Junior Pairs

Not sure why a girl skating to the Pink Panther is wearing a pink Yankee Polka outfit, but OK

Bautista/Hopson (Pink Panther)

2Twist
Pairs spin a little slow, then sped up on camel
Throw 2Lo gigantic, she hung on (maybe one hand down)
Star lift to one hand, not a lot of stretch
SBS 2Lz nice
Pairs spiral ok
FI death spiral, nice
SBS spins great unison for first half
Good music choice for them

Carman/Knierim 48.31
Castelli/Shnapir 47.57
Tanovich/Chau 46.84
Simpson/Miller 46.39
Farr/Kern 43.41
Bautista/Hopson 42.81
Aaron/Cohen 42.04
Chase/Speroff 41.86
Sheikh/VanCleave 41.74
Gueli/Marron 40.05
DeRita/Accardi 37.34
Smith and Bartholomay 35.79
Glassberg/Woodruff 29.52

oleada said:

That said, I'd be shocked if this turns out to be a long termn partnership - she's already almost his height.

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I think it already is the longest running partnership in junior pairs. I really hope he manage some miraculous post-puberty growth spurt.

kate said:

Bautista/Hopson (Pink Panther)

2Twist
Pairs spin a little slow, then sped up on camel
Throw 2Lo gigantic, she hung on (maybe one hand down)
Star lift to one hand, not a lot of stretch
SBS 2Lz nice
Pairs spiral ok
FI death spiral, nice
SBS spins great unison for first half
Good music choice for them

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They were doing a triple loop throw last year at the novice level. I guess she popped at and that is why the landing was poor. Hope she lands it in the free.

I love Tanovich and Chau too. Musical, musical, musical. It is so disappointing about their age difference too. Really limits their chances at internationals. Death spiral fall is a flukey thing. Their elements and PCS are delightful. I hope for great performances in the free. Depth in US Junior pairs continues to improve.

For a long time I was pushing Carmann/Kniermin but after seeing them live, I'm holding back. They need work but they should be something in future.

Brittney Chase/Andrew Speroff are quite good and very much underscored. Look for them in the LP.

Castelli/Snapir are a good team with future possibilities.

The unscheduled team of Choi-Smith/Barthelomey, were a pleasant surprise.

Most of the Teams need a change of partner. They are not gelling.

Joe, I quite liked Chase and Speroff, but they got zero for the pair spin. So if you add 3 or 4 points to their score, that's a better estimate of where they should be.

dorispulaski said:

Joe, I quite liked Chase and Speroff, but they got zero for the pair spin. So if you add 3 or 4 points to their score, that's a better estimate of where they should be.

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I can understand that, Doris, but I'm a softie for presentation and the CoP will nitpick. The CoP is right, but there are more scoring tidbits than pairs spins, which i do not hold in esteem.

In watching the junior pairs s/p this week at the Q I can tell you that there were boos to both the scoring for Chase and Speroff and Sheik and VanCleave. Both of those teams skated beautiful programs with a lot of maturity, presence and they along with maybe two other teams landed nice throw triple loops. Seems a real shame that small mistakes by both teams put them so far down in the standings. I actually heard that both boys did the exact same thing (slightly touched their foot down during the pair spin) so both lost the entire element. I am having a hard time grasping how small mistakes can outweigh more obvious mistakes such as falls. In Carman and Knierim's case however the overall quality of all of their elemnts I am sure helped them make up many of the points they lost when they both fell on the Lutz's. Hope to see both Chase and Speroff and Sheik and VanCleave rally in the long program. I have seen both out at the practice facility and they along with Aaron and Cohen and Tanovich and Chau are the only teams I have seen with two throw triples. If any of teams are planning on moving up to Senior they are going to need two throw triples, along with the harder jumps. Good luck to all the teams.

I think the spin rules are too stringent. They shouldn't say no spin occurred for a foot down, just drop it to level 1 with poor GOE at worst.

dorispulaski said:

I think the spin rules are too stringent. They shouldn't say no spin occurred for a foot down, just drop it to level 1 with poor GOE at worst.

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Definitely agreeing. Gretchen Donlan did an intended 1A in the short program at regionals when 2A is clearly required, and she still got some credit (-3 GOE). Same goes for flying sits that don't fly at all -- mandatory L1 (and there isn't even mandatory -3 GOE on those) when they are required.