There were 16 entries last year of whom 11 have returned including Marisa Sharma & Amir Ganaba who had to withdraw from Portland. Jennifer Don & Jonathon Hunt, sixth last year, have broken up. Also severing their partnerships were Tiffany Scott and Philip Dulebohn, who took the title in 2003 but were fourth last year, and Julian Burns & Themistocles Leftheris, who finished 13^th in Portland. Scott and Leftheris have returned with new partners.

Off the scene are Mariel Miller & Rockne Brubaker, the 2005 US junior pair champions, who had a bye to seniors. On December 21, not long after they won the bronze at the Junior Grand Prix Final, they split up. Miller explained, "The main issue was my growth - nearly four inches in just more than two years, making lifts and throws difficult. It was causing some injuries, and based on those injuries, things were snowballing. It was best for both of us and our backs to end it now. We’re sorry we couldn’t hang out until nationals, but things were starting to get dangerous on the ice. This is the best choice for everyone." She intends to pursue a singles career while the 5’10" Brubaker, who will be 20 in June, is in the market for a new partner.

SP

The draw produced a situation in which three of the four best pairs picked numbers between 1 and 4 which led to the rest of the competition being a little of an anticlimax, and a disaster for latecomers. The exception was Hinzman & Parchem who, skating last but one, began their SP two hours and thirty six minutes after Nam & Leftheris, who opened the event, began their routine. Attendance was 5,232.

The defending champions, Katie Orscher, 21, & Garrett Lucash, 27, made a good start and are in the lead by 3.24 points ahead of Marcy Hinzmann & Aaron Parchem, of which 1.30 was from their technical score and 0.94 from the components score.

Both pairs have had multiple exposure to the new system but said it did feel different to be skating under it at Nationals. They said they liked it.Hinzman said, "It’s kind of nice to see the breakdown (of what marks were given for the various elements) of the marks instead of 6.0 where you didn’t really know what the judges were rewarding and what they didn’t like."

They were asked what they were thinking because this event would decide the Olympic team. "It was on my mind much more at the end of last season than now. I only really think about that when we get asked about it. We can’t focus on it, or we’d go nuts," said Lucash.

To "Egyptian Disco" music by DJ Disse, the blonde 5’2" Orscher and her dark haired 5’10" cavalier, were awesome but not flawless. Their flying combination Level 3 spins were a little lacking in unison as they changed feet. It was the only negative Grade of Execution (-0.34) they received. All their Level moves got a 3 except for the straight line step sequence which was only a 2. Their side by side jump was a triple toe and the throw a triple flip.

"I feel that Garrett and I performed beyond our expectations. We were really happy with the way we skated," enthused Orscher. Lucash said, "We felt strong and confident."

Orscher explained it was a far different situation last July. "I hurt my left, landing foot, broke it in July. I had a rough fall, rolled over the ankle. It didn’t hurt at first so I don’t remember exactly what I did it on. When I woke up the next morning it was so swollen, I had to go to ER. It really derailed our summer. I was off the ice till September. September was hard because I was coming back from the injury and being off the ice for so long, and trying to break in new boots. We had to withdraw from Skate America and were sixth in Cup of China. We were able to get our new short program out there. Since China we’ve been working our butts off."

Orscher & Lucash won the title last January after being second in the previous two seasons. They’ve earned passage to three world championships with a best finish of 12th.

Skating to Yo-Yo Ma playing cello music from "The Mission", Marcy Hinzmann & Aaron Parchem, last year’s bronze medalists, are second despite her fall on the triple toe loop. That saddled them with the mandatory -1.0 penalty plus they received only one point for this element, which was a credit they earned because both partners completed the triple rotation. Their lift, which must be from the Group 3, was classed as Level 4, more difficult that than that of the Level 3 lift presented by O&L. Like O&L, H&P’s straight line step sequence was only a Level 2. H&P’s four other Level moves were 3’s. Their throw was a triple loop.

"Apart from the fall, we couldn’t be happier with the placement and getting to skating in the top group (for the FS on Friday afternoon)," said Hinzmann. She admitted, "It was a rough fall. It kind of surprised me. Going in for the tap position, I was off. But you try not to zone in on the elements and not let anything get to you. I smacked my hand down hard and cut it but I didn’t notice that until we were in the kiss and cry area and then I saw it was bleeding."

The 23 year old, 5’1" Hinzmann and the 28 year old, 5’10" Parchem, teamed together in April 2003. They were seventh in their first nationals in ’04 but that summer she tore her ACL in her left knee which was not properly diagnosed. Despite the pain, she delayed surgery until after their Portland. Although the operation proved successful, she was off the ice for several months recovering. Not long afterwards, they won the bronze in the Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany, and, in Atlantic City in Skate America, they finished fifth overall after a great SP in which they were second.

In third place, an insignificant 0.78 behind H&P, are Naomi Nari Nam, 20, & Themistocles "Themi" Leftheris, who turned 23 on December 20. They are making a spectacular debut. Their SP, to "Xena, Warrier Princess" and "Shall We Dance" from the soundtrack of the recent Japanese movie of that name, was awarded 0.53 more technical marks than those for H&P but was given 2.31 marks fewer than H&P’s components’ score.

They opened with superior side by side triple toes which earned +1 GoE over the base value of 4.0. Their throw triple Salchow received +0.80 over its base value of 0.80. Their double twist and forward inside death spiral were awarded Level 4’s. Although several other pairs received Level 4 for their lift, combination spin or death spiral, none received this accolade for their double twist. However, they received very slight negative GoE’s on their Level 3 lift, their Level 3 pair combination spin and their Level 2 circular step sequence. This meant that a small minority of judges thought their efforts on these moves did not quite reach that required for zero which is given for an element which is executed in a satisfactory manner, in all its of its aspects including entry and exit. A zero means no points are added or subtracted from the base value of the move. Their throw was a triple Salchow and their change foot combination spin a Level 2.

Nam has only begun skating pairs and are so inexperienced, neither knew the top three are expected to wait around for a press conference after the draw for the FS. The buzz about them began when they won the Pacific Coast championships by a huge margin. Nam is remembered for creating a sensation when she gained the runner-up spot to Kwan in the 1999 US championships. Great things were predicted for the then 13 year old but she began to suffer from tendonitis of the hip. Later, at a junior grand prix event, she fractured her hip growth plate. Tara Lipinski recommended the doctor who had operated on her. He found torn cartilage. After an operation and rest, Nam tried to return to the ice, but each time she did, she was greeted by pain.

Eventually, she was able to skate and in 2005 decided to try pairs and passed her tests. She found a partner in Leftheris, who lived only 20 minutes from the rink at which she trained. He had taken silver at nationals at novice level in ’01 with Jacqueline Jiminez. They finished sixth in ’02 at junior level but dissolved the partnership. Although Leftheris and Nicole Hartunian qualified for nationals at junior level in 2004, they withdrew before the event. In 2005, after placing 13^th at senior Nationals Julian Burns, that partnership also dissolved. Will this partnership have a longer life?

Nam admits the path has been tough. "I had a lot to learn. The girls have to be strong. You have to support your own weight in lifts and you have to land throws. You’re always watching the other person to get the unison."

Rena Inoue, 4’11", 29, competed in the 1992 Olympics in pairs and the 1994 Games in singles representing Japan. She recently became a US citizen. John Baldwin, 5’9", 32, had an extremely long singles career but never did pairs before teaming up with Inoue six years ago. He has competed in 21 nationals. They had an unsteady start but still lie fourth only 1.15 points behind Nam & Leftheris. Their goal is to get into the top two since there are only two spots on the Olympic team.

Skating to "Adagio in G Minor" by Thomasini Albinoni, their lift and both solo and pair spins were Level 4. But, after trying triple Lutzes as their solo jump on many occasions with Baldwin having problems with it, they decided to switch to the acknowledged far easier triple toe. Inoue completed hers but unfortunately Baldwin only executed two and a half turns and landed on two feet. That meant the move was downgraded to double toe and they scored only 0.53 for this move. She fell on the throw triple loop which meant it scored only three points which was reduced to two by the mandatory deduction 1.0 for a fall. Their double twist and circular step sequence was Level 3 but their forward inside death spiral was only Level 2. None of their five Level moves had a negative GoE.

I&B have competed in this event five times and never gained the same place twice. They were 11^th in their first appearance in 2001, then fourth, third, and first in 2004 but were second in 2005. Their three years of world championships netted them two tenth places and an 11^th (’05). In this season’s Grand Prix events, they gained a second in Skate America behind the Chinese, but ahead of the Russians, Obertas & Slavnov, and a fourth in Trophee Eric Bompard.

They have an ace up their sleeves, a throw triple Axel, which has not yet been accomplished in competition. They will attempt the move in the FS on Friday afternoon.

The Midwest champions, Tiffany Vise, the 5’ 0" older sister of Brittany, who will be 20 on February 2, & the 6’0", 25 year old Derek Trent lie fifth only 0.77 behind Inoue & Baldwin. Last year V&T were ninth, after finishing 13^th in 2004. The teamed up in July 2003 but had skated at the same rink in Colorado since they were young. Both had previous partners. Vise won the bronze at the US Junior championship with Larry Ibarra in 2002, while Trent took the same place the following year with Brandi Sandoval.

Their music was "Shall We Dance" including the rhumba "Dance with Me". They received a negative -1.57 for their triple toes but the rest of the elements got base value or more. Their throw was a triple loop. Their lift, in which he swings her through his legs and then up to the overhead position, goes through two position and then has a flip out descent, was Level 4 and earned +0.50 over the 4.0 base value. All their other Level moves received 3.

The 28 year old, perky, 5’ 0" blonde Tiffany Scott and her rookie partner Rusty Fein, a 5’9" 23 year old, used "Cries of Beirut", by Dana Dragomir, to skate into sixth place 3.29 points behind V&T. Five of their eight moves got negative GoE’s. Most of those were only slight but he fell on their straight line step sequence. That saddled them with 1.0 deduction and took the Level, given by the technical specialist, down to 1. Four of their moves received Level 3. Their double twist was Level 2. "I had to tape an X on my costume on the spot where he was to catch me on the twist at the beginning," said Scott in a good-natured jibe at Fein’s clumsy initial efforts.

It has helped that her old partner, Philip Dulebohn, has become very involved in their development. Their regular coach, Ron Ludington, the 1960 bronze medalist, is not quite up to hands on teaching. Dulebohn said he had drifted into his present position as their coach. "I started coaching them very casually. I got more and more involved as the season went on. Tiffany and I have a long history. We skated together for nine years. I know exactly how things are with her. I was surprised how involved I got. When Rusty tripped, I let out a very bad word. There are things that Rusty’s doing now in his first Nationals that took me years to get."

Fein, rather brashly said, "We have the highest expectations, but I’m not so pleased with my performance. I may have been over confident in the footwork." Scott added, "We are concentrating on the components. We want not only to have our elements Level 3 but to make sure how those elements fit in and enhance our program."

Asked how they like the new system, Scott reiterated a statement heard in rinks around the country, "They seem to keep changing the rules every day."

Scott was not ready to hang up her skates when her partner decided to retire after last year’s nationals. That proved to be Fein’s good fortune. He sent her a 20 page proposal about why she should join her proven talents with his enthusiasm. It was a bold step. Fein had never pair skated. Delaying training was Scott’s marriage. But they got routines together and competed in the Liberty and Indy Challenge summer contest, made their international debut in Oberstdorf and won the Eastern Sectional championships.

The 18 year old 5’2" Brittany Vise & Nicholas Kole, 22, 5’8", skated to "The Mask of Zorro" to gain seventh place, 3.11 points behind S&F. They had no deductions but were given credit only for a double toe and gained only Level 1 on their solo spins and circular step sequence. They received Level 3 for three moves but only Level 2 for their forward inside death spiral.

She has recovered completely from breaking her leg last February. They have trained together since May 1999. They won bronze in the US Novice championships in 2002, took the runners-up spot in Juniors in 2003 and have been eighth in seniors for the past two years. They competed in the senior Grand Prix series for the first time this season, placing fifth in the NHK in Japan and seventh in Cup of Russia, which gave them a bye to nationals.

In eighth place, only 0.84 behind V&K, are Brooke Castile, 19, 5’1", & Ben Okolski, 21, 5’11",who are appearing for the second time in seniors. Skating to the music "Anticipation" by Luciani, they had only two negative GoE’s, a slight -0.10 for their throw triple loop and a -0.83 for their solo Salchow jumps which were meant to be triples but were classed as doubles. Their lift and double twist were Level 3 and their last three moves, Level 2, but the step sequence was only Level 1.

Last year they finished seventh in this event. A short time after the Portland Nationals, they were sent to the Four Continents Championships, where they finished seventh. The trip to Korea for that event was unexpected since they were only the second reserves. In 2004, they were runners-up for the junior title after being sixth the year before.

.In ninth place only 0.41 behind C&O are Amanda Evora, 21 and 4’11", & Mark Ladwig, 25 and 5’10". They had some very difficult elements. Their combination solo spin and death spiral were both Level 4, with the latter earning a +0.70 GoE. Their other four Level moves were all 3’s. However, that difficulty was negated by their two falls, on the throw triple loop and on their Salchows which they’d intended as triples but which got downgraded to doubles. They skated to music from "Hotel California", choreographed by Christine Hough Sweeney.

Ninth is a disappointment since they were fifth last year and fifth a short time later in the Four Continents Championships. This is their third nationals. They were 12^th in 2003 and 10^th in 2004. Their season started with first excitement and then disappointment. They replaced Orscher & Lucash in Skate America in Atlantic City, and a week later they were in St. John’s in Newfoundland in Skate Canada. But in neither event were they able to show off their extremely ambitious routines to their satisfaction and finished ninth and eighth.

In tenth place, 0.50 behind E&L, are the runners-up for the Pacific Coast title, 4’11" Marisa Sharma, who turned 19 on December 19 & Amir Ganaba, turned 23 on December 16. Skating to the soundtrack from "The Incredibles", they received Level 4 for their death spiral and lift, Level 3 for three other moves and Level 2 for their circular steps. Two of their moves, the solo triple Salchows and their final move, the pair spin received negative GoE’s. Ganata was junior champion with his sister, Sima, in 1999.

Eleventh, 2.88 behind S&G, are the 5’2" Chloe Katz, who will be 20 on March 16, and her 5’ 8" partner, Joseph Lynch, who will be 21 on May 29. Their double twist and lift were Level 3 but three other moves were Level 2 and the straight line step sequence was a Level 1.

Katz & Lynch are making their senior US championship debut. They qualified by taking fourth place in Easterns. In 2004, they were 11^th in nationals at novice level and zoomed up to take the bronze medal in the junior championships last year. This summer they competed in the Nebelhorn Trophy and were 11^th.

Performing to the "Acceleration Waltz" by Johann Strauss were Yuko Kawaguchi & Devin Patrick, who lie twelfth almost tied with K&L who are only 0.02 ahead of them. They won the Japanese senior championship in December 2004 but decided this year to compete in the US and qualified by taking the runners-up spot in the Midwest sectional.

Kawaguchi, who turned 24 on November 20, previously won the Japanese title several times with Russian Alexander Markuntsov and competed several times in the world (senior) championships. She had started as a singles skater, winning a gold for Japan in the Mexico Cup in 1999, but decided she wanted to become a pair skater and came to Hackensack, New Jersey, to beg Tamara Moskvina to find her a partner. Moskvina teamed her with Markuntsov, who had competed for Russia in the 1999 St. Gervais international. Together, they won Japan’s first ever pair medal, silver in the world juniors in 2001. But that partnership dissolved. Kawaguchi kept looking for another partner. Patrick has skated pairs for some time, taking fifth at Junior level in the US in 2001 and 13^th at senior in 2003 with Emma Phibbs, but nothing on the scale of his partner’s experiences.

Performing to "Finished Symphony" by ATB, the Eastern sectional bronze medalists, Colette Appel, 5’2", 19, & Lee Harris, 5’8", 24, took the 13^th slot only 0.49 behind K&P. Four of their moves were Level 3 and the other two, the death spiral and the straight line step sequence were Level 2. Though they received no deductions, their side by side jumps, meant as triple Salchows were given unanimous -3 GoE’s. Appel & Harris were the 2002 US Junior champions in only their third competition together. But they were overtaken and finished second in 2003. They were 15^th, and last, in their debut at senior level at nationals but moved up to 11^th last year. Harris was born in Canada.

The 5’1" Stephanie Kuban, 18, & 5’8" Laureano "Larry" Ibarra, 22, skated to "Concerto de Aranjuez" by Rodrigo to claim 14^th place, 1.32 points behind A&H. They received negative GoE’s for all but their initial move, a Level 3 lift, and their Level 3 double twist. Their side by side jump was double Axel and three moves, the solo spin, the step sequence and the death spiral were Level 1. Their final move, the pair spin was a Level 3. Kuban & Ibarra were 12^th in Portland last year. They qualified by finishing fourth in this season’s Midwestern championships. In 2003, Ibarra, partnered by Tiffany Vise, was 11^th in nationals.

15^th, 1.08 behind K&I were Shantel Jordan, 13 last August 24, 5’2", & Jeremy Barrett, 21 last April, 5’8", who teamed together in April 2001. They performed a very interesting routine to music from "Stomp", a musical, if it can be called that, in which the musicians, who are the stars, make noise with various every day objects that would not otherwise be classed as instruments.

Their Level 3 twist, Level 4 lift, Level 3 Serpentine Step sequence and Level 3 death spiral were good. Unfortunately they had two deductions for falls and had very bad GoE’s on a third move. They were the runners-up in the Eastern Sectionals. They won the 2004 US Junior title and were tenth last year in Seniors. Because of their age disparity, they are not eligible for junior internationals and have some time before she becomes eligible for the senior circuit. However, they are soldiering on.

In 16^th place are Janice Mayne, 5’0", 17, & the 6’0" Ethan Burgess, who will be 23 on January 27. They lie 2.11 behind J&B. They interpreted "Heartbreak Hotel" but made a mess of their attempted triple Salchows, which were classed as doubles. Their Level 1 circular step sequence and Level 2 pair spin were their only moves which didn’t get a negative GoE.

It’s been change partners and skate for the Pacific Coast bronze medalists. Mayne, who won the 2001 Novice title with Josh Martin, also previously partnered Michael Modro who is competing with Katie Uhlig in this event. Mayne & Modro finished 18^th in the 2004 US nationals at senior level while that same year at novice level Burgess took the pair bronze with Keauna McLaughlin.

Katie Uhlig, 18, 5’1", & Michael Modro, who will be 24 on January 18, 6.3", lie 17^th, 3.29 points behind M&B. Uhlig & Modro skated to the soundtrack from "Batman" but received negative GoE’s on all the elements, two of which, the double twist and the lift, were rated Level 4. They qualified by taking fourth place in the Pacific Coast Sectionals.

Rounding out the field, 4.75 points behind U&M were Willie Traeger, 5’3", 21, & Konstantin "Kostya" Emshanov, who turned 23 on December 11, 5’9". They skated to the Bolero from the movie, "Moulin Rouge". Though they started well with a Level 2 death spiral which earned base value, the rest of the moves which included three Level 3’s (the double twist, the lift and the pair spin) received negative GoE’s.

"I feel like I was in school for 20 years and I’ve finally graduated," said a grinning Baldwin as officials announced that the top two pairs would go to the Olympics, with third and fourth place as alternates. "The Olympics are important to us but that wasn’t our main focus. At the end of our career, we didn’t want to be dust in the wind. We wanted to be remembered. We were the first to do side by side triple Lutzes, which we did in Skate America two years ago, and becoming the first to do the triple Axel means that people will always associate those moves with us."

Baldwin substituted the side by side triple Lutzes in this competition with triple toe loops. "I got a hematoma on my toe two weeks ago and had to have a small surgery so I wasn’t able to do jumps tapping with that foot so we changed it." Baldwin fell on this jump in the short program and, although he completed it in the long, the landing edge was steep and he had to fight to hold it. They received a -1.29 GoE for this element.

When they began their routine, to dramatic music by the Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich, they were 5.07 points behind the then leaders, Orscher & Lucash. Baldwin said, "We knew we could make up that deficit with the throw triple Axel although, of course, there are many other things in the program." They scheduled the Axel past the half way point so they would get a ten percent bonus given for all jumps and throws accomplished after that point. The enhanced base value for this move was 8.3. They received a very slight negative GoE of -0.06 which meant their score for this one element was a huge 8.24.

"I knew as soon as she stepped onto the forward edge that she would land it," said Baldwin. Inoue said that in previous events, her mind would race ahead of herself. She would worry about what was coming next. She said she had learned to focus on the present. She said, as they stroked into it, on the crossovers, "I tried to keep myself straight." She had enjoyed practicing the move despite the many hard falls because, "It was something new to work on."

Apart from almost negligible negative on the Axel and that for the triple toe, they received no negatives and reclaimed the title an amazing 15.73 points ahead of the silver medalists, Hinzmann & Parchem.

Inoue & Baldwin are a couple who live in Santa Monica and are trained by former US pairs champion and ’88 Olympic bronze medalist Peter Oppergard in Artesia. "Our coach is the last US Olympic pairs medalist," said Baldwin. "Our coach for our first four years was his partner, Jill Watson." They have been together for five and a half years. Prior to that, Baldwin had never done pairs.

Inoue recently gave up Japanese citizenship to become an American. She could not represent the US in the Olympics without doing this but it was a traumatic decision because it involved giving up Japanese citizenship for life. Some of Inoue’s relatives did not approve of this procedure and, as Inoue explained some time ago, "There is no guarantee we will make the Olympic team."

Now she can relax knowing she made the right decision. She will be a third time Olympian, having represented Japan in pairs and singles in the ’92 & ’94 Games. "It’s not like I medaled but going to three is Olympics is pretty wonderful. Most people don’t get to go to one."

Baldwin said, "Rena has told me that the skating is spread out over the two weeks but that the pairs is over at the beginning so we’ll can see some of the other sports. I’m really excited."

Hinzmann & Parchem were over the moon with their silver medals. They took second place in both routines. Before they went on the ice, Hinzmann told their choreographer that she just wanted Parchem not to finish up as first alternate for the Olympics again. Parchem had been third in 2002 with his previous partner, Stephanie Kalesavich. "That would have been so hard for him."

It was a close call. The initial results showed they were 1.16 ahead of the defending champions, Orscher & Lucash, who gained bronze. A later revised result showed 0.50 had been shaved off their score and the margin was reduced to 0.66. There was no statement from the USFSA or the Technical Controller, Joe Inman, explaining why this was. Many hours after the event, the Associated Press news agency had not been able to discover the reason they had had to file revised results to their customers.

After much analysis, staff from this website concluded a Level was downgraded or an input error was discovered. This did not result in a placement change but had the amount been slightly larger, Hinzmann & Parchem might have been stripped of their Olympic status.

As it was, they left the Savvis Center floating on air. "This was so much better than our previous performances this season, regardless of Marcy’s injury," said Parchem. Hinzmann explained, "After nationals last year, we had to decline Four Continents so I could have surgery (to repair an ADL tear) and I was off the ice the ice for four months, not even stroking. Skaters never take that much time off but within a week or so when I came back in July we knew we would be okay. But I never dreamed then that I would be going to the Olympics."

Hinzmann & Parchem gave a very polished showing to "La Esparanza" from Once Upon A Time in Mexico. The only negative GoE they received was for her fall on the triple toe in which she was crooked in the air. What happened in this move? "I think I tried a little too hard," Hinzmann said. They received the mandatory -3 GoE plus the compulsory -1.0 for the fall. Hinzmann had cut her right hand. "It didn’t need stitches but they put butterfly banding on it. The banding kept coming off. I think I finally lost it as I was coming off the ice."

They began with a double rather than a triple twist. "With the new system, you really have to do the triple twist perfectly for it to be worth trying. We realized that after the short," said Parchem. They earned 108.91 for their free which gave them 166.32 overall. They train in Bloomfield Hills in Michigan with Johnny Johns & Mitch Moyer.

Orscher & Lucash, who have been in the top two for the past three years, were just not on. They dropped out of the lead down to the bronze medal. It was an error laden performance to Camille Saint-Saens’ "Samson & Delilah" that was rated only fourth best. "We didn’t skate anywhere near what we are capable of doing. We had to fight through every element. It didn’t flow the way it had been doing in practice the last few weeks," Lucash readily admitted. Orscher was unable to contain her disappointment. "It’s hard to put words in our mouths just now."

They first move, a double twist Level 3 got a +0.57 but the next four moves, and two later in the routine, received negative GoE’s. Two of their elements, the spiral sequence and forward inside death spiral received only Level 1. Orscher & Lucash had Baldwin’s sympathy for their low marks with the spiral sequence. He said, "I can relate to that. In Paris (at the Eric Bompard Grand Prix) Rena and I didn’t get any marks for our spiral sequence." Orscher & Lucash are trained by Russian former world champion Vadim Naumov. They live in Simsbury and are friends, but not a couple.

Scott & Fein gave a great debut performance which earned 106.97 gaining them third place in the free and pulling them up from sixth after the short to fourth overall. However, they finished a substantial 6.77 points behind Orscher & Lucash. The routine, set to Verdi’s stirring music, "The Force of Destiny", which was used by the Czechs, Radka Kovarikova & Rene Novotny, to win the 1995 world title, was choreographed by Shanti Ruchpaul and Gwendal Peizerat. Their element score was second only to Inoue & Baldwin.

They made five errors but their triple toe to double toe jump combination was super and they didn’t fall. It was an amazing accomplishment considering Fein had never done pairs before this season. Scott said she knew when she received the long report from Fein detailing why it was beneficial for them to team up, "that Rusty would be very dedicated."

Scott’s ex-partner Phil Dulebohn now coaches them along with Ron Ludington in Newark, Delaware. He declared, "Rusty has a lot of heart. Tiffany’s got a totally different look now than when she was with me. They get along so beautifully." Scott’s husband and Fein’s girl friend are supportive of their efforts. "They’re going after their own dreams," said Scott. Fein admitted, "She did give me some strange looks when I came home with scratches."

Now, says Scott, "We’ll go back home and evaluate what they will do about next season.

Nam & Leftheris dropped from third after the short to fifth overall only 1.07 behind Scott & Fein but this was still an impressive debut. Skating in royal blue to Edvard Grieg’s "Peer Gynt Suite, they began with a triple twist which had a slight crash on the landing resulting in a -0.90 GoE. They followed that with +1 triple toe to double toe, +0.30 throw triple Salchow, +0.50 Group 5 lift that was awarded Level 3 and a +0.50 Level 2 change foot combination spin. They began to tire at that point and four of their remaining nine moves had very slight negative GoE’s.

Their component scores for the free were second only to Inoue & Baldwin. "It’s been totally inspiring training with Rena and John. We’re lucky to train with them every day," said Nam, who is coached in Artesia, CA, by Peter Oppegard. Leftheris, who has had several partners, said of teaming up with Nam, it "actually felt very natural right from the beginning. We had a natural synchronicity."

Nam, who had to abandon singles after placing second in the 1999 nationals to Kwan because of injury, confesses, "I’ve wanted to go to the Olympics since I was six years old. It’s something that still inspires me when I get on the ice. I feel like I’ve gotten a second chance. We’re so happy with our placement and we hope to be on top for the 2010 Games."

Vise & Trent, fifth in the short and seventh in the long were sixth overall, 3.54 points behind Nam & Leftheris. They wore black with blue and silver trim with Vise in a pants suit. Their music was "Exotic Eastern Oasis". Their solo triple toes and throw triple loop got significant minus GoE’s (-1.43 and -1.49) and their back outside death spiral an insignificant minus (-0.30) but everything else earned base value or more.

They moved to train with Doug & Lara Ladret in Scottsdale, Arizona in July. Vise explained, "We were just looking for a change in our perspective." Catarina Lindgren choreographed both their routines and also chose the music for their free. They earned 99.07 for this portion and overall 153.78.

Evora & Ladwig scored 99.46 and sixth place for this routine which was choreographed by Jim Peterson to music from the balcony seen from the ballet "Romeo and Juliet" by Prokofiev. "By having different choreographers for the short and the long and very different pieces of music, we hope to create a contrast," Evora explained. Their overall 147.52 put them in seventh place, 6.26 behind Vise & Trent.

They have a host of innovative moves and many of their elements are scheduled close together which increases the difficulty. Their technical score was the fourth highest and included five Level 4 moves which only Inoue & Baldwin matched. Orscher & Lucash and Vise & Trent had no moves of this level and the other pairs who were second through sixth each had only one.

Particularly appealing is the lift which contains a position used by the Carruthers where she stands on his shoulder in a spiral position. "Mark and I have new moves which we haven’t done before this season. To get all the elements in, we have some very difficult connections." Their first two moves, the triple twist and throw triple loop are done in close proximity which certainly delights the audience.

However, "We haven’t yet skated the programs the way we’d like," said Evora. They are trained by Kerry Leitch in Ellenton, FL.

They are trained by Joe Mero and Maria Moscato in Taylor, MI, and used the soundtrack from the movie, "Romeo & Juliet". Castile has a lot of input into their choreography.

Vise & Kole were seventh in the short but dropped to ninth overall, 2.96 behind Castile & Okolski, with a free that was ranked only 11^th best. They are trained by Dalilah Sappenfield in Colorado Springs and skated to "Gettysburg". Eight of their first ten moves incurred a negative GoE but then they settled down. Three of their final four moves received base value and the other a slight positive (+0.07).

Katz & Lynch skated to "Firebird" for their free in appropriate costumes which had yellow, orange and deep red morphing downwards into black. She wore tights but they didn’t cover her white boots and that was a little jarring. It had one deduction for her fall on the throw triple toe and was judged ninth best. That earned them earned 89.29 and advanced them from 11^th after the short to tenth overall with 133.97 which was 2.41 behind Vise & Kole. They train with Adam Lieb and Brad Cox in Bellmore, NY, and the routine was choreographed by Jill Cosgrove

Jordan & Barrett had a great performance to "Firebird" choreographed by former pupil of their coach, Kerry Leitch, Canadian pair champion Christine ("Tuffy") Hough, which was full of innovative and extremely difficult lifts. The first, a Group 5, involved changing hands so they had a portion with him supporting her with one hand and then changing to support her with the other. They also had two great throws, a triple Lutz and a flip, although the computer software does not have a Lutz in its software and so they were both classed as flips. The second was executed after the midpoint of the routine and so earned an extra ten percent.

They scored 89.29 which was tenth place in this section. That pulled them up from 15^th after the short to 11^th overall with a total of 131.06, 2.91 behind Katz & Lynch. They train at The Igloo in Ellerton, FL.

Appel & Harris, who are trained by Johnny Johns, Mitch Moyer & Zuzanna Szwed at the Detroit SC, skated to the soundtrack from the sci-fi movie "Waterworld". She wore black tights and a top which had nude netting on one side. It immediately grabbed the attention of most of the media, particular the photographers who spent the entire four and a half minutes focused on her left boob, apparently certain she would have "a costume malfunction". She did not.

They scored 83.97 which was 12^th in the free which brought them up to 12^th overall with 128.14 from 13^th place. They were 2.92 behind Jordan & Barrett.

Kuban & Ibarra earned 83.55, which was 13^th place for their solid presentation to music from "Once Upon A Time In Mexico". They received a 1.0 deduction for her fall on their throw triple Salchow. Overall they scored 126.40 which put them 13^th. They train with Dalilah Sappenfield in Colorado Springs.

Sharma & Ganaba, who used music from the soundtrack to "Cleopatra", may have placed down the field but they performed three of their moves were given Level 4, their forward inside death spiral and their two Group 5 lifts. However, they lost four points in deductions, one for finishing after the allocated time and three for falls. She went down on their opening move, meant to be triple Salchows but downgraded to double, then again on their throw triple loop, and also on their double Axel attempt which was classed as a single. Their score of 75.59 put them 15^th in the free dropping them down from tenth to 14^th overall with 123.15. That was 3.25 behind Kuban & Ibarra. They are trained by Peter Oppegard in Artesia, CA.

Kawaguchi & Patrick had an unsatisfying performance because of her injury. About a month before Nationals, Kawaguchi injured her left hip. It became more and more painful. Some of the moves, particular twists and overhead lifts where Patrick must put his hand exactly on the injured spot, were exacerbating the situation.

Kawaguchi came down from the Star lift obviously hurting. Patrick spoke a few words to her, asking whether they should withdraw at that point. Bravely, she decided to continue to the end of the four and a half minutes but there were obvious problems with the final few moves. She limped off the ice and was helped to the Kiss and Cry area to await the marks. She was then carried from that area and dispatched to the local hospital. Dr. Christine Lawless said it was impossible to give the exact nature of the injury or its prognosis. She said the hospital would be taking X-rays.

They are trained by Irina Vorobieva in Colorado Springs. Also with them was the famed coach Tamara Moskvina, who trained Vorobieva and, more recently, Olympic champions Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze. Moskvina trained for several years in Hackensack, NJ, but has now returned to her home, St. Petersburg and was just visiting. Kawaguchi & Patrick had been 12^th in the short. They received 78.14 for their free which was 14^th place. Overall they received 122.80 which put them 15^th.

Mayne & Burgess, who interpreted Igor Stravinsky’s "Firebird", were 16^th in both sections and overall. They are trained by Jordan and Darlene Bell and their choreography was done by Randy Gardner. She had a bad fall on her front on the throw triple loop.

Uhlig & Modro drew to skate first. They gave a tentative showing, set to the soundtrack from the movie "Van Helsing", which had 3 deductions, one for not finishing with the music and two for falls on the throw triple Salchow and on a double flip. They earned 63.16 for their free. Overall they received 99.53 putting them 17^th in both sections and overall. She appeared in a one shouldered white creation with black trim and he was in a grey and black diagonally stripped blouse. Their finished in an interesting pose with her upside down and her head only a millimeter from the ice. They are trained by Burt Lancon.

Traeger & Emshanov are at a development stage in their partnership. They are just getting used to each other. This is a fairly traumatic process for all pairs and, at times, very frustrating. The team incurred only one deduction for a fall when she slid into the barrier. They aborted one lift and had multiple faults. Some of these are easily correctable, such as his nearly taking her head off when his foot past over her as she trailed behind him with both in spiral positions. But others will take a lot of practice.