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
**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- This team has withdrawn due to injury, we wish them the best in the future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
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
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
