2008 U.S. Nationals

Junior Ladies

 

 
Standings
Place Skater SP FS
1 Alexe Gilles 3 1
2 Angela Maxwell 1 3
3 Brittney Rizo 2 4
4 Kristine Musademba 5 5
5 Amanda Dobbs 6 2
6 Victoria Rackohn 4 6
7 Kirsten Olson 7 7
8 Ellie Kawamura 8 8
9 Rebecca Stern 11 9
10 Jane Ruan 9 11
11 Carolyn-Ann Alba 12 10
12 Alexa Scimeca 10 12
13 Masha Leonov 13 13
14 Victoria Fairchild 14 14

Text and  photos copyright 2008 by George S. Rossano

 

Short Program

 
Starting Order - Short Program
  1. Carolyn-Ann Alba

  2. Victoria Fairchild

  3. Amanda Dobbs

  4. Kirsten Olson

  5. Masha Leonov

  6. Rebecca Stern

  7. Ellie Kawamura

  8. Jane Ruan

  9. Brittney Rizo

  10. Alexe Gilles

  11. Victoria Rackohn

  12. Alexa Scimeca

  13. Angela Maxwell

  14. Kristine Musademba

 

Short Program Placements

Place

Skater
1 Angela Maxwell
2 Brittney Rizo
3 Alexe Gilles
4 Victoria Rackohn
5 Kristine Musademba
6 Amanda Dobbs
7 Kirsten Olson
8 Ellie Kawamura
9 Jane Ruan
10 Alexa Scimeca
11 Rebecca Stern
12 Carolyn-Ann Alba
13 Masha Leonov
14 Victoria Fairchild


A vivacious Angela Maxwell took the lead in the Novice Ladies event by a scant 0.32 points.  Skating second to last to a medley of "Fever" and  " Take Five," skated with speed and lively enthusiasm.

One of two skaters to land a triple toe - triple toe combination she led in Total Element score by 0.72 points but gave up much of that in the Program Components, mainly in transitions.  In addition she landed a triple loop, though one judge gave her a -3 on that element, for inexplicable reasons, with seven of the judges scoring it at zero or plus one.  Her flying sit spin had a weak jump, but was otherwise clean, and her closing spin (layback - haircutter - Biellmann) proved controversial among the judges with four scoring it with a GoE of zero, and the five others going negative.

Maxwell was the 2007 Novice Champion, and now has a good chance to follow up in her winning ways this week at Junior.

Nipping at Maxwell's heels, however, is Brittany Rizo.  Skating to "The Giving," Rizo also landed a triple toe - triple toe combination.  She also landed a triple loop jump, which was her opening element.  This writer though she briefly stabbed the ice on the landing with her free foot, which may be why to judges marked this element with GoEs of -1.  The rest of the panel, however, scored it at zero or plus one.

Skating in a pale yellow dress, her program components were in the mid fives, and her total score for Program Components was the best of the group.  Her expressive program was scored best in presentation at 5.75, with one judge going as high as 7.00.

This is Rizo's second year competing at the junior level.  In 2007 she placed 12th at the National Championships.

Roughly 2 points back, Alexe Gilles placed third, skating to "Windspirits."  She landed a clean triple Lutz - double toe loop combination, followed by a solo triple loop.  The loop received GoEs of minus ones to plus ones, with the panel average slightly negative.  The only other element go negative for the panel average on GoE was a level 2 flying sit spin, and then only by 0.01 points.

While nicely presented, her performance seemed a little slow and her Transitions mark trailed the other Program Components. Overall, her marks were third in TES and fourth in PCS.

Victoria Rackohn ended the day in fourth place, followed by Kristine Musademba who trails by just 0.40 points.

Skating to "Illumination," Rackohn landed an opening triple Lutz - double toe loop combination, but with a shaky landing on the Lutz which cost her -1 in GoE.  She followed with a double loop which was well executed.  Her double Axel, performed as the seventh element also had problems on the landing and received GoEs of mostly minus one and two, though three judges also gave it zero.

Rackohn's spins, on the other hand, all scored well.  These elements were all levels 3 and 4 and for the most part received GoEs of plus one and two, her change foot combination spin scoring best of all.

Skating to "Exodus," Mumbadesa currently sits in fifth place, 0.40 points out of the medals.  At the 2007 National Championships she placed second in Novice Ladies.

She opened with a triple loop that received GoEs spread from minus one to plus one.  This was followed by a shaky triple flip - double toe loop combination, for which the toe loop was downgraded, resulting in GoEs of minus two and three from the panel.  Of all her jumps, the double Axel was executed best and received GoEs of plus one from all nine judges.

For spins and sequences Mumbadesa executed level 3 and 4 elements and they were all scored with GoEs of zero and plus one.  Her Program Components were in the low to mid fives.  The two weakest of these were Transitions and Interpretation, though they still made it into the fives -- decent marks for a Junior.

Skaters six through nine find themselves within five points of a medal, so the potential exists for a great deal of movement in the Free Skate, which will take place Tuesday evening. 

 

Maxwell Takes Lead in Junior Ladies Short Program

By Liz Leamy

2007 Novice champ Angela Maxwell led the thirteen-member junior ladies’ field with her program to music by Dave Brubeck ("Take Five" and "Fever"). The 15 year-old Texan earned a whopping 54.91 points, but her lead over the field is slim.

Maxwell performed a triple toe-triple toe, triple flip and double Axel. All of these jumps were high, solid and executed with strength and command.

"I was very happy with it. I was pretty excited to get out there," said Maxwell, who is coached by Olympic pair champion Natalia Mishketunok.

"I just tried to stay calm and do it the way I do in practice."

Brittney Rizo (SC of Boston) edged out second place with a score of 54.55. Her program to "The Giving" was arresting, powerful and poignant, defined by high-powered edges and high-energy jumps.

She executed a nice, long triple toe-triple toe, triple loop from a series of consecutive three turns, and a solid double Axel. The skater also showed a lovely spiral sequence from a left-forward outside edge to left-forward inside edge to a back outside edge.

"I had fun out there," said Rizo, who placed second at the Eastern Sectional Championships in November.

Even her coach, Mark Mitchell, who said he usually finds something to "pick on," said that at the program’s conclusion, "There was nothing to say, which is unusual for me."

Alexe Gilles of Colorado Springs (Broadmoor SC) sits third after a clean skate to Rene Dupere’s "Windspirits." The 16 year-old hit an opening triple Lutz-double toe loop, a triple loop and a solid double Axel. She also showed a Level 4 spiral sequence and fast, well-centered spins, earning 52.63 points.

Gilles, who placed fifth in this event last season, competed on the Junior Grand Prix circuit this fall and qualified for the Final, where she placed sixth.

"The Junior Grand Prix events weren’t too different from Nationals; the flights there and back were just longer," she said. "There are so many good skaters wherever you go. Competing internationally has helped me learn how to focus better and adapt to different situations."

Victoria Rackhohn placed fourth with 49.50 points. Kristine Musademba was fifth with 49.10.

 

Free Skate

 
Starting Order - Free Skating
  1. Rebecca Stern

  2. Carolyn-Ann Alba

  3. Victoria Fairchild

  4. Masha Leonov

  5. Amanda Dobbs

  6. Alexa Scimeca

  7. Ellie Kawamura

  8. Kirsten Olson

  9. Jane Ruan

  10. Victoria Rackohn

  11. Brittney Rizo

  12. Alexe Gilles

  13. Kristine Musademba

  14. Angela Maxwell

 

Free Skating Placements
Place Skater
1 Alexe Gilles
2 Amanda Dobbs
3 Angela Maxwell
4 Brittney Rizo
5 Kristine Musademba
6 Victoria Rackohn
7 Kirsten Olson
8 Ellie Kawamura
9 Rebecca Stern
10 Carolyn-Ann Alba
11 Jane Ruan
12 Alexa Scimeca
13 Masha Leonov
14 Victoria Fairchild

 

 


The final Free Skate sent the ladies event topsy-turvy, with the skaters in first and third place in the Short Program swapping places, the skater in second dropping to fourth but holding on the third, and the skater who was fifth in both the short program and the free skate placing fourth overall for the pewter medal.

Skating to "Oceanic," by Vangelis, Alexe Gilles captured the undulating rhythms of the music in a nearly clean performance that was scored best in both TES and PCS.  Gilles landed five triples, covering triple toe loop through triple Lutz, with a doubled flip the only issue with her jumps.  Her spins and sequences were all called level 3 or 4.  Her most successful element was her triple Lutz, which she executed twice (once with double toe loop) with an everage GoE near one in both cases.  Overall, in twelve elements only three GoEs went to minus one.

Dressed in shades of blue with a wave motif, her performance was energetic and captivated the sparse audience on hand to witness the event.  Her Program Components were all in the high fives, with some judges going as high as 7 for some components.

Skating last, Angela Maxwell, who won the Short Program, made a good run at the gold medal, but came up six points short due to errors in four jump elements.

After opening with a string double Axel, Maxwell had a small step out on a triple flip, and then put her hand down hard on a triple loop.  In the second half of the program she fought back, landing a decent triple toe - triple toe, with GoEs from minus one to plus one.  But a subsequent triple Salchow - double toe loop combination was scored negative and her final plan double Axel was singled and also scored negative.

Skating to the "Finding Nemo" soundtrack she gave a cheerful performance, despite the technical errors.  Her Program Components, however, were only fifth best, with her mark for Transitions below five.

Brittany Rizo, dropped to fourth in the Free Skate, after placing second in the short, but was left with enough points to win the bronze medal.  She landed five triples, only one of which was scored slightly negative -- that being a final triple Salchow that was landed slightly on the toe.  Two spins and her spiral sequence were called level 4, but her straight line step sequence only reached level 2, as did her layback spin.

Performing to "Malaguena." Rizo skated with good speed in a well choreographed program, receiving Program Component scores in the mid to upper fives.  After placing 12th at the 2007 Championships in Juniors, and fourth at this season's Eastern Sectional Championships, it was a striking step up for her career.

The pewter medal was won by Kristine Musademba, who placed fifth in both the short and the long.

Skating to Duke Ellington's "Caravan," performed in a colorful yet tasteful eastern themed costume (and what a rarity that is).  Her jumps were a bit of a strugle, four of them being scored neagative.  Even so, she got credit for five triple jumps.

On an opening triple Luzt a poor landing cost her over a point, and a subsequent triple flip combination cost her nearly as much again.  Near the end of the program a double Axel - double toe - double toe combination was also scored negative, and her final attempt at triple Salchow was so badly under rotated it was called a double, with GoEs of minus two and three.  Two of her spins and her spiral sequence were called level 4 , while the step sequence and the third spin were caled level 3.  Program Components were in the low fives, as they were for most of the ladies in the migdle of the pack.

Amanda Dobbs placed second in the Free Skate, but was too far back in the Short program to move up more than the one place overall that she did.  In her first year at senior Nationals in any division she made a good impression with a well skated and well presented program.  Only one element was scored negative, that being a triple Salchow that received GoEs of minus two.  Her Program Components were in the mid to upper fives and were second best overall, trailing the leader in PCS by less than a point.

Gilles Jumps Away With Junior Ladies Gold

By Minnie Sanderson

Alexe Gilles of the Broadmoor SC jumped her way right into the top spot from third in the short to first overall with her triple-jump-laden performance for which she earned a total overall score of 156.17.

Her program to "Windspirits" was fast, fluid and interesting. She wore a turquoise dress with ‘wave’ cutouts that fit her music well and performed with the assurance of a senior lady.

She opened up with a high triple Lutz-double toe loop for which she earned a plus-six grade of execution, and then followed it up with a triple loop, triple toe loop-double toe loop-double loop, triple Salchow-double toe loop and triple Lutz from footwork.

She doubled a planned triple flip, however.

Still, Gilles was thrilled with her skate and happy with her final result.

"I’m really happy with how I skate," she said. "I was "fluttering" to the music."

The tiny, but tough Texan, Angela Maxwell dropped from first in the short to second overall with her powerful and poignant program to the "Finding Nemo" film score.

She started out with a big double Axel, and followed up with a triple loop-double toe loop-double loop, triple toe loop-triple toe loop and triple Salchow-double toe loop.

Maxwell stepped out on the landings of her triple flip, touched down on her triple loop and singled a planned final double Axel.

"It’s my first year and I’m really happy with how I’ve done," she said.

Brittney Rizo of the SC of Boston was third with her stalwart free skate to "Malaguena," for which she was awarded a final point score of 149.60.

She did a nice triple loop, triple toe loop-double toe loop-double loop, double Axel, triple Salchow-double toe loop, triple toe loop and triple Salchow.

Rizo skates very fast and with good attack on all of her elements.

"I did two solid programs here and that’s all I could ask for," said Rizo.

Kristine Musademba of the Washington FSC stepped up one slot from fifth in the short to fourth overall with her dramatic program to "Caravan" by Duke Ellington.

She touched down on the landing of her first two jumps—a triple Lutz and triple flip-double toe loop. She rebounded from there however, and went on to do two triple loops from running forward inside three turns, with one in combination with a double toe loop, a triple toe loop, and double Axel-double toe loop-double toe loop.

"I am very happy and I feel like it’s been a great accomplishment to have come this far," she said.

 

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