Jacqueline Pusztay, a sophomore political science major from Greenford, Ohio, and qualifying competitive skater in the U.S. Figure Skating Association, skates in competition as the only member of Westminster's Figure Skating Team.

"In the eyes of the USFSA, if I'm going to compete in collegiate competition, I have to represent a school," said Pusztay. "Well, here I'm it&I'm the team for Westminster College."

Pusztay's career as a skater began when she was only 18 months old.

"I began to roller skate when I was very young, but I didn't begin to ice skate until I was about eight years old," continued Pusztay. "I already had the beginning level jumping and spinning abilities from the roller skating, so I was able to move up quickly."

However, Pusztay's skating was not always that easy.

"During my freshman year in high school, my leg began to hurt," said Pusztay. "The doctors thought it was a stress fracture, so they would make me stay off it for a while and then return to skate. But this went on for about 18 months, and whenever I'd return to skate, it would still hurt."

Finally, the doctors found a tumor called osteoid osteoma, a benign bone-forming tumor. Successful surgery was performed at the Cleveland Clinic in August 1998.

"At the Collegiate Nationals in August, I finished fourth overall, which is really good since the injury kept me from competing for over two years," Pusztay said. "I had to retrain my body to save a jump and stay on my feet. This year I actually feel like I'm back to the level I was before my operation.

"I skate because I love the competition and because of the adrenalin rush it gives me. It's a chance to show everyone the hard work you do, but I don't like the politics of competition," she said.

The one-person team shares her love of the sport with others.

"Right now I coach beginners, but I like the choreography even better than teaching skating," said Pusztay. "I think kids who are interested should start to skate around five, but they shouldn't make it their only priority at that age."

Pusztay has not made skating her only priority either. She's a political science major at Westminster College, a member of the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority, and a member of Lambda Sigma, a honor society that requires a quality point average of at least 3.0 and previous leadership experience.

"I'm a political science major because I want to be a lawyer someday&maybe a medical malpractice or sports team lawyer," said Pusztay. "I work hard and put as much effort into things as I can in school, skating, family and other relationships."

She is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Steven Pusztay, Greenford, Ohio, and a graduate of Salem High School.

Her next competition is scheduled Oct. 16-20 at the North Atlantic Championships in Lake Placid, N.Y.