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OLYMPIC MEDALISTS PRAISE SOLO DANCE by JO ANN SCHNEIDER FARRIS


Several ice dancing greats helped guide


young athletes at the second National Solo Dance Championships, which took place in Col- orado Springs, Colo., during the last weekend of September. Included in this impressive list of coaches


were Colleen O’Connor and Jim Millns, who won the bronze medal at the 1976 Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria. Tey were the only Americans to win med- als in ice dancing at any Olympics for the ensu- ing 30 years, until Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto earned a silver medal at the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy. In addition to O’Connor and Millns, their 1976 coach, World ice dancing champion Do-


FREE DANCE QUALIFIERS Juvenile level


Annabella Callipari, Rocky Mountain FSC Ashlee Evans, Cascade Valley FSC Brianna Carlos, Glacier Falls FSC Clara-Sophia Daly, Santa Rosa FSC Danielle Davis, SC of Morris Erin Lee, Peninsula SC Evelyn Welsh, University of Delaware Hannah Laird, Queen City FSC Isabella Quintero, Washington FSC Jenna Hertenstein, Queen City FSC Jennifer Sun, Pittsburgh FSC Kara Klomparens, Greater Kalamazoo SA Laureli Ivnik, Queen City FSC Molly Cesanek, Washington FSC Rachel Forman, SC of Morris Samantha Ramsey, Peninsula SC Samantha Udell, All Year FSC Sara Preston Davidson, Tampa Bay SC Sarah Moreau, Greater Kalamazoo SA Intermediate level Alanna Binotto, Pittsburgh FSC Christine Lightfoot, Richmond FSC Emily Beach, Missoula FSC Evan Solis, Ann Arbor FSC Hope Manley, Lincoln Center FSC Jaclyn Cartwright, Coyotes SC of AZ Joy Jin, SC of San Francisco Julie Neerhout, North Jersey FSC Kaelyn Lloyd, Orange County FSC Mai Setoyama, All Year FSC Megan Kirkpatrick, Pittsburgh FSC Michelle Bendersky, Washington FSC Molly Fry, Lincoln Center FSC Paige Osterwisch, Queen City FSC Sarah Fuller, Tampa Bay SC Sarris Jones, Greater Kalamazoo SA Sophie Cucci, Greater Kalamazoo SA Tanisha Shankar, Peninsula SC Tiffany Tang, Citrus FSC Novice level Alexandra Welch, Bremerton FSC Alishah Alperin, SC of San Francisco Audrianna Fabrizio, Columbine FSC Brianna Fullerton, Coyotes SC of AZ Brianne McKain, Pittsburgh FSC Brittany Stornetta, Vaca Valley FSC Danielle Vaamonde, SC of NY Jasmine Grimes, Rocky Mountain FSC Jennifer Hsu, SC of NY Karina Manta, Coyotes SC of AZ Kathryn LoNigro, Rocky Mountain FSC Lindsey Mize, Rocky Mountain FSC Nicolette Orlando, SC of Novi Sarah Grapek, Penguin FSC Tabatha Tarafa, Palm Beach FSC Teresa Garofalow, Ice House FSC of NJ Wendi Hiller, Atlanta FSC


reen Denny, also had students competing at the solo dance event. Denny, O’Connor and Millns all were


unequivocal in their belief that solo ice danc- ing competition is an important advance in the sport.


“Solo ice dancing has brought pattern ice dancing back and is the best thing that has hap- pened to skating in a long time,” O’Connor said. “I just love it. Te compulsory ice dances show off beautiful skating, and I have missed seeing them so much. Although the ISU has removed pattern ice dancing from competition, I’m grate- ful that U.S. Figure Skating has taken a big step in bringing back such an important part of ice dancing.”


Wolfgang Ebersole, Ann Arbor FSC Junior level Alyssa Law, SC of Florida Amanda Sunyoto, Los Angeles FSC Amber Hunt, Columbus FSC Amy Lin, Peninsula SC Andrea Petak, Washington FSC Danika Kong, Los Angeles FSC Elizabeth Zhang, SC of Boston Gina Cipriano, Palm Beach FSC Hope Schroeder, SC of San Francisco Jenna Blackburn, Greater Kalamazoo SA Jessica Lynn Williams, Colorado SC Jordan Alexander, Skokie Valley FSC Kameron Wong, Washington FSC Kristy Dang, St. Moritz ISC Lauren Capra, Rocky Mountain FSC Michelle Finn, Panthers FSC Natalie Tso, Pasadena FSC Tori Alexander, Miami University SC Senior level Ariana Zebrasky, Youngstown Phantoms FSC Bebe Bajic, Palm Beach FSC Bethany Buck, Queen City FSC Bridie Myles, SC of NY Erin Bold, Washington FSC Katarina Ronquillo, Princeton SC Kateleen Miado, Greater Kalamazoo SA Keren Ribansky, Princeton SC Megan Marsh, Individual Member Taryn Jurgensen, Pasadena FSC Teressa Vellrath, St. Moritz ISC Tess Thiele, Princeton SC


PATTERN DANCE QUALIFIERS Preliminary level Addyson Luke, Greater Kalamazoo SA Amanda Miller, Univ. ISC of San Jose Anushka Brito, Univ. ISC of San Jose Brianna Carlos, Glacier Falls FSC Danielle Davis, Skating Club of Morris Emily Chang, Garden State SC Eva Pate, Strongsville SC Heidi Shin, Los Angeles FSC Kaitlyn Hately, University ISC of San Jose Kasey Wilhoit, Lincoln Center SC Katherina Frantz, Youngstown Phantom FSC Katie Edson, Everett FSC Kayla Leung, Glissad Academy Nina Holloway, Ice Works Olivia Mihelick, Queen City FSC Saloni Gauniyal, Queen city FSC Sara Zhao, SC of NY Sophia Thompson, SC of San Francisco Stephanie Casagrande, Essex SC of NJ Pre-bronze level Alexandra Perez, SC of Morris Amber Cheremsak, Bremerton FSC Anastasia Danucalov, Pond FSC Annabella Callipari, Rocky Mountain FSC


Denny agreed, adding that she also thor-


oughly enjoyed the free dance portion of the competition. “My team wouldn’t have been at the top at


the 1975 World Championships or at the Olym- pics without being the best they could be at the compulsories,” Denny said. “Tat was what ice dancing was really about at that time.” All concurred that the National Solo Dance Championships is on its way to becoming a pres- tigious event, and that the quality of the skating in 2012 was outstanding. “Te skaters that were in the final round


were so, so good this year; it was an incredible competition, and it was an intense event,” Millns said.


Arielsarai Laroche, North Jersey FSC Erin Lee, Peninsula SC Isabel Blahunka, Winter Club of Indianapolis Kaytlin Smith, Peninsula SC Kellie-Ann Shawn, Ann Arbor FSC Krista Weyhing, Louisville SA Kristina Schultz, FSC of S. California Lauren Ortiz-Hunt, Rocky Mountain FSC Maggie Pairan, Queen City FSC Mako Williams, All Year FSC Maxwell Gart, Charter Oak FSC Meghan Weihmuller, Northern Ice SC Molly Cesanek, Washington FSC Rachel Forman, SC of Morris Sara Davidson, Tampa Bay SC Bronze level Alexandra Scott, Washington FSC Alexis Ziegler, South Bay FSC Amanda Wang, SC of Boston Amy Czuhajewski, Greater Kalamazoo SA Cecilia Picard, Washington FSC Danielle Danucalov, Pond FSC Evan Walter, Columbine FSC Isabella Quintero, Washington FSC Jenna Hertenstein, Queen City FSC Joy Jin, SC of San Francisco Julie Neerhout, North Jersey FSC Kaelyn Lloyd, Orange County FSC Mai Setoyama, All Year FSC Nicole Czuhajewski, Greater Kalamazoo SA Olivia Hlebasko, Glenwood FSC Olivia Penny, Greater Kalamazoo SA Rebecca Stout, Peninsula SC Rose Beck, Ann Arbor FSC Samantha Udell, All Year FSC Taylor Wisely, SC of Central NY Pre-silver level Alexandra Matthews, Rocky Mountain FSC Alexandria Vangelatos, Capital City FSC Alishah Alperin, SC of San Francisco Ashley Schons, Chicago FSC Erin Jones, Missoula FSC Evelyn Welsh, University of Delaware Jaclyn Cartwright, Coyotes SC of AZ Jessica Lim, SC of Morris Karen Pieper, Peninsula SC Karina Manta, Coyotes SC of AZ Kylie Mann, Ann Arbor FSC Mary Shook, Louisville SA Megan Fee, Northern Ice SC Michelle Bendersky, Washington FSC Paige Osterwisch, Queen City FSC Sarah Fuller, Tampa Bay SC Shannon Crowe, Little Sun Valley SC Sophie Cucci, Greater Kalamazoo SA Teresa Garofalow, Ice House FSC of NJ Silver level Alexandra Welch, Bremerton FSC Belle Cassidy, Windy City FSC Brianna Fullerton, Coyotes SC


Celina Carranti, Skaneateles FSC Coco Becker, Washington FSC Elena Kalinin, Peninsula SC Elodie Sandraz, Peninsula SC Helena Fisher, Atlanta FSC Ilana Sedaka, SC of NY Jessica Lynn Williams, Colorado SC Joan Bys, Los Angeles FSC Katie Pavlick, Iceworks SC Katrina Foster, DuPage FSC Katya Lancaster, Vaca Valley Kerri Goodman, DuPage FSC Lindsey Mize, Rocky Mountain FSC McKenzie Schurman, Pond FSC Sarah Moreau, Greater Kalamazoo SA Sarah Vadskjaer Grapek, Penguin FSC Sarris Jones, Greater Kalamazoo SA Pre-gold level Abbey Isaacson, Rocky Mountain FSC Amber Hunt, Columbus FSC Amy Lin, Peninsula SC Andrea Petak, Washington FSC Aryana Nazem, SC of NY Ashley Klotz, Creve Coeur FSC Danika Kong, Los Angeles FSC Emily Don, Saint Louis SC Gina Cipriano, Palm Beach FSC Hope Schroeder, SC of San Francisco Jenna Blackburn, Greater Kalamazoo SA Kameron Wong, Washington FSC Karen Tong, SC of NY Kathryn LoNigro, Rocky Mountain FSC Kristy Dang, St Moritz ISC Michelle Finn, Panthers FSC Natalie Tso, Pasadena FSC Samantha Ramsey, Peninsula SC Sarah Black, Vaca Valley FSC Wolfgang Ebersole, Ann Arbor FSC Gold level Alice Ho, Peninsula SC Bethany Buck, Queen City FSC Brianne McKain, Pittsburgh FSC Bridie Myles, SC of NY Greta Riebe, Shaker FSC Jordan Alexander, Skokie Valley FSC Julianne DiMura, SC of Lake Placid Katarina Ronquillo, Princeton SC Kateleen Miado, Greater Kalamazoo SA Kayla Sellers, Wisconsin FSC Keren Ribansky, Princeton SC Lauren Carrig, Baltimore FSC Maeve Pascoe, Lansing SC Marissa Burgess, Lincoln Center FSC Megan Kirkpatrick, Pittsburgh FSC Paige DiToppa, Center Ice & Blades of W. PA Sandra Nielson, Peninsula SC Stephanie Peters, Glenwood FSC Taryn Jurgensen, Pasadena FSC Teressa Vellrath, St. Moritz ISC Tori Alexander, Miami University SC


SKATING 11


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