
World Championships9th7th8th
Skate America7th1st4th
International de Paris4th
NHK Trophy3rd
Nations Cup4th
National
U.S. Championships2nd1st1st

With Mero
National
Event 1993–94
U.S. Championships7th
Eastern Sectionals1st

Professional

(with Marval)

  • 1994 Challenge of Champions: 4
  • 1994 Goodwill Games: 6
  • 1994 U.S. Open: 3
  • 1995 Challenge of Champions: 2
  • 1995 Legends Championships: 4
  • 1995 Rider's Skating Championship: 4
  • 1996 Canadian Professional Championships: 4
  • 1996 Masters Miko: 3
  • 1996 The Professional Championships: 5
  • 1996 U.S. Professional Championships: 3
  • 1997 Challenge of Champions: WD
  • 1998 World Professional Championships: 3

References
  1. "Calla Urbanski". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 2020-04-18.
  2. Glauber, Bill (January 7, 1992). "Ice skates, blue collars Trucker Marval, waitress Urbanski chase Olympics". Baltimore Sun.
  3. Hersh, Phil (December 26, 1991). "Skater Figures Charity Begins At Home". Chicago Tribune.
  4. Hersh, Phil (March 5, 1991). "Life Begins At 30 For Calla". Chicago Tribune.
  5. Jeansonne, John (February 10, 1992). "It's Cold Comfort For Pair Ailing, nervous Rocky-Calla 7th". Newsday.
  6. Harvey, Randy (June 4, 1992). "U.S. Pairs Skating Champions Separate". Los Angeles Times.
  7. Hersh, Phil (June 4, 1992). "Go Figure: Top U.S. skating pair is no more". Chicago Tribune.
  8. Hersh, Phil (August 30, 1992). "Urbanski, Marval Melt Ice, Reunite". Chicago Tribune.
  9. Bondy, Filip (January 22, 1993). "Figure Skating; Reunited U.S. Pair Captures Crown". The New York Times.
  10. "Calla Urbanski". skatewilm.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2008.
  11. "2013 - 2014 Coach/Instructor Compliance" (PDF). U.S. Figure Skating. April 25, 2014. p. 293.
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