2015 U. S . J UN IOR ICE D A N C E C HA MPIO NS ‘Live in the moment’ McNamara and Carpenter ready for whatever future holds by NICK MCCARVEL Teir season began with a bit of struggle,
but Lorraine McNamara and Quinn Carpenter ended it with a hug at center ice at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships. “One of our goals when we compete is just
to feel like we couldn’t have done any more than we did,” a bubbly McNamara, 16, explained. “We skate to have fun; we don’t skate for the out- come. When we finished our free dance there, we looked at each other on the ice and said, ‘Tat was really fun!’ Whatever the outcome was, we were happy with how we skated.” Te outcome was this: a silver medal at
World Juniors, on the tail of their first-ever U.S. title in ice dance in Greensboro in January, four years after they had made their debut at that level in the same arena.
Tis is a team that has learned many lessons together at the rink. Tey began as partners near- ly 10 years ago under the watchful eyes of Elena Novak and Alexei Kiliakov at the Wheaton Ice Skating Academy in Maryland, on the outskirts of Washington, D.C. Teir gradual success has made them the most competitive of duos — with themselves. “Something I like about us as a team is that
we live in the moment,” Carpenter, 19, said. “You have to have goals, but you can’t focus too much on placement [but instead] on what you’re doing right now and trying to be the best that you can be wherever you are. We’ve done a really good job of holding on to that. Tat has really helped us and set us apart from other people.” It was late last fall when the Americans
didn’t place high enough at their two Junior Grand Prix assignments to qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final, as they had in 2013 (finishing third).
Te midseason trip-up reignited their in- ner-facing motto of self-improvement, sending them through sectionals before they won at the U.S. Championships, a first for them after landing second (2014), third (2013) and third (2012) in the three years prior. “It was good to show that even though we
didn’t make the Junior Grand Prix Final, we had still made improvements that we wanted to,” McNamara said. “It was motivating. We really wanted to show that we deserved to be there.” What has gotten them there has been the
work under Novak and Kiliakov, who have de- veloped a stable of ice dance teams that have shined on the national stage. Among their train- ing partners are Rachel and Michael Parsons, the brother-sister duo who were second in Greens- boro.
36 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 “Lorraine and Quinn have skated longer
than pretty much anyone else out there, so they have a well-developed chemistry and energy they bring to the ice,” said Michael, whom Mc- Namara and Carpenter count as a good friend. “Tey train as hard as anyone and put in
the extra effort to be at the top of their game. Tey have a really strong partnership and great work ethic, and they share the same goals. We’re lucky to have the kind of training environment that encourages teams to be at their best. We all feed off that competitive energy.” What is next for McNamara and Carpenter is still unclear at this point. Tey are preparing programs that are usable for both the junior and senior levels, but that’s not their concern. Tey’re more worried about the now, and getting better each and every day. “Going senior does entail a lot and it’s the
biggest step we could possibly take,” McNamara said. “We want to make sure that it’s at the most ideal time.” “We think that it will be a very smooth transition for this team,” Novak said. “Tis year
in juniors should give them just the right oppor- tunity to bloom to their full colors as a very tal- ented, versatile and already mature team.” Speaking to the two teens, the maturity is abundantly evident. Tey are happy with their progress, they’re not thinking too far ahead, and they like to laugh and stay relaxed — even with the most pinpointed focus. “We have a little bit of difference in attitude in the sense that Lorraine really likes to go for stuff and I like to think about the situation first,” said Carpenter, explaining a key distinction be- tween them. “Sometimes I just need to go for it. She pushes me to do that.” “A lot of other teams didn’t necessarily start skating together when they were 6 or 7 years old,” McNamara added. “I think that really helps us. We grew up with each other, so we know how the other works inside and out.” And it’s clear for them: Strength and con- fidence on the inside mean success and accom- plishment on the outside. How far can that drive take them? Only time will tell.
Lorraine McNamara and Quinn Carpenter perform their short program in Greensboro.
JAY ADEFF/U.S. FIGURE SKATING
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