Cat's Lair 2000 U.S. Nationals Diaries

Cover Page

Day 1: 6-Feb-2000

Novice Men's & Ladies' Short

Day 2: 7-Feb-2000

Winterhurst Revisited; Jr. Men's practice

Day 3: 8-Feb-2000

Sr. Ladies Practice; Jr. Ladies Short; Sr. Pairs Practice

Day 4: 9-Feb-2000

Junior Men's Short Program

Day 5: 10-Feb-2000

Junior Ladies Freeskate

Senior Ladies Practice

Susan Ng

Ran through her very lovely programs, I think to Coppellia with Doll-like movements. Beautiful artistry, elegant and graceful, expressive and musical. Unfortunately the jumps just weren't there.

Elizabeth Kwon

Boing, boing, she landed a lot of jumps. She two footed a couple of things, but still very impressive. She did a triple/double/double series and a triple sal/double loop.

Brittney McConn

Nailed all the jumps in her run-through except one of the last jumps she fell.

I didn't see Deanna Stellato's run through, but Ann Jensen said she is nailing jumps left and right. I saw her practice some very gorgeous fast spins.

Junior Ladies Short Program

Speed before accuracy here. Some ladies who blew major elements are ahead of ladies who skated clean. Mostly those who are in the lead are better all around skaters, with smoother stroking, faster coverage of the ice. But still it is weird when those who skated clean are behind those who fell.

Listed in order of finish:

1st - Lisa Nesuda

Wow this is a beautiful skater, artistic graceful. She has won of the most beautiful layback spins I have ever seen. She singled the Axel but landed the other jumps. She did a beautiful Ina Baur with great extension.

2nd - Ann Patrice McDonough

She has some of the best extension, extending right down to her fingertips. She did a Bielman Spiral in her spiral sequence. Fell on the combo, I thought she did a triple jump out of footwork but I am not even sure that juniors can do a solo triple jump.

3rd - Jordana Blesa

She is very a graceful, lovely skater. Good flow across the ice, but fell on the combo. Had good speed.

4th - Dirke O'Brien Baker

Skated to a classical piano piece. She moved well, very balletic, but unfortunately I did not get any notes on her.

5th - Kathryn Orsher

She had a beautiful layback spin, good stretch in her camel spin. Landed all of her jumps.

6th - Kim Ryan

Skated to Schindler's List. Elegant and graceful. Did a catch-foot layback spin. Two-footed her combo jump. She did some nice, one-footed steps into her solo jump.

7th - Midori Wiliams

She was solid, hitting all of her jumps. She did a triple Salchow.

8th - Joanna Glick

She skated to music from Mulan, landing all of her jumps. Did a cool sit-spin with her arms behind her in the air. Did a little dramatic flourish right before her footwork run. She was just a bit slow.

9th - Lindsey Weber

Sorry, no notes on Lindsey Weber.

10th - Beatrisa Liang

She is very flexible, did very fast spins, good dramatic presentation but she is very tiny and I don't think her presentation matches her age very well. The judges might have been more comfortable if she had done something more suited to her age.

11th - Kimberly Olsen-Wheeler

She wore a Chinese-styled dress, skating to The Last Emporer. The choreography included some nice hand movements in the Chinese style.

12th - Felicia Beck

She fell on all of her jumps except the Axel. She has very good expression and extension. She did a Bielman spiral and Bielman spin. She had really good line in her spiral, but she needs to hold it longer.

Sr. Pairs Practice

We saw one group of Sr. Pairs practice. The Stieglers looked very good, hitting all of their elements except Johnny is still having trouble hitting the triple toe. Gaynor & Delago had a rough run-through. I saw them skate much better at Pacific Coast Sectionals. Miller & Weiss are doing a jazzy program to Love Potion Number Nine. Good presentation, but they were having trouble with the elements.