Skatewatch
04-28-2003, 01:20 AM
I spent the weekend in the DC area and here are some of my observations from the competition.
Overall the JUNIOR events at Cherry Blossoms this year were about 10 times better than last year and there were many programs that would have advanced skaters not only from regionals, but from sectionals to Nationals as well.
JUNIOR LADIES FREE
The ladies feild was a deep one with many well trained skaters.
Kristina MOORE won the event hands down with a wonder program to Sleeping Beauty. She executed 2 really nice 3 flutzes, along with a 3 loop and a 3 sal-2 toe. She did step out of her 3 flip and 2 axel, but overall she skated really well. A skate like this will definetly make her a contender for nationals this year.
Katherine HADFORD took second place with a pretty good skate. She landed a 2 axel, a 3 loop, and a 3 toe-3 toe (that was not clean) but fell on the loop of a 3 sal-3 loop combination. The combos were ambitious, but not really high quality. Her flips were doubled and she came out early of a 3 flutz. Although her power is lacking, her spins are beautiful and still the most flexible of all the girls.
Vanessa JAMES took the bronze medal (4th in the long) with some really big jumps including a 3 sal- 2toe, 3 toe, and a 2 axel. I noted her straight line ft wk was difficult, but did not look too polished.
Ashley LOVASIK skated very well to pull all the way up to 4th from 10th in the short (she was 3rd in the long). She did two nice 2 axels, a 3 toe and a 3 sal with a quick step out. Very nice stroking.
Sarah STONE finished 5th overall (6th in free) with two very good 2 axels, Teresa LIN pulled herself up to 6th overall (5th in free) with a 3 loop, a 3 sal and a nice 2 axel.
Again, a very strong event with most of the girls having at least 2 axel and really good skating to go along with it.
JUNIOR MEN FREE
Like the ladies' feild, a lot of good skaters from Sectionals and a lot of talented jumpers.
Jordan MILLER won the competition in a close split of the judges (the others choosing Craig Ratterree). His jumps are not the most pleasing to watch, but he did execute most of them. He opened with a 3 flutz-2toe, then did a 3 flip-2toe, 2 axel-series-3 sal (turn out), 2 loop, 3 flip, fell on a 3 toe, but did a 3 sal to finish. In terms of quantity I think it was the most, but not necesarily the highest quality.
Craig RATTERREE finished 2nd in the long but actually ended up 3rd overall. He stepped out of his opening 3 flip, then did a 3 lutz -2 toe, an under-rotated 3 axel, 3 toe, and a second 3 lutz at the end of his program. He fell out of a 3 sal, and popped a 3 loop in the middle of his program and I think that those two mistakes probably cost him, but overall I felt that his program was still stronger than Miller's. If they were counting mistakes though, he had three- Miller had one.
Traighe ROUSE got 3rd in the long but 2nd overall with a sloppy free skate. His opening 2 axel was great, as was a 3 sal-2 toe, but there were many other mistakes. He took falls on a 3 lutz and flip (which he hit the wall), and popped a triple toe. He stood up on a 3 lutz, but it was not clean. After the first few mistakes, he really let the program go and seemed to kind of give up (he even missed a split jump). Usually his artistry is first rate, but this time he was not up to his potential.
Michael SOLONOSKI finished 4th and was the only skater to not fall during his program. He landed a nice 3 toe-2 toe, a 2 lutz, 3 sal, 3 loop (the only skater to do this triple in the event), 3 toe, and a 2 axel at the end. I was somewhat puzzeled by this placement because his program was well balanced and clean all the way through. I supposed doubling the lutz hurt him, but I prefered this skate over Rouse's (as did a few judges) because it lacked the disruptive mistakes. He did warm up the difficult triples (axel and lutz) and with those jumps he'll do well.
Robbie DIERKING finished 5th in the free and 6th overall with a pretty nice 3 flip-2 toe. He is still adjusting to growth, and a new coach (Karen Cadavy) but he has nice presentation. Michael FERLIC finished 6th in the free and 5th overall with a messy program, however his short program was nice.
SENIOR LADIES FREE
The senior ladies event was a little one (just four skaters).
Amy BOBRICK finished first with a 3 loop and two really big 2 axels. She missed her other triples, but looks ready to compete in senior ladies this year. Her speed and power were the best here in the competition. Her short program was really nice- she did a nice 3 flutz-2 toe.
Laura WETZEL managed 2nd place with a good skate that included two double axels (a little short of rotation) and a triple sal-2 loop combination with perhaps a little cheat on the sal. She did fall on a 2 lutz, but her program was pleasant with solid spins including a bielman, and a pretty layback.
Sara WHEAT finished 3rd with a disappointing free skate. She rotated a 3 lutz, a 3 flip and a 3 toe, but fell on all three. She did a few more doubles (no axel) but the program is really well done (I like the music a lot). I think she just needs to get her jumps back and she'll be in good shape for sectionals.
Megan BERMAN had a few falls in the long program to finish 4th, but her short program was nice as she stood up on a 2 axel and a 3 sal-2 toe attempts.
It was really fun to watch Cherry Blossoms this year and see these skaters early in the season. It'll be interesting to see which skaters can maintain their high level of skating through the season, and which skaters can improve before regionals. If this past weekend is any indication of what's to come, this will be a very good year of skating.
Overall the JUNIOR events at Cherry Blossoms this year were about 10 times better than last year and there were many programs that would have advanced skaters not only from regionals, but from sectionals to Nationals as well.
JUNIOR LADIES FREE
The ladies feild was a deep one with many well trained skaters.
Kristina MOORE won the event hands down with a wonder program to Sleeping Beauty. She executed 2 really nice 3 flutzes, along with a 3 loop and a 3 sal-2 toe. She did step out of her 3 flip and 2 axel, but overall she skated really well. A skate like this will definetly make her a contender for nationals this year.
Katherine HADFORD took second place with a pretty good skate. She landed a 2 axel, a 3 loop, and a 3 toe-3 toe (that was not clean) but fell on the loop of a 3 sal-3 loop combination. The combos were ambitious, but not really high quality. Her flips were doubled and she came out early of a 3 flutz. Although her power is lacking, her spins are beautiful and still the most flexible of all the girls.
Vanessa JAMES took the bronze medal (4th in the long) with some really big jumps including a 3 sal- 2toe, 3 toe, and a 2 axel. I noted her straight line ft wk was difficult, but did not look too polished.
Ashley LOVASIK skated very well to pull all the way up to 4th from 10th in the short (she was 3rd in the long). She did two nice 2 axels, a 3 toe and a 3 sal with a quick step out. Very nice stroking.
Sarah STONE finished 5th overall (6th in free) with two very good 2 axels, Teresa LIN pulled herself up to 6th overall (5th in free) with a 3 loop, a 3 sal and a nice 2 axel.
Again, a very strong event with most of the girls having at least 2 axel and really good skating to go along with it.
JUNIOR MEN FREE
Like the ladies' feild, a lot of good skaters from Sectionals and a lot of talented jumpers.
Jordan MILLER won the competition in a close split of the judges (the others choosing Craig Ratterree). His jumps are not the most pleasing to watch, but he did execute most of them. He opened with a 3 flutz-2toe, then did a 3 flip-2toe, 2 axel-series-3 sal (turn out), 2 loop, 3 flip, fell on a 3 toe, but did a 3 sal to finish. In terms of quantity I think it was the most, but not necesarily the highest quality.
Craig RATTERREE finished 2nd in the long but actually ended up 3rd overall. He stepped out of his opening 3 flip, then did a 3 lutz -2 toe, an under-rotated 3 axel, 3 toe, and a second 3 lutz at the end of his program. He fell out of a 3 sal, and popped a 3 loop in the middle of his program and I think that those two mistakes probably cost him, but overall I felt that his program was still stronger than Miller's. If they were counting mistakes though, he had three- Miller had one.
Traighe ROUSE got 3rd in the long but 2nd overall with a sloppy free skate. His opening 2 axel was great, as was a 3 sal-2 toe, but there were many other mistakes. He took falls on a 3 lutz and flip (which he hit the wall), and popped a triple toe. He stood up on a 3 lutz, but it was not clean. After the first few mistakes, he really let the program go and seemed to kind of give up (he even missed a split jump). Usually his artistry is first rate, but this time he was not up to his potential.
Michael SOLONOSKI finished 4th and was the only skater to not fall during his program. He landed a nice 3 toe-2 toe, a 2 lutz, 3 sal, 3 loop (the only skater to do this triple in the event), 3 toe, and a 2 axel at the end. I was somewhat puzzeled by this placement because his program was well balanced and clean all the way through. I supposed doubling the lutz hurt him, but I prefered this skate over Rouse's (as did a few judges) because it lacked the disruptive mistakes. He did warm up the difficult triples (axel and lutz) and with those jumps he'll do well.
Robbie DIERKING finished 5th in the free and 6th overall with a pretty nice 3 flip-2 toe. He is still adjusting to growth, and a new coach (Karen Cadavy) but he has nice presentation. Michael FERLIC finished 6th in the free and 5th overall with a messy program, however his short program was nice.
SENIOR LADIES FREE
The senior ladies event was a little one (just four skaters).
Amy BOBRICK finished first with a 3 loop and two really big 2 axels. She missed her other triples, but looks ready to compete in senior ladies this year. Her speed and power were the best here in the competition. Her short program was really nice- she did a nice 3 flutz-2 toe.
Laura WETZEL managed 2nd place with a good skate that included two double axels (a little short of rotation) and a triple sal-2 loop combination with perhaps a little cheat on the sal. She did fall on a 2 lutz, but her program was pleasant with solid spins including a bielman, and a pretty layback.
Sara WHEAT finished 3rd with a disappointing free skate. She rotated a 3 lutz, a 3 flip and a 3 toe, but fell on all three. She did a few more doubles (no axel) but the program is really well done (I like the music a lot). I think she just needs to get her jumps back and she'll be in good shape for sectionals.
Megan BERMAN had a few falls in the long program to finish 4th, but her short program was nice as she stood up on a 2 axel and a 3 sal-2 toe attempts.
It was really fun to watch Cherry Blossoms this year and see these skaters early in the season. It'll be interesting to see which skaters can maintain their high level of skating through the season, and which skaters can improve before regionals. If this past weekend is any indication of what's to come, this will be a very good year of skating.