2011 US Figure Skating Championships: Senior Pairs Short Program

Here we go y'all, I'm so excited! I try to state the facts while also giving my opinion on the performances, but I keep everything clean and nice. If I don't have commentary for a skater, it is because I had to step away from my computer, not because I didn't like them. I will watch the skaters I missed either tonight or tomorrow and fill in the commentary so I am prepared going into the free skate on Saturday afternoon. Happy watching!
**Denotes USFSA Fantasy Skating Picks

1) Amanda Evora & Mark Ladwig

   Music: Sing, Sing, Sing

• Their new costumes for Sing Sing Sing are so adorable, love it
• Oh heeey Peter Carruthers
• At 26 and 30, they are so mature compared to other teams
• They are starting off with nice speed and energy
• That was a pretty clean catch on the split triple twist
• Some nice choreography and transition moments
• Nice solid side by side triple toe loops (huge YEAH screamed from the crowd)
• Throw triple loop had nice height, did she put her hand down?
• A slight loss of unison in their spins, but they got it back
• The steps are nice in this mirroring sequence
• They look slightly uncomfortable out there, probably because the program is new
• I am sensing a bit of holding back
• Amanda has a gorgeous death spiral position
• Their lasso lift is gorgeous, a highlight of the program for them
• SP Score: 35.33 (TES) + 27.54 (PCS) = 62.87

 2) Lisa Moore & Justin Gaumond

     Music: Singing in the Rain

• They train with Evora/Ladwig, and they have the elegance 
• Nice clean throw triple salchow
• They did side by side rippons
• I love the "faux umbrellas" and they really contribute to the choreography
• Very good unison in the spins until the foot change, also grew apart in terms of distance
• They are a lovely team, very easy to watch
• SP Score: 26.64 (TES) + 19.80 (PCS) = 46.44

 3) Lindsay Davis & Themisthocles Leftheris

     Music:

• SP Score:  (TES) +  (PCS) = 51.07

4) Alexa Scimeca & Ivan Dimitrov

    Music:

• This team has withdrawn due to injury, we wish them the best in the future
• SP Score:  (TES) +  (PCS) =

 5) Gretchen Donlan & Andrew Speroff

    Music: Moonlight Sonata

• Nice clean catch on throw triple twist, gorgeous extension 
• Beautiful landing on her throw
• Wonderful lines and such elegance
• Slight timing issue on their side by side jumps
• Good job staying together on those spins
• She looks so ethereal up their floating in the lasso lift
• The foot work looked a little clunky to me
• I'd love to see her get a bit lower with more of an arch in the death spiral
• What a lovely, quiet program from this very young team
• SP Score: 26.73 (TES) + 21.89 (PCS) = 48.62

 6) Tiffany Vise & Don Baldwin

    Music: Pirates of the Caribbean

• Don is the brother of John Baldwin, former US champion
• What an athlete she is, look at those guns!
• Good speed at the beginning, did a split double twist, but a clean one
• They do their SBS jumps in opposite directions
• That was a nice strong throw
• Their spins are also in opposite directions
• His sit positions are lower than hers and she seems to slow down
• He struggled to get that lift off
• They really lose speed in that death spiral
• She is very dynamic in this footwork
• Definitely some errors in this program. but she looks so happy with it
• Peter Carruthers always comments about the safety concerns involved with trying difficult elements
• SP Score: 31.13 (TES) + 23.17 (PCS) = 54.29

7) Caitlin Yankowskas & John Coughlin**

    Music: Tango Oblivion

• They have the personality of ice dancers
• Nice stretch out of the split triple twist
• I love that not a moment is wasted
• Strong throw triple salchow, bad camera angle there
• Beautiful side by side triple toes, impeccable timing
• Wonderful lift, smooth entrance and exit
• That is what a pairs spin sequence should look like
• I'm actually shaking for them right now
• This step sequence is new
• Gorgeous position on that death spiral
• That was an incredible short for them, I have tears in my eyes
• SP Score: 35.98 (TES) + 28.32 (PCS) = 64.30

8) Marissa Castelli & Simon Shnapir

   Music: Money/For the Love of Money

• Simon looks a little clunky in that opening "dance" sequence
• Simon stumbles on opening Side by Sides
• They lost speed on their crossovers, maybe caught an edge
• Split triple twist was huge
• Major unison issues right her on the spins
• The free skate is their strength, so they can recover from these mistakes on Saturday
• She was flying with so much speed on that throw triple salchow
• Her catch-foot lift position is pretty awesome
• SP Score: 29.57 (TES) + 21.91 (PCS) = 51.48

9) Chloe Katz & Joseph Lynch

   Music: Prelude

• 
  
• SP Score:  (TES) +  (PCS) =

10) Mary Beth Marley & Rockne Brubaker**

     Music: 

• 
  
• SP Score:  (TES) +  (PCS) = 58.10

11) Erika Smith & Nathan Bartholomay

    Music: Punch Drunk

• 
  
• SP Score:  (TES) +  (PCS) =

12) Caydee Denney & Jeremy Barrett

     Music: Love theme from "The Cousins"

• New costume for this program, I think I like this one better
• Caydee has always been very expressive but now Jeremy has started to come to her level in that department
• The footwork into the triple twist was nice
• Caydee was very tilted in the air on that side by side jump
• Throw triple flip was very nice
• I do not like that upside down death spiral position
• Very nice spin sequence
• Sometimes the pressure to defend a title is very intense
• They have a lovely step sequence
• John Zimmerman has done wonders with them in terms of presentation and performance quality
• SP Score: 32.13 (TES) + 26.66 (PCS) -1.00 = 57.79

13) Molly Aaron & Daniyel Cohen**

      Music: Schindler's List

• She fights for the landing on that throw
• She takes a tough fall on the side by side jumps
• This music seems to somber for a short program to me
• They are skating quite slowly
• SP Score: 27.08 (TES) + 21.16 (PCS) -1.00 = 47.24 

14) Becky Bereswill & Treover Young
      Music: Song of India

• Can we talk about how I'm obsessed with her costume
• Wow are they both tall, what long line
• Off ever so slightly on their unison for the side by side triples
• Split double twists as opposed to triples from most teams
• Nice reverse overhead lift, not the fastest rotation, but smooth entry and exit
• Good fight for that landing from Becky
• They look great for a pair just beginning their partnership
• I'd love to see them get some international assignments next season
• Slight unison issue at the end of the spin sequence
• That was a lovely and elegant program choreographed by Marina Zoueva
• SP Score: 27.55 (TES) + 21.22 (PCS) = 48.77

Standings After the Short Program:
Yankowskas/Coughlin    64.40
Evora/Ladwig                  62.87
Marley/Brubaker            58.10
Denney/Barrett               57.79
Vise/Baldwin                    54.29
Castelli/Shnapir               51.48
Davis/Leftheris                51.07
Bereswill/Young                48.77
Donlan/Speroff                 48.62
Aaron/Cohen                     47.24
Moore/Gaumond              46.44
Katz/Lynch                        46.38
Smith/Bartholomay           43.60