NOVICE IC E DA NC E
above them shows them what they need to do,” Novak said. “But they also have training mates who compete at the same level. Some things one team does better, some things the other team can do better, so they learn from each other and they push each other. On an everyday basis, that chal- lenge helps all of the teams.” Gunter, 12, and Wein, 13, performed their
free dance to music from the ballet Coppelia, and earned a Level 4 on four of their six elements. With less than a point separating silver and fifth place heading into the final segment, Gunter and Wein were able to secure the bronze, despite a fourth-place finish in the free dance. “I think we all push each other in really pos-
itive ways,” Gunter said. “It’s really great to train with Caroline and Gordon. Tey push us and we push them, taking all of us to the next level.” “It really helps me to have so many other
people here and at home,” Wein added. “We all know each other and we’re all such good friends. Being able to see and hear our teammates in the audience cheering us on is such a huge inspira- tion. It really helps me out a lot.” Placing fourth, Rebecca Lustig of the Uni-
Caroline Green and Gordon Green Green siblings make it three consecutive titles by MIMI WHETSTONE
When 11-year-old Caroline Green thinks about winning her third U.S. title in as many years with her brother, 13-year-old Gordon, she is quick to credit longevity, hard work and a sup- portive environment. “Working hard every day, committing to
progressing over time and our bond with each other — that’s what makes the difference on the ice, especially at competitions,” Caroline said. “We’ve been with our coaches for five years.
Training under them and with such a big group of ice dancers, they can train us to follow in the footsteps of the teams in the levels above us.” Te sibling duo, who train in Rockville and
Wheaton, Maryland, under coaches Alexei Kil- iakov, Elena Novak and Dmitri Ilin, were joined by 10 of their training mates at the 2015 U.S. Championships, spanning the levels from juve- nile to junior. As novice competitors, the Greens credit their superiors for paving the way and showing them what it takes to win at the next level.
“At our level it’s more competitive, but we
keep our eyes on the older, higher-level teams,” Gordon said. “We like to see how they train and how they present their dances. It really inspires us.”
Now champions at the juvenile, intermedi-
ate and novice levels, the Washington FSC repre- sentatives dominated all three of the novice seg- ments in Greensboro, earning a total of 111.30 points. Leading the field by more than seven points heading into the free dance, the Greens ultimately won the title by a 10.27-point mar-
44 MARCH 2015
gin with a final performance set to music from Te Addams Family and Addams Family Values soundtracks.
Katherine Grosul and Cameron Colucci, of
the Philadelphia SC & HS, pulled up from a sev- enth-place finish in the Starlight Waltz to fourth place after the pattern dances before ultimately earning the silver medal with 101.03 points. “I think for the Starlight they were just too
excited to get out on the ice,” coach Slava Uchitel said. “Tey were a little bit rushed and ahead of the music, because they were so eager to com- pete. Before the Paso, they settled down and felt calm. Tey did what they needed to do in the free dance, too.” Grosul, 12, and Colucci, 13, performed
their free dance to the music of Swing Kids, com- pleting three Level 4 elements, including a set of synchronized twizzles that earned positive grades of execution across the board. “We always work hard and hope that it pays
off,” Colucci said. “I think we showed how hard we can work here.”
As the 2014 U.S. intermediate silver med-
alists, Grosul and Colucci placed second for the second-straight year, behind the Greens, one spot ahead of Emma Gunter and Caleb Wein, com- pleting an exact repeat of the 2014 U.S. inter- mediate ice dance podium at the novice level in 2015.
Gunter and Wein, the training mates of the
Green siblings at the Washington FSC, secured bronze with 98.19 points. “Of course having great teams at a level
Emma Gunter and Caleb Wein
versity of Delaware FSC and Zachary Milestone of the Princeton SC earned 95.70 points. After a fluke fall toward the beginning of their Beat- les medley free dance, the duo, aged 16 (Rebec- ca) and 17 (Zachary), recovered nicely to finish strong, earning a Level 3 on their step sequence for the first time. Te pair is coached by Yovanny Durango
and Adrienne Koob-Doddy. Katherine Grosul and Cameron Colucci
JAY ADEFF/U.S. FIGURE SKATING
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