2017-18 State of U.S. Ladies Skating

[mrrice]

Tennell is out for blood

I hope she gets it!! She deserves to be on the team and the way she's looked so far leads to me to believe it's going to happen for her.

 

[luckyguy]

Thanks for the report! I'm not familiar with Drew Meekins. Could you please provide a little more info on him?

Sice ice coverage is apparently offline, some basic informations. Drew Meekins is 2006 World Junior Pairs Champion (with Julia Vlassov), Coach, Choreographer and Icenetwork Journalist. He works in Colorado Springs as Zakrajsek's assistant coach with Mirai.

His Twitter account:
https://twitter.com/Drew_Meekins

 

[jenaj]

I’m not sure that Polina would have benefitted from taking the semester off from college. My understanding is that she was limited in what she could do or how intensively she could train through the summer. Even as late as the Finlandia Cup in October, she would immediately get out of her skating boots after a program and sit in the “kiss n’ cry” wearing soft insulated boots. It was unusual for any skater to do and something she had never done before. If true, it would not have mattered whether she was at home or at school, and should not be taken as a reflection on her seriousness of purpose.

Her intention all along had been to go to college while training for national and international competitions. That was one reason why she chose San Jose State University, because of its proximity to where she would be training. It is the same pattern she had established in high school, when she was a full-time student at Archbishop Mitty High School. I think that having this sort of well-rounded life has given her a certain strength and resiliency, which in the past has been demonstrated in her consistency and competitive spirit.

What has made it especially difficult in regaining her form, however, is that her injury coincided with her reaching her normal adult weight and height. She’s now five feet eight inches tall and quite a willowy young woman by figure skating standards.

When she experienced a growth spurt during the 2015 season, it had a disastrous effect on her debut on the senior Grand Prix circuit. The difference is that she was able to keep training then, and thus to preserve her basic technique. She recovered sufficiently to do well in the national championship, coming in fourth, and then won the Four Continents Championship, to the surprise of many. In 2016, she gave Gracie Gold a superb run for the gold medal at the nationals and seemed about to break through on the international scene, when she suffered this injury. Unfortunately, she experienced a last growth spurt while she was unable to practice her technique or to train hard for a while when she came back.

Christy Ness has been involved in her training since the fall and observers at the early training sessions have reported a marked improvement in her form since the Internationaux de France last November. Apparently, she is still lacking her triple lutz and flip jumps, which will make the PCS all the more important for her chances to medal, since she will be giving away points to her major competitors in TES. She has two beautiful programs, however, and her skating costumes are also lovely. I share mrrice's hope that she’ll skate cleanly and well before her hometown folks.

Then let be what will be.

Not a big deal but she's at Santa Clara University, not San Jose State. I agree that it wouldn't have made any difference if she started college when she did, given her injury.

 

[klutzy]

I'd love for the U.S. to have a skater who can deliver on her potential--go Bradie!

Also, loved Parsifal's post on Polina. I don't think this is her season, but for someone coming off an injury and a growth spurt, she's come a long way since last summer. My realistic hope for her is that she gets back into the 60+ crowd on her SP. I think she does have other interests besides skating, but she's always been that way.

According to Wikipedia, Polina held off last year because there was concern that the bone bruise would lead to a navicular stress fracture, which could be career-ending. I know little about either that injury or the ins and outs of different jumps, but I wonder if that has something to do with the order in which Polina has retrained her jumps.

 

[ice coverage]

Thanks for the report! I'm not familiar with Drew Meekins. Could you please provide a little more info on him?

Quick answer for now. My (incomplete) understanding, FWIW:

Drew is a former Junior World pairs champion.
After retiring from competition, he has specialized in choreo/dance (off-ice dance)/movement/performance, etc.
Based at the World Arena. Works/has worked with skaters coached by TZ and Sappenfeld, for example.
Gives seminars with Katherine Hill, another movement specialist (who has been Max's choreographer this season, BTW).

Drew is one of Vincent's primary coaches. (Along with Tammy and Tom Z. Plus Christy now is on Team Vincent, in some capacity.)
Drew also is Vincent's former choreographer.​

---

ETA:

Oops. Hadn't see luckyguy's answer above.

Is Drew now officially listed somewhere as Mirai's "assistant coach"? Would make sense. Just wondering what exactly you saw.​

 

[synteis]

Karen's SP practice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmQtb84G8wk

Ashley's: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB72-AnHkxk

 

[luckyguy]

Quick answer for now. My (incomplete) understanding, FWIW:

Drew is a former Junior World pairs champion.
After retiring from competition, he has specialized in choreo/dance (off-ice dance)/movement/performance, etc.
Based at the World Arena. Works/has worked with skaters coached by TZ and Sappenfeld, for example.
Gives seminars with Katherine Hill, another movement specialist (who has been Max's choreographer this season, BTW).

Drew is one of Vincent's primary coaches. (Along with Tammy and Tom Z. Plus Christy now is on Team Vincent, in some capacity.)
Drew also is Vincent's former choreographer.​

---

ETA:

Oops. Hadn't see luckyguy's answer above.

Is Drew now officially listed somewhere as Mirai's "assistant coach"? Would make sense. Just wondering what exactly you saw.​

My source:

"Jeff Buttle and David Wilson gave her great material and really took her under their wings," Zakrajsek continued. "(Associate coach) Drew Meekins continues to enhance her performance quality, which is the other part of it. There's a great team working with Mirai."

http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2017...-targets-clean-triple-axel-for-olympic-season
The words assistant coach come from Lynn Rutherford, the author of the article, so I don't know if it is official.

EDIT
Oops: associate coach

 

[crazydreamer]

Karen's SP practice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmQtb84G8wk

Ashley's: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB72-AnHkxk

Both looking pretty good, IMO.

 

[Miss Ice]

Karen's SP practice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmQtb84G8wk

That 3Lo was so smooth. :eeking:

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Karen is one of those skaters who can have bad practices but still skate well in the event, unlike a lot of other women.

 

[synteis]

Starr Andrews: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu0mfTgZ514

I haven't seen her skate before, she has such long limbs. Really pretty spins and extension which I'm always weak for. A variety of arm variations, some of which I quite like.

 

[mrrice]

Karen is one of those skaters who can have bad practices but still skate well in the event, unlike a lot of other women.

True!!!! Some of them are the exact opposite. Angela Nikodinov was very good in rehearsal at Worlds in 2001 and I thought for sure that she was going to medal and she had an unfortunate LP and dropped from 3rd to 5th. I prefer a skater like Bradie who ( From what I hear ) looks good in practice as well.

She wasn't my favorite skater however, Michelle Kwan looked good at the events I saw her in 1999 and 2001. She rarely made a mistake and she always went "all-out" in the practice sessions.

 

[synteis]

She got 66.46+186.50 at PACS and had the highest score out of all the ladies at sectionals. Will be interesting to see how she does in the comp.

 

[synteis]

Mirai's: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdrkh0Bifgc

No practice dress this time but she looks focused, fierce and quite pleased by the end of it.

 

[R.D.]

True!!!! Some of them are the exact opposite. Angela Nikodinov was very good in rehearsal at Worlds in 2001 and I thought for sure that she was going to medal and she had an unfortunate LP and dropped from 3rd to 5th. I prefer a skater like Bradie who ( From what I hear ) looks good in practice as well.

She wasn't my favorite skater however, Michelle Kwan looked good at the events I saw her in 1999 and 2001. She rarely made a mistake and she always went "all-out" in the practice sessions.

I remember the morning of the Boston Worlds long program, Gracie Gold was looking SOLID in practice. Was she going to pull it off after all?

But I knew well before then that practices mean very little and are not necessarily strong predictors of how the performance will go, so...

 

[synteis]

Jackie Wong's Notes Abbrv. (http://www.rockerskating.com/news/2018/1/1/2018-us-championships-practice-notes)

Chen: 3T, 3Lz3T(ur,fall), 3Lz3T(ur?), runthru (3Lz3T(ur,2ft?), 3Lo, 2A), 3Lz(step), 3Lz2T, 3Lz3T, 3Lo, 3Lo(ur,fall), 3Lo, 3F(e), 1Lz, 3Lz, 3Lo, 3S2T, 3Lo, 3S2T, 2A, 3F(e?ur?), 3F(e,step), 3F

Tennell: 2A, 3T, 3Lo, 3Lz, 3Lz2T2Lo, 3Lz3T, 2A3T, runthru (3Lz3T, 2A, 3F, 2A3T, 3Lz2T2Lo, 3Lo, 3S)), 3S, 3Lz2T2Lo

Wagner: 2A, 3Lo, runthru (3F3T, 2A, 3Lo), 3Lo1/2Lo3S, 3F, 3Lo, 3F, 3Lo(ur), 3Lo, 3Lo, 3Lz(e?)

Nagasu: 3T, 3Lo, 3F3T(ur?), 3Lz3T(ur), 3S, 3A(ur,fall), 3A, 3A, 3F3T, 3Lo, runthru (3A(ur?), 3F3T(ur), 3Lo), 3T, 3F3T, 2A3T(ur?)2T

Karen continues to struggle in practice though looks better than yesterday, Nagasu is not as perfect as yesterday but still looks pretty good in practice, Wagner's looking fairly solid on jumps and Bradie continues to be very consistent. As far as I can tell, she hasn't fallen yet in official practice.

 

[sheetz]

Starr Andrews: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu0mfTgZ514

I haven't seen her skate before, she has such long limbs. Really pretty spins and extension which I'm always weak for. A variety of arm variations, some of which I quite like.

That's Starr singing. Eat your heart out Adam Rippon!

 

[kimi492]

Jackie Wong's Notes Abbrv. (http://www.rockerskating.com/news/2018/1/1/2018-us-championships-practice-notes)

Chen: 3T, 3Lz3T(ur,fall), 3Lz3T(ur?), runthru (3Lz3T(ur,2ft?), 3Lo, 2A), 3Lz(step), 3Lz2T, 3Lz3T, 3Lo, 3Lo(ur,fall), 3Lo, 3F(e), 1Lz, 3Lz, 3Lo, 3S2T, 3Lo, 3S2T, 2A, 3F(e?ur?), 3F(e,step), 3F

Tennell: 2A, 3T, 3Lo, 3Lz, 3Lz2T2Lo, 3Lz3T, 2A3T, runthru (3Lz3T, 2A, 3F, 2A3T, 3Lz2T2Lo, 3Lo, 3S)), 3S, 3Lz2T2Lo

Wagner: 2A, 3Lo, runthru (3F3T, 2A, 3Lo), 3Lo1/2Lo3S, 3F, 3Lo, 3F, 3Lo(ur), 3Lo, 3Lo, 3Lz(e?)

Nagasu: 3T, 3Lo, 3F3T(ur?), 3Lz3T(ur), 3S, 3A(ur,fall), 3A, 3A, 3F3T, 3Lo, runthru (3A(ur?), 3F3T(ur), 3Lo), 3T, 3F3T, 2A3T(ur?)2T

Karen continues to struggle in practice though looks better than yesterday, Nagasu is not as perfect as yesterday but still looks pretty good in practice, Wagner's looking fairly solid on jumps and Bradie continues to be very consistent. As far as I can tell, she hasn't fallen yet in official practice.

Watching Mirai's runthru - that 3A for sure is rotated not sure why Jackie was questioning it

 

[Miss Ice]

Ashley's choreo from the SP looks exactly like that evil chick's from the Ice Princess movie. I think her name is Zoe Bloch.

 

[lavoix]

Ashley's LP left me underwhelmed.