2016 US Figure Skating Championships: Dance Recap

This Senior Dance event had me on the edge of my seat for months following the Grand Prix Final. All I can say is that the judges finally got it right...

1. First and foremost, who will have the most garish costumes and music?
1. The team that did "Kung Fu Piano" has the most over the top costuming.
2. Will the judging be fair?
1. In my opinion, they finally got it right.
3. Will any of the placements have fans in an uproar?
1. For once, no! Many people would argue that Hubbell/Donohue should've finished 2nd but I don't love their free nearly as much as their short.
4. Which free skate will make cry? (eh hem, Shibutanis)
1. Yes, I sobbed while they skated to "Fix You" and I sobbed again when they realized they won!
5. Will there be any significant movements from the Short to the Free?
1. I wouldn't call it significant in terms of jumping several places, but moving from 2nd to 1st is significant in Ice Dance,
6. Will Chock & Bates be given an unfair bump by the judges because they are International favorites?
1. I would argue they got a bump in the short, but luckily, the free was scored properly. However, many would argue they got an unfair bump in the free.
7. Which coach will wear the biggest scarf?
1. My eyes may have deceived me, but I didn't notice any overwhelmingly large scarves! 
8. Will Marina combust if her Shibutanis lose, yet again, to former students Chock & Bates?
1. She did not have to combust because she won, but she did look genuinely surprised and thrilled!
9. Will Hubbell and Donohue even be in the gold medal conversation or will there be, as in the past, a clear drop off between 2nd and 3rd?
1. They were close in the short, not close enough in my opinion, but the distance between 2nd and 3rd was significant.
10. Can Hawayek & Baker step up and challenge for 3rd or will they just fall by the wayside as yet another great junior team?
1. This was a rough season for them with injury and illness. Next year is crucial for them and they will need special special programs in order to stay in the conversation and not go the way of Aldridge & Eaton as former junior champs who couldn't make an impact as senior competitors. 
11. Does Alexandra Aldridge re-enter the conversation with her new pair-turned-dance partner Matthew Blackmer?
1. They had a respectable debut and have potential, but you know she isn't happy to have placed below her former partner Daniel Eaton. 
12. Will anyone else impress us?
1. I was impressed by Cannuscio & McManus. If you had asked me two days ago, I would say that 5th was the bet they could've finished and jumping over Hawayek & Baker was crucial for them. In the past I've found their free dances over the top and maybe even tacky, but this free was elegant, sophisticated, and most importantly to me, extremely well acted.
13. What will be trending among skating tweeters after this event? (you know we won’t all be happy)
1. After taking the temperature of the twitter fans, we are unabashedly thrilled for the Shibutanis and a little bit sad for Hubbell & Donohue.
14. And most importantly, will Ann Jensen and I get our artistry and unicorns?
1. Ann and I did get our artistry and unicorns in the form of Maia & Alex Shibutani!

2016 US Figure Skating Championships: Pairs Recap

The Senior Pairs event was supposed to be a slam dunk for Alexa Scimeca and Chris Knierim, based on their International season, but when has a US Pairs event even been that simple? They made mistakes in both programs which opened the door for Tarah Kayne and Danny O'Shea, who were not only clean, but gave transcendent performances that could make a splash at Worlds if performed in that manner. 

Let's revisit the questions I posed before the event and recap how these things shook down.

1. Will Scimeca & Knierim allow their Skate America and NHK medals and GPF qualification to propel them to a 2nd consecutive US Title?
1. Not so much...I think they were way too confident coming in and they did not perform up to the best of their abilities. They will get a chance to redeem themselves at Worlds.
2. Looking forward, can Delilah Sappenfield coach a World Medalist?
1. This is to be determined, but in my opinion, the best pairs coaches are in Florida.
3. Will Kayne & O’Shea or Aaron & Settlage, or Castelli & Tran perform in a way that establishes a clear 2nd place US Team?
1. Kayne & O'Shea and Scimeca & Knierim are clearly the top 2 in the US, but 4 Continents and Worlds should give us a clearer picture of who is the 1 and who is the 2. 
4. Will Calalang & Sidhu be able to factor in? 
1. They led until the top group took the ice and that's about it, though they did top Aaron & Settlage in the free skate.
5. Can Mervin Tran ever achieve the success he once had with Narumi Takahashi again, and with Marissa Castelli? Will they stay together long enough for any of this to matter?
1. She looks so much happier skating with him than Simon and they seem to be a good match. If they spend another year together and they could make some noise. 
6. Which junior medalists from last year will sneak onto the podium? 
1. Fields & Utah Stevens unfortunately did not even come close. They finished 11th overall after an extremely messy free.
7. Who will give us that classic great half of a free skate and then crumble in the second?
1. Unfortunately this was Castelli and Tran. They started so strong and then we had Mervin's fall, the fall on the throw, and the loss of synchronization on the spins.
8. And last but not least, how many of these teams will still be together next season?
1. To be determined....