JACKSON TWP — When Katherine Brittner hits the ice, she hits her stride.

Brittner, 16, of Jackson Township recently picked up four medals at the 23rd annual Pennsylvania Skating Championships in York.

The event was sponsored by the Keystone State Games and White Rose Figure Skating Club.

Brittner earned gold medals for her spotlight routines and silver medals for her footwork and freestyle 5 routines. She competed in the 16-to-19 age bracket at the event, which involved skaters from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and West Virginia.

"I've been figure skating since I was 6," the Seneca Valley High School sophomore said. "My brothers took a Boy Scout trip to the skating rink and I tagged along.

"They brought me out to the center of the ice and I loved it."

She's been there ever since.

Brittner skates at Warrendale BladeRunners. One of her coaches, Heather Linton, has been working with her for 10 years.

A second coach, Heather Metz, began working with Brittner 1Z\x years ago, when Brittner decided to do testing through the U.S, Figure Skating Association.

Brittner practices three days a week and enters up to six competitions a year.

"She's always been a good skater, but Katherine's really improved over the past two years," Linton said. "Her jumps and spins are getting better. The jumps are bigger, the spins are faster.

"Her skating has matured. She's become more graceful on the ice."

Linton has been a coach for 21 years. Brittner is one of only two skaters she works with.

Brittner also takes an off-ice class in which she works on her movement, jumps and strengthening muscles.

"My goal is to get into figure skating in college," she said.

Not a lot of schools offer the sport, but some do, Linton said.

"Penn State, Miami of Ohio, Bowling Green — it's a little more popular now in colleges than it once was," she added.

Brittner has passed her juvenile moves-in-the-field and prejuvenile freestyle tests with the USFSA. She will be taking her intermediate moves-in-the-field test — the freestyle portion of figure skating — next month.

"There are three levels above intermediate," Metz said. "I'm not sure how far she'll go, but Katherine is dedicated to this sport.

"She'll eventually wind up in coaching. She's already working with our 3- to 5-year-olds now and does a great job with them."

Besides figure skating, Brittner plays the flute in the Seneca Valley Marching Band, participates in symphonic band, and takes ballet and tap lessons.

"The ballet helps my skating. The tap, I do for the fun of it," Brittner said.

With her medals at the Keystone State Games, Brittner qualified for the 2011 State Games of America in San Diego.

"I'd like to go, but I'm not sure if we'll be able to," she said. "Either way, I'll do (figure skating) as long as I can. I just want to be as good as I can be."