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Cat's Lair 2001 U.S. Nationals Diaries

Index	14-Jan-2001: Novice Short Programs
Updated: 20-Jan-2001 Cover Page Day 1: 14-Jan-2001 Novice Short Programs Novice Men Novice Ladies Novice Pairs Day 2: 15-Jan-2001 Novice Free Skate Novice Men Novice Ladies Day 3: 16-Jan-2001 Tourist Day Day 4: 17-Jan-2001 Jr. Men Short Program Day 5: 18-Jan-2001 Jr. Ladies' Short Program Day 6: 19-Jan-2001 Coming soon (maybe ...): Sr. Ladies' Freeskate Day 7: 20-Jan-2001 Jr. Ladies' Freeskate	Novice Men Short Program I missed the first two or three boys, I got lost coming out of the subway station and ended up back at the hotel which is how I found out it is easier just to walk to the arena. Here are the boys I saw. Jordan Brauninger He did a fine triple/double combo, double axel and double jump out of steps. Music is La Fiesta jazzy music. He did some really cool single footed circular footwork. It was kind of slow but it must have been very difficult. He is in 4th after the short. Matthew Lind Coached by the Scotvold's. He skated to Phantom of the Opera. Landed a triple lutz/double toe combo, double axel and double out of steps. Did a spread eagel into a ina bauer into that axel. Shoot the duck into the solo jump, with his hands over his head. Very lovely arm positions in his camel spin. A triple lutz at the novice level gets you first place. Leif Hafstrom Music: Malagena Did a triple sal combo, but had an extra turn before the double toe. Coached by Mark Mitchell. He is in 11th. Michael Dimalanta Music: Deep Forest, I don't know what that is either, but that is what the program says. (The programs here are much better than past years, they list music, coaches and choreographers. Very useful.) Did an ina baur into a spiral in the opening. Very stylish skater, landed triple/double combo and double jump out of steps fine. The landing on his double axel was tilted very far forward, but I don't think he touched down. But he fell on the sit spin. 12th place. Joshua Uster A hillbilly program, his white shirt had marking to look like red patches and the music sounded like hillbilly music. He was very good at presenting the program and keeping the character, I just don't particularly care for this character. Fast skater. All his jumps were landed clean. He was 3rd. Adam Aronowitz Music was theme from American Beauty. Another very stylish skater. He did a double/triple combo, with very good height on the triple. Fast spins, nice positions. Did some bits where he got down on his knees in his straight line steps. Good presentation, 2nd place. Jason Wong Also coached by Mark Mitchell, music is Japanese Kodo drums. Did a spread eagle into a double axel, landed the jump out of steps fine, but fell on his combo jump. Ben Woolwine The program says he skated to Sabre Dance, but I don't remember anyone skating to Sabre Dance. I think the program is mistaken. But the kid was fast, so he could have skated to Sabre Dance. He did a triple with a step out then the double toe. Double axel had good flow coming out of it, and the solo jump was fine. Good height in the flying sit spin. Good flow in the program, but the mistake cost him he is in 7th. Traight Rouse Music: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Had some nice dance moves. He fell on the jump out of steps, landed the double axel fine, and I can't read my note on his combo, but I think it was good. He is 8th. Novice Ladies Short Program Marshall showed up for the ladies, so for some girls I got no notes, or just brief notes. So please little skatie girl if you are reading this, don't think I didn't like you because I didn't write much. I was just trying to appease my baby. Sandra Jean Rucker Sing, Sing, Sing Landed double axel and double out of steps fine. I totally missed her combo, but I think it was clean. She had a lot of nice dance steps and a big smile on her face throughout. Had a nice layback with good extension. As she was leaving the ice she and Shanelle hugged each other, so sweet! Sandra is in 8th Shanell Noji Skated to a swing medley. Also a big smile and wonderful presentation. She did a couple of extra turns between the triple and double in her combo. Double axel and jump out of steps were fine. Good fast layback, catch foot with her foot up by her head. Ended with a combo spin that ended with a very fast scratch spin. 3rd place. Oh and she did a catch foot spiral as part of her sequence. ??? I didn't get this girl's name, but she is whoever I haven't mentioned. She smiled a lot. Did a Bielman spin. Landed all her jumps fine. Aanya Reiten I have always thought the music from Patton, would be great skating music. It is more celtic, and even dreamy then it is military. Well finally this little sweetie skated to it and she did some lovely steps to the music. She has a drop dead gorgeous layback spin that would have Dick Button in ecstasy. Combo was a triple sal, she did the double axel at the end of the program. I know she made a mistake, but I don't have it written down. 13th Jennifer Don Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. Coached by the Scotvolds. Landed her jumps fine. Did a catch foot layback spin with lovely arm movements. In her spiral sequence she did an ina baur into a split jump into a spiral. Veyr nice sequence with good flow, and she held her spirals nicely. My kind of skater. 1st place, which gives the Scotvolds the first place boy and girl after the short. Lea Nightwalker Skated to a Native American medley. The double out of steps was fine, the double axel was fine, she fell on triple, but pulled off the double toe. A pretty layback spin and good speed coming out of her jumps.7th place Kristin Sheaffer Scheherzade Attempted a double/triple, but fell on the triple. Then Marshall demanded attention and I could not take anymore notes. She is in 5th. Lisa Dannemiller Skated to the Pas De Deux from the Nutcracker. She had a beautiful deep arch in her layback spin. And really deep edge in her opening spiral. Gorgeous. Fell on the double axel, landed jump out of steps fine, and I don't know what happened to her combo cause my note is a scribble. She is in 14th. Kristin Mita Did a spread eagle into her combo spin. She has good extension. Her double axel and triple/double combo were fine. She stepped out of the double out of steps. She isn't in the program, and Alicia Heelan is in the program, but not here so I assume Kristin is taking Alicia's place. Kelsey Drewel Music is Peter Gabriel's Arabian, though it is listed as something else in the program. Her double axel only had about 2 revolutions, and she landed on 2 feet. Her triple/double was good as was her double out of steps. Circular arm layback, good fast combo spin ending with a fast scratch spin. Excellent presenation. She got 4 first place votes to Jennifer Don's 5, which surprises me since Kelsey completely blew the axel. I assume that Kelsey's triple was the flip and Jennifer's the toe loop. But that is me guessing to make sense out of judges. Samantha Mohr Music Czardas She started out with a beautiful layback to a swelling of the music, very dramatic. Her jumps were all fine the triple part of her combo was a salchow. I love her spin positions, she is very well extended moves well, very polished presentation. 4th place. Samira Banna Music City of Angels, must be the movie score, cause it wasn't the Broadway show score. I love this girl, she belongs in the ballet, not some horrible sport that makes amazingly graceful young ladies do triple jumps in order to be appreciated. She only did a double/double combo, stepped out of her double axle, the double out of steps was fine. She had gorgeous extended spirals, a catch foot layback and beautiful, delicate, willowy arms. She was a ballerina on ice and is in 12th place. Adriana DeSanctis Music is All Alone, jazz music. She landed the triple salchow in her combo, then fell on the double toe. Her other jumps were fine. She had a sheepish, embarassed grin on her face after her fall, poor thing. She had nice flow over the ice. 10th Mattina Alonge Music from Speed Landed her jumps fine, her combo was triple sal/double toe. She had pretty circular arms in her layback. She is in 11th Well in the fine tradition of disorganized local organizing committees. I tried to get results from the novice events at the hotel. They were impossible to see at the arena because of the crowd. Well there were no results at the hotel and the helpful volunteers suggested we try the internet. Yep, yep, that's right we are actually HERE at the event and we have to go on the internet to get results. Go figure! Novice Pairs We saw some of the novice pairs, and it was good skating. But I haven't the heart to write a report on what I saw. All these teams the good and the bad will be broken up in a year or two. Every novice pair team I ever loved, and most of the juniors have disintegrated. This would be why it has been 22 years since an American team won World's.

Index

14-Jan-2001: Novice Short Programs

Updated: 20-Jan-2001

Cover Page

Day 1: 14-Jan-2001

Novice Short Programs

Day 2: 15-Jan-2001

Novice Free Skate

Day 3: 16-Jan-2001

Tourist Day

Day 4: 17-Jan-2001

Jr. Men Short Program

Day 5: 18-Jan-2001

Jr. Ladies' Short Program

Day 6: 19-Jan-2001

Coming soon (maybe ...): Sr. Ladies' Freeskate

Day 7: 20-Jan-2001

Jr. Ladies' Freeskate

Novice Men Short Program

I missed the first two or three boys, I got lost coming out of the subway station and ended up back at the hotel which is how I found out it is easier just to walk to the arena. Here are the boys I saw.

Jordan Brauninger: He did a fine triple/double combo, double axel and double jump out of steps. Music is La Fiesta jazzy music. He did some really cool single footed circular footwork. It was kind of slow but it must have been very difficult. He is in 4th after the short.
Matthew Lind: Coached by the Scotvold's. He skated to Phantom of the Opera. Landed a triple lutz/double toe combo, double axel and double out of steps. Did a spread eagel into a ina bauer into that axel. Shoot the duck into the solo jump, with his hands over his head. Very lovely arm positions in his camel spin. A triple lutz at the novice level gets you first place.
Leif Hafstrom: Music: Malagena Did a triple sal combo, but had an extra turn before the double toe. Coached by Mark Mitchell. He is in 11th.
Michael Dimalanta: Music: Deep Forest, I don't know what that is either, but that is what the program says. (The programs here are much better than past years, they list music, coaches and choreographers. Very useful.) Did an ina baur into a spiral in the opening. Very stylish skater, landed triple/double combo and double jump out of steps fine. The landing on his double axel was tilted very far forward, but I don't think he touched down. But he fell on the sit spin. 12th place.
Joshua Uster: A hillbilly program, his white shirt had marking to look like red patches and the music sounded like hillbilly music. He was very good at presenting the program and keeping the character, I just don't particularly care for this character. Fast skater. All his jumps were landed clean. He was 3rd.
Adam Aronowitz: Music was theme from American Beauty. Another very stylish skater. He did a double/triple combo, with very good height on the triple. Fast spins, nice positions. Did some bits where he got down on his knees in his straight line steps. Good presentation, 2nd place.
Jason Wong: Also coached by Mark Mitchell, music is Japanese Kodo drums. Did a spread eagle into a double axel, landed the jump out of steps fine, but fell on his combo jump.
Ben Woolwine: The program says he skated to Sabre Dance, but I don't remember anyone skating to Sabre Dance. I think the program is mistaken. But the kid was fast, so he could have skated to Sabre Dance. He did a triple with a step out then the double toe. Double axel had good flow coming out of it, and the solo jump was fine. Good height in the flying sit spin. Good flow in the program, but the mistake cost him he is in 7th.
Traight Rouse: Music: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. Had some nice dance moves. He fell on the jump out of steps, landed the double axel fine, and I can't read my note on his combo, but I think it was good. He is 8th.

Novice Ladies Short Program

Marshall showed up for the ladies, so for some girls I got no notes, or just brief notes. So please little skatie girl if you are reading this, don't think I didn't like you because I didn't write much. I was just trying to appease my baby.

Sandra Jean Rucker: Sing, Sing, Sing Landed double axel and double out of steps fine. I totally missed her combo, but I think it was clean. She had a lot of nice dance steps and a big smile on her face throughout. Had a nice layback with good extension. As she was leaving the ice she and Shanelle hugged each other, so sweet! Sandra is in 8th
Shanell Noji: Skated to a swing medley. Also a big smile and wonderful presentation. She did a couple of extra turns between the triple and double in her combo. Double axel and jump out of steps were fine. Good fast layback, catch foot with her foot up by her head. Ended with a combo spin that ended with a very fast scratch spin. 3rd place. Oh and she did a catch foot spiral as part of her sequence.
???: I didn't get this girl's name, but she is whoever I haven't mentioned. She smiled a lot. Did a Bielman spin. Landed all her jumps fine.
Aanya Reiten: I have always thought the music from Patton, would be great skating music. It is more celtic, and even dreamy then it is military. Well finally this little sweetie skated to it and she did some lovely steps to the music. She has a drop dead gorgeous layback spin that would have Dick Button in ecstasy. Combo was a triple sal, she did the double axel at the end of the program. I know she made a mistake, but I don't have it written down. 13th
Jennifer Don: Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. Coached by the Scotvolds. Landed her jumps fine. Did a catch foot layback spin with lovely arm movements. In her spiral sequence she did an ina baur into a split jump into a spiral. Veyr nice sequence with good flow, and she held her spirals nicely. My kind of skater. 1st place, which gives the Scotvolds the first place boy and girl after the short.
Lea Nightwalker: Skated to a Native American medley. The double out of steps was fine, the double axel was fine, she fell on triple, but pulled off the double toe. A pretty layback spin and good speed coming out of her jumps.7th place
Kristin Sheaffer: Scheherzade Attempted a double/triple, but fell on the triple. Then Marshall demanded attention and I could not take anymore notes. She is in 5th.
Lisa Dannemiller: Skated to the Pas De Deux from the Nutcracker. She had a beautiful deep arch in her layback spin. And really deep edge in her opening spiral. Gorgeous. Fell on the double axel, landed jump out of steps fine, and I don't know what happened to her combo cause my note is a scribble. She is in 14th.
Kristin Mita: Did a spread eagle into her combo spin. She has good extension. Her double axel and triple/double combo were fine. She stepped out of the double out of steps. She isn't in the program, and Alicia Heelan is in the program, but not here so I assume Kristin is taking Alicia's place.
Kelsey Drewel: Music is Peter Gabriel's Arabian, though it is listed as something else in the program. Her double axel only had about 2 revolutions, and she landed on 2 feet. Her triple/double was good as was her double out of steps. Circular arm layback, good fast combo spin ending with a fast scratch spin. Excellent presenation. She got 4 first place votes to Jennifer Don's 5, which surprises me since Kelsey completely blew the axel. I assume that Kelsey's triple was the flip and Jennifer's the toe loop. But that is me guessing to make sense out of judges.
Samantha Mohr: Music Czardas She started out with a beautiful layback to a swelling of the music, very dramatic. Her jumps were all fine the triple part of her combo was a salchow. I love her spin positions, she is very well extended moves well, very polished presentation. 4th place.
Samira Banna: Music City of Angels, must be the movie score, cause it wasn't the Broadway show score. I love this girl, she belongs in the ballet, not some horrible sport that makes amazingly graceful young ladies do triple jumps in order to be appreciated. She only did a double/double combo, stepped out of her double axle, the double out of steps was fine. She had gorgeous extended spirals, a catch foot layback and beautiful, delicate, willowy arms. She was a ballerina on ice and is in 12th place.
Adriana DeSanctis: Music is All Alone, jazz music. She landed the triple salchow in her combo, then fell on the double toe. Her other jumps were fine. She had a sheepish, embarassed grin on her face after her fall, poor thing. She had nice flow over the ice. 10th
Mattina Alonge: Music from Speed Landed her jumps fine, her combo was triple sal/double toe. She had pretty circular arms in her layback. She is in 11th

Well in the fine tradition of disorganized local organizing committees. I tried to get results from the novice events at the hotel. They were impossible to see at the arena because of the crowd. Well there were no results at the hotel and the helpful volunteers suggested we try the internet. Yep, yep, that's right we are actually HERE at the event and we have to go on the internet to get results. Go figure!

Novice Pairs

We saw some of the novice pairs, and it was good skating. But I haven't the heart to write a report on what I saw. All these teams the good and the bad will be broken up in a year or two. Every novice pair team I ever loved, and most of the juniors have disintegrated. This would be why it has been 22 years since an American team won World's.

Updated: Monday, 15-Jan-2001 11:01:03 EST