Coaching Staff

Merita Mullen is the Founding Director of Synchronized Skating and Head Coach for Team Excel Synchronized Skating Teams.  She brings more than 30 years’ experience to her role with Team Excel. She is a recognized leader worldwide in the sport of synchronized skating. Ms. Mullen has developed competitive synchronized skating teams at all levels from Beginner to Senior and Collegiate.

Her immediate goal with Team Excel is to create awareness and interest in synchronized skating at the earliest stages of skater development by including a “Learn to Synchro” module in Basic Skills classes in conjunction with The Skating Club of Boston and also offering advanced synchronized skaters the opportunity to train with a staff of world class skating coaches to achieve their potential as individuals and teams.

Prior to directing Team Excel, she was the Director of Synchronized Skating for The Colonials Synchronized Skating Teams for over twenty years.  Under her direction, coaching, and creative influence, The Colonials consistently qualified for and competed in the U.S. Synchronized Team Skating Championships, having won medals in the Juvenile, Intermediate, and Junior divisions. The junior team repeatedly earned a Team USA envelope assignment, competing in ten International Championships and two consecutive World Challenge Cups in 2007 and 2008. The junior team won medals for U.S. Figure Skating in Nottingham, England, Louviers, France, and during repeat trips to Prague, Czech Republic, Milan, Italy and Neuchatel, Switzerland.  Further, the Intermediate team stood on the U.S. Championship podium for seventeen years, sixteen of them being consecutive years.

Ms. Mullen also does extensive volunteer work with U.S. Figure Skating and the Professional Skaters Association while representing Team Excel and The Skating Club of Boston.  She is currently a member of the Collegiate Committee of Synchronized Skating for U.S. Figure Skating. She was the Coaching Representative to the National Selections Committee for Synchronized Skating Competitions for two years and she has mentored developmental synchronized skating coaches across the country as they developed their Synchro Organizations. She has also traveled the country and led coaching seminars that feature synchronized skating.

Ms. Mullen was a Mid Atlantic Junior Dance Champion. Prior to her Synchro career, she coached nationally competitive Ice Dance Teams.  She earned a Bachelor’s degree from The American University and is the mother of two adult daughters. Her eldest daughter is an Elementary and Special Education teacher. Her younger daughter is an NCAA athlete representing The University of New Hampshire.

Mandy Curtin is the Director of Skater Development for Team Excel and the current Foxboro Director for The Skating Club of Boston.  With many years of experience, Ms. Curtin coaches private lessons, basic skills group classes and various levels of synchronized skating teams. She founded the Mini Crystals Synchronized Skating Teams in 2007 which merged with Team Excel in 2011.

Originally from Australia, Ms. Curtin skated on the National Team representing Australia on Tour of Canada and the USA.  She performed in the National Tour of Torvill & Dean’s International Ice Spectacular.  In 1996 Ms. Curtin skated with the Australian National Team while visiting Boston as an honorary member and was the Practice Ice Coordinator for the World Challenge Cup held in Boston.

Ms. Curtin is an Australian Silver Medalist and Victorian Gold Medalist. In recent years, Mandy has passed the U.S. Figure Skating Pre Bronze, Bronze & Silver Adult Moves in the Field tests. 

Kristin has been coaching synchronized skating for many years. She has a strong background in the USFSA Basic Skills and ISI programs. Kristin began coaching at the age of sixteen, interning at the CFSC Basic Skills classes and currently teaches all levels of figure skating and hockey edge skills.

As a competitive skater, Kristin skated under the direction of Merita Mullen as part of The Colonials Synchronized Skating Teams from 2002-2006, earning a U.S. National Championship in the intermediate division in 2003. She also competed in the junior division and was a member of Team USA, competing on behalf of U.S. Figure Skating in both Italy and England.

Kristin is a gold medalist in Ice Dancing and Moves in the Field.

Johanna Jackson has been coaching synchronized skating for several years for teams ranging from the Beginner through Juvenile levels. She coaches Learn to Skate as well as Moves in the Field, Ice Dance and Freestyle. She joined the Team Excel organization in 2010.

As a competitor, Johanna skated for Team Millennium for 5 years and then attended Miami University in 2005 where she became a 4-year member of the Miami Varsity Synchronized Skating Teams. Johanna helped the Miami University Collegiate team to 4 consecutive National Championships. In her senior year she was named captain of the collegiate team and represented the USA at the World University Games in Harbin, China.

Johanna holds U.S. Figure Skating gold medals in both Moves in the Field and Ice Dance.

Melissa is currently a member of Team Excel Collegiate and serves as Team Excel’s own Technical Specialist after becoming certified in 2012.

Melissa has been deeply involved in the sport of synchronized skating for many years. She skated from 1999-2006 for the Pawtucket & Providence Synchronized Skating teams in Pawtucket, RI. She has also skated under the direction of Head Coach, Merita Mullen, at the Senior and Collegiate levels.

Melissa graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree from Bridgewater State College where she majored in accounting and finance. She will be starting graduate school this year.

Melissa is a gold medalist in Moves in the Field and Ice Dance.

Mikaela Dicomitis has been coaching synchronized skating and “Learn to Skate” for several years. As a competitor, Mikaela competed under Warwick Figure Skaters for individual and synchronized skating for five years. Upon entering college, she began skating for Team Excel, competing in the Senior division for the past three years and serving as an Advisor during the 2016-17 season. Mikaela is currently a member of Team Excel Adult. Mikaela is attending the University of Rhode Island to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics in hopes to develop nutrition programs to prevent disease and promote health, targeting athletes.

Lee Anne has been participating in the sport of synchronized skating since 1996. She is currently skating and managing the Team Excel Collegiate team, which she has done since the team’s inception.

She has spent 11 of her 18 seasons skating under the direction of Head Coach, Merita Mullen at the Preliminary, Juvenile, Intermediate, Senior, and Collegiate levels.

Lee Anne graduated from Brown University in 2010 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biochemistry. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Pharmacy at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

Lee Anne is a Gold Medalist in Moves in the Field and Ice Dance, and is currently working on completing her International Dances.

Lisa O’Neill has been coaching synchronized skating since 1991. She has successfully coached tot through open juvenile teams. She has a solid background in both US and ISI skating programs. Overall, Lisa has been coaching toddlers to adults for a total of 27 years. Currently she is coaching Learn to Skate USA group classes, private lessons, and synchronized skating. She is also a Gold rated judge for ISI synchronized skating. Outside of her coaching, Lisa in an educator. She has been working in the field of education for 22 years; first as a classroom teacher and currently as a reading specialist in Brockton, MA. In this capacity, she positively influences the lives of adults and children every day. Lisa holds a Master’s degree in Reading Education from Lesley University as well as a Master’s in Special Education from Bridgewater State University. Lisa has a passion for helping people of all ages be the best they can be on and off the ice.

Maggie has been involved with synchronized skating for 13 years. She spent the last 5 years skating for Team Excel Senior and acted as Team Advisor for 3 of those years. Maggie graduated from Endicott College in 2016 with degrees in Biology and Biotechnology. She currently is working at Dana-Farber in clinical trials and hopes to make a career in medicine. In addition to coaching for Team Excel, Maggie also coaches for The Skating Academy through The Skating Club of Boston.

Timothy began coaching synchronized skating in 2008 with the Mini Crystals Synchronized Skating Teams before the teams’ successful merger with Team Excel.

Her involvement with synchronized skating began in 1993, as a member of the Pawtucket & Providence Synchronized Skating Teams, where she was an active member until 1998. Since then, she has skated on Senior and Adult teams. Timothy has been a national synchronized skating competitor at the intermediate, junior, senior and adult levels.