1998 U.S. Figure Skating Championships

Senior Pairs

Final Standings

        J1:  William Smith
        J2:  Jan Serafine
        J3:  Reiko Seger
        J4:  Jessica Gaynor
        J5:  Wendy Weston-Enzmann
        J6:  Steve Winkler
        J7:  Theodore Clark
        J8:  Susan Johnson
        J9:  Joyce Komperda

Notes after the long program.

Kyoko Ina and Jason Dungjen breezed to their second U.S. pairs title in the absence of any serious competition with the absence of Jenni Meno and Todd Sand from the long program.  Following the short program both Jenni and Todd made the point that the key to this season was to stay healthy, something they had managed to do up until the practice session immediately preceding the skating of the long program.  Meno fell on a double Axel and sprained her ankle.  They skated the warmup, but immediately upon leaving the ice the walked backstage and it was clear they would withdraw from the competition before the announcement was made.  They had planned to revive their "Nessun Dorma" routine with which they had much success two years ago.

Ina and Dungjen skated a technically strong, error free, program.  They landed side-by-side triple toe loops and double Axels, and throw triple toe loop and throw triple Salchow.  Their presentation was well received and they received an enthusiastic standing ovation for the audience.  Despite the strength of their presentation, it is likely that Meno and Sand would have given them a good run for their money; but it will next be up to the international judges to decide the relative placements of these two teams.  Meno's injury is expected to be healed in time to be ready for the Olympic Games, and following the skating of the long program Ina and Dungjen, and Meno and Sand, were named to the Olympic Team.  Shellby Lyons and Brian Wells will be first alternates.

Lyons and Wells had a fairly good skate, performing to a medley of big band tunes.   As has been the case for most of their time together, the pair elements and presentation were well done, but the jumps were a problem.  On side-by-side triple loops Lyons doubled the jump and Wells fell.  On triple Salchows Wells stepped out of the landing, and a planned throw triple Salchow was doubled.

Danielle and Steve Hartsell moved up two places in the long to take the bronze medal.   It was a good performance of their "Sampson and Delila" routine with only two minor errors - Danielle put her hand down on triple toe loop and Steve had a delayed turn out of double Axel.  They were named second alternates to the Olympic Team.

A surprising fourth place result was turned in by Tiffany and Johnnie Stiegler.   Their strategy was to skate clean within their ability - using double twist and double Axels - and to see how far the second mark would take them.  Their performance to "Giselle" was outstanding, and received a huge standing ovation from the audience.  They received some second marks as high as 5.6 and two judges placed them third in the long program.  In the process they blew past their rink-mates Natalie Vlandis and Jered Guzman.

Vlandis and Guzman were strong technically despite a few problems - a bad triple twist, the singling of triple loops by both skaters, and a badly cheated double flip from Guzman.   They had some nice connecting elements, but overall the program was weak in the second mark.  It should prove interesting to see how these latter two teams push each other in the coming year.

Notes after the short program.

Reverting to last year's short program, Ina and Dungjen took the short on a six-three split.  They skated a strong program with clean triple toe loops and a great double twist.  All the elements were well done, and their presentation, while still more technically oriented than artistic, was still well done.

Meno and Sand also got their triple toes, and all the other elements, but their greatest strength was in the second mark.  Skating to "Pomp and Circumstance" they did a splendid job, but compared to Ina and Dungjen they were clearly slower, especially on the spins, and that may have been the difference in the first two placements.

The pairs event is a competition between first and second place, and third and fourth.   The teams bellow second place have little chance of moving up to make the Olympic Team.

Lyons and Wells did a decent job, but were slow.  In side-by-side triple Salchows, Lyons landed the jump but Wells doubled it.  Handy and Binebose skated a clean program to "Candide" which was well presented and they could move up to third if they skate clean and Lyons and Wells are not on top of things in the long program.

Hartsell and Hartsell did a decent job with "Lords of the Dance", but Steve stepped out of triple toe loop.  More importantly, however, this team is limited by the fact that Steve is just too small for his sister - not unlike the situation with the Seybolds.

The 1997 Junior Pairs Champions, Stiegler and Stiegler, did a decent job with double Axels, and a decent double twist. It was a respectable though still somewhat junior looking program; but with a seventh place result it was a good start for their first year in seniors.

Free Skating

Short Program

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