Ashburn resident Michelle Du won first place at the 2012 South Atlantic Regional Figure Skating Championships. Du represented the Washington Figure Skating Club at the event, which took place Oct. 15 and 18. More than 50 girls from the South Atlantic region – which included Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania – participated in the competition.

Du, a student at Hillside Elementary School, has been skating for 3 years and practices daily at the Ashburn Ice House. Currently, she has been working on double axles. Her goal for the next year is to continue competing and earn a spot in a national competition.