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Oct. 4

2009 Southwest Pacific Regional Figure Skating Championships

Saturday October 4, 2008

A big day I saw tons of cute young skaters, but took very few notes. I really enjoyed 4th place finisher Jonathan Schultz in Preliminary Boys. He had a program to City of Angels and a good footwork run. I also liked 5th place Ryan Nguyen's style very much.

Over at Juvenile Girls Group C I loved Mai Setoyama who skated to Coppelia, it was a lovely program very well skated, she was 7th. The winner of this group was Emily Keiser. She had a wow skate with lots of neat jumps and very good ice coverage. 2nd was Mina Linsey Deshler, also a good jumper and good flow. In third place was Alana Walker she was fast and had a very good footwork run. 4th place was Natalie Tso she skated to Carmen and had an excellent axel/axel combo.

Jr. Ladies Free Skate Qualifying Group B

It was late and I couldn't see all the girls or take notes for everyone.

Carolyn Ann Alba

She opened with a triple jump I think, I totally spaced and didn't make out the jump. She definitely landed a triple sal/double toe. She landed a nice high double axel excellent flow. She fell on another triple jump, popped an axel and landed another triple salchow. She did a circular footwork sequence. She is a very mature and elegant skater.

Vanessa Lam

She has very smooth flow, excellent ice coverage. She did a series of three turns into a loop. She landed a double axel. She has good speed in her spins and maintains the speed throughout the spin. She did a spiral into a double axel/double axel combo. She landed a double loop/double loop/double loop series. She does three turns in a camel position into a camel spin and a complex straightline footwork sequence. A very good program with a lot of innovative moves.

Taryn Jurgensen

She did a double lutz with a very nice outside edge. Singled an axel. She did a Harem-esque program with some belly dancing movement. She landed a double/double loop combo and another double loop. She did a Charlotte into a double lutz/double loop combo. She kept the character of the music throughout the program interpreting the music throughout.

Nichole Huenergardt

She did a double lutz, fell on something. She did a back spiral into a double lutz/double toe. She did a sit spin where she holds her leg out in front of her, very cool move. She did only double jumps, but all her jumps were very clean and neat with excellent edging.

Amanda Starrantino

She did a shoot the duck into a 'tano double lutz. She landed a double axel, and she set up for an axel that never took off. She did a lovely layback spin.

Ellie Kawamura

I only stayed at the rink as long as I did so I could see Ellie and she was so worth the wait. She starts out the program with a beautiful smile and skates the whole program with wonderful expression that is just fun to watch. She has great ice coverage. She landed a triple jump and a double axel/double toe. She landed a triple salchow. She did a lovely layback spin into a very stretched Bielman. She landed a double loop. She did an Ina Baur and during it smiled right up at the audience. She did a very fast button camel with lovely line. She fell on a triple toe. She landed another double axel and a triple salchow/double toe. Good speed and nice positions in her ending combo spin. She expresses the music and moves to the music throughout her program.