Newburyport High School junior Sarah Archer has missed every single high school dance over the last three years due to her time-consuming pursuit of a medal at the World Synchronized Skating Championships.

So it was only fitting Archer achieved her dream of collecting a medal at the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships April 10 in Colorado Springs, Colo., while Newburyport High held its junior prom.

Archer, along with Triton Regional High School senior Maeve Tobin and Newburyport High senior Abbey Crowther, helped lift the Lexington-based Haydenettes to a bronze medal. It was only the second medal by a United States team in the 11-year history of the world championship. The Haydenettes, the reigning United States champions, were one of 23 teams from 18 different countries.

"I looked forward to this my whole life," Archer said. "This is the highest level there is in the sport. Every skater grows up wanting to be in Worlds. I finally reached that goal, and it was a huge success."

Archer was the lone local athlete on last year's Haydenettes team, which placed fourth at the same event. That squad missed out on a bronze medal by less than a point.

"I stayed at it and was focused to bring home a medal this year," Archer said.

Crowther and Tobin both joined the squad this season and were able to experience the first world championship event in the United States since 2000.

"It was an honor to represent the U.S.," Crowther said. "It's an experience I'll never forget. I'm hoping to stay on the team for another year and go for another medal."

The World Championship is the highest level of competition for synchronized skating, as it is not offered as an Olympic sport. In that sense, the Haydenettes' bronze medal could be comparable to Seabrook native Scotty Lago's bronze-medal performance in the snowboarding halfpipe in the recent Winter Olympics.

"It's funny to be from a small city like Newburyport and represent the U.S.," Archer said. "I was signing autographs and taking pictures with little kids. Everyone knows we represent the U.S."

Archer began synchronized team skating at the age of 8 on the local team, The Clipperettes. Crowther and Tobin joined Archer at the Lexington-based facility, Hayden Recreation Center, shortly thereafter, and they all became teammates on the Haydenettes this season.

"I am so proud of these skaters and happy for them," said Haydenettes head coach Saga Krantz. "We set a goal together to do what it takes this year to win a medal in our home country. We tracked the demanding run-throughs all season. After they won at the U.S. Nationals, we began altitude training to adjust to the thin air of Colorado. I pushed and they responded because they wanted it. In the end, they succeeded because they made the commitment to each other. They trained, practiced, improved and then improved again, and they clearly earned and deserved these medals."