2016 US Figure Skating Championships: Ladies Recap

Ashley vs. Gracie: Part 4

1. Does anyone else matter to the skating faithful?
1. I feel that as a skating community, we have taken to Hannah Miller at this competition. Bradie Tennell is another one to watch. 
2. Does Ashley come from behind in the short to win in the free as has become commonplace?
1. Well, she was behind and she did so well until that pop, but it wasn't a true Ashley Wagner comeback, clearly, as she took third.
3. Does my girl Ashley, an old broad by skating standards, have any gas left in the tank to take another US title and have a prayer of a World medal?
1. I hate to say it because I love her, but I don't think she has a shot at a world medal unless others falter. She had her shot several times when she couldn't nail a short program. 
4. Does Gracie live up to her word of “no more doubles”?
1. After popping in the short, Gracie just threw it down in the free. She certainly lived up to her promise. 
5. Does Gracie, clearly the more talented of the two, get out of her head and put up the points we know she can?
1. Finally, yes, Gracie got out of her own head and threw down a fantastic performance. That was a "Nationals" performance and she clearly owned that free!
6. More importantly, which of these two will give us the best Side Eye?
1. Oddly enough, Polina was giving us some great face when she realized that Gracie had beaten her.
7. Can Polina finally perform like a mature young woman?
1. I'm just going to say it, because the free skate hair didn't help. It was more Pollyanna than Polina. She had the jumps, but she needs to learn how to perform and needs to be packaged differently.
8. Does Karen Chen make the Gracie vs. Ashley debate moot by wiping the floor with all of them?
1. She did not wipe the floor with them, but her free skate did make an impression aside from the fall. She has the potential to be great, but let's not crown her yet. 
9. Can Courtney Hicks’ jump propel her back into the conversation?
1. Unfortunately for Courtney, her jumps are what failed her. In my opinion, she needs to back off the speed and master her jumps again before she can put together a full program again. 
10. Where does Carly Gold factor in, and more importantly, how does her presence affect Gracie?
1. If she didn't have a famous sister, we wouldn't be talking about her and NBC certainly wouldn't be showing her short before the pairs free.
11. What chance does Mirai Nagasu have after all these years, particularly where International assignments are concerned?
1. She still has the skills, clearly, after nailing 2 clean programs, but that does not guarantee the "committee's" faith in her. She finished behind Ashley Wagner who popped a jump, so that doesn't demonstrate how much faith the international committee has in her. 
12. Will any one performance make me cry or stand up and cheer?
1. I certainly didn't cry, but I did cheer for Gracie because she had a true "Nationals moment".
13. Can anyone from last year’s top ten trio of Bell, Pierce, or Miller surprise us and make the podium?
1. Miller gave us a true performance. Pierce had that phenomenal short, but she really needed to go clean if she wanted to make to get to the program. She did show some fire at the end of the free so I'm very excited about her going forward! Bell showed us that she has the potential but she needs some smoothing out and just more experience. Unfortunately, not counting her combinations killed her. Fortunately, Kori Ade is her coach and in my opinion, she is the best in the business. 
14. How will last year’s Junior winner by a mile, Bradie Tennell, handle the pressure of the Senior event?
1. Bradie Tennell put on a show! She proved that her junior win was not a fluke and that she could handle the pressure. She held onto first until Wagner skated.
15. Finally, will the dreaded “committee” have to step in when it comes to International assignments or will they let the competition play out?
1. This should be pretty straightforward--Gracie, Polina, and Ashley will go to Worlds.

2016 US Nationals: Ladies Preview

Ashley vs. Gracie: Part 4

1. Does anyone else matter to the skating faithful?
2. Does Ashley come from behind in the short to win in the free as has become commonplace?
3. Does my girl Ashley, an old broad by skating standards, have any gas left in the tank to take another US title and have a prayer of a World medal?
4. Does Gracie live up to her word of “no more doubles”?
5. Does Gracie, clearly the more talented of the two, get out of her head and put up the points we know she can?
6. More importantly, which of these two will give us the best Side Eye?
7. Can Polina finally perform like a mature young woman?
8. Does Karen Chen make the Gracie vs. Ashley debate moot by wiping the floor with all of them?
9. Can Courtney Hicks’ jump propel her back into the conversation?
10. Where does Carly Gold factor in, and more importantly, how does her presence affect Gracie?
11. What chance does Mirai Nagasu have after all these years, particularly where International assignments are concerned?
12. Will any one performance make me cry or stand up and cheer?
13. Can anyone from last year’s top ten trio of Bell, Price, or Miller surprise us and make the podium?
14. How will last year’s Junior winner by a mile, Bradie Tennell, handle the pressure of the Senior event?
15. Finally, will the dreaded “committee” have to step in when it comes to International assignments or will they let the competition play out?

2012 US Figure Skating Championships: Junior Ladies Free Skate LIVE Commentary

1) Gwendolyn Prescott

   Music: Atsuhime

•  Loving this dress!
• Oh no, unfortunate fall, hips were too far back on landing
• There we go with a good triple loop
• Fantastic speed on that Bielmann and the head is so far back!
• I like the build and intensity of this music
• Very courageous, going for the combination even after the hands went down on the first jump
• A few flaws here and there, but she should be happy with her Nationals thus far

 36.78 (TES) + 38.91 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 74.69

 44.84 (SP) + 74.69 (FS) = 119.53

2) Jenelle Herman

   Music: Tosca

•  Ironic music here
• I love that shade of purple on her
• That was a dynamic double axel she just threw down
• I like the speed coming out of the gate here, aggressive
• I like the expressiveness of her upper body, but I really want her to show me something on her face
• Look up and out and let us see your pretty face!
• She is really fighting for every point, nailing those triples

 40.87 (TES) + 37.95 (PCS) = 78.82

 39.03 (SP) + 78.82 (FS) = 117.85

3) Camille Davis

   Music: William Joseph Medley

•  This music is a little different, I like it
• Good triple sal combination there
• She sprung up quickly after that fall, that's the most important thing
• The jumps rotate quickly, but not a lot of spring up there
• She's lacking dynamic range, I feel like the whole performance is one note
• You can tell she is really thinking going into each jump
• I really like the costume, elegant but it pops
• Uh oh another stumble in footwork, you can thank IJS for that
• Good quality skate for her, needed more performance though

 33.48 (TES) + 33.76 (PCS) -2.00 (DED) = 65.24

 39.43 (SP) + 65.24 (FS) = 102.67

4) Jessica Hu

   Music: Scheherazade

•  Lovely smile right off the top
• Two-foots the opening jump, but landing it is a good confidence booster
• Point that toe on that flying sit please!
• Eyes up and let us see your lovely face!
• Shaky landing, but decent  triple lutz
• Nice donut variation
• I think she may be a little young for this music, probably doesn't understand how to play the character yet
• That definitely needed more emotion, but I respect clean skating

 31.84 (TES) + 35.93 (PCS) = 67.77

 42.35 (SP) + 67.77 (FS) = 110.12

5) Allison Timlen

   Music: Mark Twain Portrait

•  There's something I really like about her skating, I feel like she's a fighter
• I appreciate the pointed toes in her spins
• She has the perfect presence on ice for this youthful music
• Nice job hitting that opening jump
• I love this music, it's a little off the beaten path
• See what I mean....she's fighting for the landings when other skaters would fall
• That leg on the camel is arrow-straight and the foot is pointed, Hallelujah!
• What a great smile, she has so much joy for skating
• Fought for another landing, good for her
• She is good at making adjustments mid-jump
• She is really skating lights out
• Fantastic double axel
• This music is really building and she's matching it

 33.40 (TES) + 42.23 (PCS) = 75.63

 35.94 (SP) + 75.63 (FS) = 111.57

6) Katarina Kulgeyko

   Music: Nostradamus

•  This should be a very dramatic piece
• That free leg swings around at warm speed in those jump exits
• She has a little Ashley Wagner in her
• Wonderful posture in the jumps
• She is in the zone, and it's good to be focused, but I want her to open up and show some feeling as well
• Oh no, starting to make some mental errors here, a stumble, a doubled jump
• Let's get back into rhythm
• She was great in the first half but fizzled out unfortunately
• That was also an abrupt ending choreographically

 33.81 (TES) + 36.57 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 69.38

 46.55 (SP) + (FS) = 115.93

7) Gracie Gold

   Music: The Mission and The Untouchables

•  Here we go, the favorite is on the ice
• This is a popular piece of music this season
• She is looking very introspective right now
• Huge triple lutz-triple toe
• That double axel covers so much ice, not to mention the combination tacked on
• She skates so fast!
• Wonderful spin variations
• That broken arm variation on the layback is unique, very angular
• Her jumps aren't telegraphed, they just come straight out of the program
• Oh no, one fall, just really crooked on the takeoff
• That fall was a fluke, nothing to worry about
• If I can say anything she needs to work on, it's relating more to the audience
• Not a moment is wasted in this program
• Slight loss of balance in that final spin

64.92 (TES) + 54.79 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 118.71

 60.21 (SP) + 118.17 (FS) = 178.92

8) Ashley Cain

   Music: Who Wants to Live Forever

•  I love that criss-cross dress, it looks fantastic on her in that shimmery blue
• Her extension and line is to die for
• I love that she gets really deep into her knees
• Very mature and polished, wonderful intensity on her face
• Knee is nearly parallel to the traditional layback position
• She doesn't wast a second, every bit of music is used
• So far so good, great clean skating 
• The speed and flow across the ice is quite marvelous
• Oh no, one fall, legs were all tangled up, probably UR-ed as well
• The legs are slightly bent in the catch leg spin, that spin should only be done if the flexibility is extreme
• Great emotion on the face
• The fall, yes, but great performance as a whole
• So animated in the Kiss & Cry

 51.28 (TES) + 53.40 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 103.68

 51.80 (SP) + 103.68 (FS) = 155.48

9) Hannah Miller

   Music: Masquerade Waltz

•  I like this music on her, really good speed, very athletic look
• I like that costume a lot
• Nice Rippon variation, both arms overhead
• Popped a jump to a double, 
• Really great speed on that layback
• She's so springy, those jumps aren't even hard for her!
• Hard fall, feet totally slipped out from under her on this landing
• A few little mistakes will add up here
• She has really good jumping technique overall, really squares her body off on the landings
• I love this footwork sequence, it really fits the character of the piece
• I love the way her arms zap out to the sides to check her landings

 46.99 (TES) + 49.25 (PCS) = 95.24

 54.44 (SP) + 95.24 (FS) = 149.68

10) Mariah Bell

   Music: Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind

•  Great attack from the beginning
• I love that rose-colored dress on her
• Nice double axel
• Shaky landing on tha tlutz, but hit it
• Doubled a jump there, small error, but it costs points
• I like her sit spin variations
• This music suits her personality, it's light an playful at points
• She has a very relaxed, fluid upper body, she clearly studies ballet
• Her sense of musicality is beyond her years
• A lot of little jumping errors like two-footing and form breaks
• She is so exuberant, hasn't lost an ounce of energy at all throughout

 44.62 (TES) + 45.53 (PCS) = 90.15

 46.75 (SP) + 90.15 (FS) = 136.90

11) Barbie Long

   Music: 42nd Street

•  I love 42nd street, I'm looking forward to this one
• She has great lines
• She is flying out of the gate on the overture
• Starting right off with a spin, sit variation
• 3-jump combo to start off her jumping passes
• She makes fast skating look easy, one push sends her flying
• Feet were crossed on the landing, just sat that one down
• I love that extended arm variation on the sit spin, anyway she can extend the body lines and show off her assets it's a plus
• She's really looking down a lot here in the footwork
• This music requires a Diva performance and I want to see more on her face
• Lost my feed for about 20 seconds right there
• That was a fine double axel, she showed some fight on the landing
• I love her skating but this was a bit flat for me, I'd rather see her do a more lyrical piece

 52.00 (TES) + 44.77 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 95.77

 48.80 (SP) + 95.77 (FS) = 144.57

12) Polina Edmunds

   Music: Circus Princess

•  She is darling in that costume!
  
• Oh no fall right off the bat
• No no, sat down the 2nd jump, didn't fight for the landing at all
• She is dear, but I'm afraid her nerves got the best of her
• All her jumps look really stifled, not a lot of height or distance
• I really like the footwork, it's very youthful and whimsical
• I want her to show us her pretty smile, she's really concentrating
• Lovely double axel on a big musical accent

 41.28 (TES) + 43.76 (PCS) -2.00 (DED) = 83.04

 51.02 (SP) + 83.04 (FS) = 134.06

Start No.	Name	Short Program		Free Skate		Total Score
		Place	Score	Place	Score
1	7	Gracie Gold, Wagon Wheel FSC	1	60.21	1	118.71	178.92
2	8	Ashley Cain, Stars FSC of TX	3	51.80	2	103.68	155.48
3	9	Hannah Miller, Lansing SC	2	54.44	4	95.24	149.68
4	11	Barbie Long, Springfield FSC	5	48.80	3	95.77	144.57
5	10	Mariah Bell, Rocky Mountain FSC	6	46.75	5	90.15	136.90
6	12	Polina Edmunds, Peninsula SC	4	51.02	6	83.04	134.06
7	1	Gwendolyn Prescott, Peninsula SC	8	44.84	9	74.69	119.53
8	2	Jenelle Herman, SC Of Boston	10	39.03	7	78.82	117.85
9	6	Katarina Kulgeyko, Los Angeles FSC	7	46.55	10	69.38	115.93
10	5	Allison Timlen, Columbia FSC (MD)	12	35.94	8	75.63	111.57
11	4	Jessica Hu, SC of NC	9	42.35	11	67.77	110.12
12	3	Camille Davis, Salt Lake Figure Skating	11	37.43	12	65.24	102.67