2008 U.S. Nationals

Junior Ladies

Text and  photos copyright 2008 by George S. Rossano

A vivacious Angela Maxwell took the lead in the Novice Ladies event by a scant 0.32 points.  Skating second to last to a medley of "Fever" and  " Take Five," skated with speed and lively enthusiasm.

One of two skaters to land a triple toe - triple toe combination she led in Total Element score by 0.72 points but gave up much of that in the Program Components, mainly in transitions.  In addition she landed a triple loop, though one judge gave her a -3 on that element, for inexplicable reasons, with seven of the judges scoring it at zero or plus one.  Her flying sit spin had a weak jump, but was otherwise clean, and her closing spin (layback - haircutter - Biellmann) proved controversial among the judges with four scoring it with a GoE of zero, and the five others going negative.

Maxwell was the 2007 Novice Champion, and now has a good chance to follow up in her winning ways this week at Junior.

Nipping at Maxwell's heels, however, is Brittany Rizo.  Skating to "The Giving," Rizo also landed a triple toe - triple toe combination.  She also landed a triple loop jump, which was her opening element.  This writer though she briefly stabbed the ice on the landing with her free foot, which may be why to judges marked this element with GoEs of -1.  The rest of the panel, however, scored it at zero or plus one.

Skating in a pale yellow dress, her program components were in the mid fives, and her total score for Program Components was the best of the group.  Her expressive program was scored best in presentation at 5.75, with one judge going as high as 7.00.

This is Rizo's second year competing at the junior level.  In 2007 she placed 12th at the National Championships.

Roughly 2 points back, Alexe Gilles placed third, skating to "Windspirits."  She landed a clean triple Lutz - double toe loop combination, followed by a solo triple loop.  The loop received GoEs of minus ones to plus ones, with the panel average slightly negative.  The only other element go negative for the panel average on GoE was a level 2 flying sit spin, and then only by 0.01 points.

While nicely presented, her performance seemed a little slow and her Transitions mark trailed the other Program Components. Overall, her marks were third in TES and fourth in PCS.

Victoria Rackohn ended the day in fourth place, followed by Kristine Musademba who trails by just 0.40 points.

Skating to "Illumination," Rackohn landed an opening triple Lutz - double toe loop combination, but with a shaky landing on the Lutz which cost her -1 in GoE.  She followed with a double loop which was well executed.  Her double Axel, performed as the seventh element also had problems on the landing and received GoEs of mostly minus one and two, though three judges also gave it zero.

Rackohn's spins, on the other hand, all scored well.  These elements were all levels 3 and 4 and for the most part received GoEs of plus one and two, her change foot combination spin scoring best of all.

Skating to "Exodus," Mumbadesa currently sits in fifth place, 0.40 points out of the medals.  At the 2007 National Championships she placed second in Novice Ladies.

She opened with a triple loop that received GoEs spread from minus one to plus one.  This was followed by a shaky triple flip - double toe loop combination, for which the toe loop was downgraded, resulting in GoEs of minus two and three from the panel.  Of all her jumps, the double Axel was executed best and received GoEs of plus one from all nine judges.

For spins and sequences Mumbadesa executed level 3 and 4 elements and they were all scored with GoEs of zero and plus one.  Her Program Components were in the low to mid fives.  The two weakest of these were Transitions and Interpretation, though they still made it into the fives -- decent marks for a Junior.

Skaters six through nine find themselves within five points of a medal, so the potential exists for a great deal of movement in the Free Skate, which will take place Tuesday evening. 

The final Free Skate sent the ladies event topsy-turvy, with the skaters in first and third place in the Short Program swapping places, the skater in second dropping to fourth but holding on the third, and the skater who was fifth in both the short program and the free skate placing fourth overall for the pewter medal.

Skating to "Oceanic," by Vangelis, Alexe Gilles captured the undulating rhythms of the music in a nearly clean performance that was scored best in both TES and PCS.  Gilles landed five triples, covering triple toe loop through triple Lutz, with a doubled flip the only issue with her jumps.  Her spins and sequences were all called level 3 or 4.  Her most successful element was her triple Lutz, which she executed twice (once with double toe loop) with an everage GoE near one in both cases.  Overall, in twelve elements only three GoEs went to minus one.

Dressed in shades of blue with a wave motif, her performance was energetic and captivated the sparse audience on hand to witness the event.  Her Program Components were all in the high fives, with some judges going as high as 7 for some components.

Skating last, Angela Maxwell, who won the Short Program, made a good run at the gold medal, but came up six points short due to errors in four jump elements.

After opening with a string double Axel, Maxwell had a small step out on a triple flip, and then put her hand down hard on a triple loop.  In the second half of the program she fought back, landing a decent triple toe - triple toe, with GoEs from minus one to plus one.  But a subsequent triple Salchow - double toe loop combination was scored negative and her final plan double Axel was singled and also scored negative.

Skating to the "Finding Nemo" soundtrack she gave a cheerful performance, despite the technical errors.  Her Program Components, however, were only fifth best, with her mark for Transitions below five.

Brittany Rizo, dropped to fourth in the Free Skate, after placing second in the short, but was left with enough points to win the bronze medal.  She landed five triples, only one of which was scored slightly negative -- that being a final triple Salchow that was landed slightly on the toe.  Two spins and her spiral sequence were called level 4, but her straight line step sequence only reached level 2, as did her layback spin.

Performing to "Malaguena." Rizo skated with good speed in a well choreographed program, receiving Program Component scores in the mid to upper fives.  After placing 12th at the 2007 Championships in Juniors, and fourth at this season's Eastern Sectional Championships, it was a striking step up for her career.

The pewter medal was won by Kristine Musademba, who placed fifth in both the short and the long.

Skating to Duke Ellington's "Caravan," performed in a colorful yet tasteful eastern themed costume (and what a rarity that is).  Her jumps were a bit of a strugle, four of them being scored neagative.  Even so, she got credit for five triple jumps.

On an opening triple Luzt a poor landing cost her over a point, and a subsequent triple flip combination cost her nearly as much again.  Near the end of the program a double Axel - double toe - double toe combination was also scored negative, and her final attempt at triple Salchow was so badly under rotated it was called a double, with GoEs of minus two and three.  Two of her spins and her spiral sequence were called level 4 , while the step sequence and the third spin were caled level 3.  Program Components were in the low fives, as they were for most of the ladies in the migdle of the pack.

Amanda Dobbs placed second in the Free Skate, but was too far back in the Short program to move up more than the one place overall that she did.  In her first year at senior Nationals in any division she made a good impression with a well skated and well presented program.  Only one element was scored negative, that being a triple Salchow that received GoEs of minus two.  Her Program Components were in the mid to upper fives and were second best overall, trailing the leader in PCS by less than a point.