2020-21 U.S. Pairs Figure Skating
- Thread starter skylark
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- Feb 27, 2012
2019-20 was the first season together for Brynne McIsaac and Mark Sadusky -- and it also was Brynne's first season ever as a pair skater.
They just barely missed reaching the minimum TES for 2020 Nats, or else they would have qualified in Senior Pairs.
It's great that they qualified for 2021 Nats.
Brynne previously had been known as a singles skater. For example:
- Her Nats experience includes two years in Senior Ladies.
- At 2018 Philadelphia International, Brynne won the bronze in Senior Ladies. (BTW, Katie McBeath won the gold, and our mutual favorite Akari Nakahara won the silver. I liked everyone on this podium.)
- At 2018 Philadelphia International, Brynne won the bronze in Senior Ladies. (BTW, Katie McBeath won the gold, and our mutual favorite Akari Nakahara won the silver. I liked everyone on this podium.)
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
It's one thing to expect excellence every time out, and another to recognize what a difficult sport this is, especially pairs skating. We don't get 'excellence' every time out. We get athletes striving to improve and to do their best. Some reach the next level. Others do not, but for those that don't make it to achieving all the goals they dreamed of, at least they strived and battled in the arena of competitive sport! It's more often about the journey, not the destination.
And in any case, Calalang/Johnson are a superb team despite their weakness on sbs jumps. Yes it can be frustrating to see them not perform the jumps well when they are world class on everything else. But if it's frustrating for us, imagine what it feels like for them. I just hope they figure out this particular bugaboo, because it's not as if they can't jump and land successfully. We've seen them do it. They came in first in the fp at 2020 Nationals with a perfect performance. Their brilliant talent demands our respect. Patience and support should be offered for what they are trying to improve on.
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- Sep 1, 2020
They partnered sometime in 2019 I believe. Both were excellent singles skaters prior to partnering for pairs competition. They started out in training under Evora/Peterson in Florida. When Jim and Amanda moved to Detroit, most of the teams they had went elsewhere. Brynne McIsaac and Mark Sadusky moved to Colorado to train under Sappenfield. I don't know who Sappenfield's many former teams are training with now. Does anyone else know?
Last year McIsaac/Sadusky tried to qualify for a trip to Nationals, but were lowballed on the scores, IMO. While they were both new to pairs,* they had obvious great chemistry and were entertaining, and they competed well enough to not get cut off. I was gutted for them because they clearly wanted to make it to Nationals so bad last season. Skaters need the opportunity to compete in order to improve. It looks like they took last season's disappointment in stride and kept working hard.
Mark looks tight and nervous sometimes on the jumps. But he was a good singles skater, so he definitely can jump. He needs to relax and not worry so much about his partner and syncing. Just relax and jump and gain some confidence, and then worry about making any syncing adjustments when you get landing consistently under your belt. This type of worry about syncing with partner is what seems to cause pairs sbs jumps so much hiccoughs.
*As @ice coverage points out below, only Brynne was new to pairs...
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- Sep 1, 2020
Well, maybe for Meagan jumps came easier. I believe perfecting the 3-twist is extremely difficult for every team. It takes a long time to get it consistent for most teams. Some teams excel at the twist more than others, for a variety of reasons. I believe @skylark pointed out one of the difficulties Kayne/O'Shea had with Tarah rotating too quickly as she was being lofted into the air, so that always reduced the height she got. Trying to correct that tendency is extremely difficult.
There are obviously so many factors involved in doing every pair element well, particularly twists and throws. I heard that death spirals are not easy to learn, but once you learn how to do it with a partner, practice generally makes perfect. It's rare to see teams flub death spirals, though of course it does happen probably due to a loss of focus or a rare problem with a blade catching. Or, in Timothy LeDuc's case, the barely noticeable dropping down of his pivot foot, which didn't cause any problems with the rotations or successful completion of their death spiral (at 2020 Nationals). So, IMO, they should have received some credit for that element!
All pair elements are difficult, but sbs jumps and 3-twist are probably the most difficult. Also some teams are better spinners than other teams. Another difficulty is syncing and developing chemistry and a consistent style that is compelling. Some teams have an advantage with already having chemistry together as soon as they pair up (e.g.., James/Cipres; Peng/Jin; Shen/Zhao; Tat/Max; Gordeeva/Grinkov; Meno/Sand; Tai/Randy; Belousova/Protopopov; Sale/Pelletier; Calalang/Johnson; Savchenko/Szolkowy; even McIsaac/Sadusky, albeit their chemistry is still a work-in-progress, but they're ahead of many teams in that aspect). It is something that really can't be taught. It has to develop, or else you have it already, or you fake it till you make it.
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- Sep 1, 2020
Where did anyone say Nate is 'stolid'? I remarked that he's a 'solid' pairs guy. If it read as 'stolid,' then that's a misprint!
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- Feb 27, 2012
In the 2019-20 season, McIsaac/Sadusky competed in Senior Pairs.
Below are the protocols from the Senior SP and Senior FS at the U.S. Pairs Final (in Nov 2019), where they had hoped to qualify for 2020 Nats.
Because I have looked up the links for the protocols, here are the exact numbers re missing the required TES minimum for Nats: Their TES total was 25.84 + 40.89 = 66.73, whereas the required TES minimum was 68.0.
Mark Sadusky was not new to pairs when Brynne McIsaac and he became partners.
For example, at 2019 Nats, Mark and a previous partner competed in Novice Pairs, placing fourth in the FS.
2019 GEICO U.S. Figure Skating Championships
Event Results for 2019 GEICO U.S. Figure Skating Championships
ijs.usfigureskating.org
2019 GEICO U.S. Figure Skating Championships
Event Results for 2019 GEICO U.S. Figure Skating Championships
ijs.usfigureskating.org
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- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
Thanks! I had corrected my previous post prior to your above post. I forgot that they started out in senior pairs. Both were very good singles skaters. I didn't realize that Mark had previously competed in novice pairs, so thanks for pointing that out. He must have competed in singles too while he was competing pairs as a novice. I thought he was strictly new to pairs when he teamed with Brynne. I believe Brynne's father posts on some of the forums sometimes.
Regarding McIsaac & Sadusky's scores at the qualifying comp last season, like I said, IMO, they were lowballed! Strictly lowballed to come that close and be cut off when they were clearly a good, but developing team. And, as I said, teams need to have that chance to compete in order to improve.
IMHO, Burden/Rounis have a lot of work to do, and while they attempted some difficulty and came close, they are slower than M/S were last season, and do not have great chemistry nor entertaining programs, which M/S did last season and still do! I think Burden/Rounis have a good look together, but they need to develop more speed and work on their form, strength, posture and presentation skills.
I understand that this season is completely different. But B/R are lucky to be going to Nationals, especially in comparison to M/S being so harshly cut off last season by just over a point and change. Hopefully, B/R will make the most of this rare opportunity, because they would have been odd couple out, had the cut off remained at five teams advancing.
Anyway, McIsaac/Sadusky are looking stronger and more confident. Plus, can't forget that diversity is in the forefront these days, instead of on the backburner
For anyone interested, if you have the old NBC Gold, last seasons qualifying comps are still available to watch until the end of December. I will probably go back and take a look.
Regarding McIsaac & Sadusky's scores at the qualifying comp last season, like I said, IMO, they were lowballed! Strictly lowballed to come that close and be cut off when they were clearly a good, but developing team. And, as I said, teams need to have that chance to compete in order to improve.
IMHO, Burden/Rounis have a lot of work to do, and while they attempted some difficulty and came close, they are slower than M/S were last season, and do not have great chemistry nor entertaining programs, which M/S did last season and still do! I think Burden/Rounis have a good look together, but they need to develop more speed and work on their form, strength, posture and presentation skills.
I understand that this season is completely different. But B/R are lucky to be going to Nationals, especially in comparison to M/S being so harshly cut off last season by just over a point and change. Hopefully, B/R will make the most of this rare opportunity, because they would have been odd couple out, had the cut off remained at five teams advancing.
Anyway, McIsaac/Sadusky are looking stronger and more confident. Plus, can't forget that diversity is in the forefront these days, instead of on the backburner
For anyone interested, if you have the old NBC Gold, last seasons qualifying comps are still available to watch until the end of December. I will probably go back and take a look.
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- Sep 1, 2020
Speaking of not having seen certain teams before, both Hanns/Garbutt and Burden/Rounis are newly formed teams. While I may have heard about their formation, I'd never seen either of these teams prior to what is probably their competitive debuts (except perhaps a clip of B/R in training).
Does anyone know if there is going to be a second round for the pairs. Or is just this one free skate all she wrote for pairs qualifying?
Also, who are Dalilah Sappenfield's former pairs teams training with these days? That includes AFAIK, M/S, Deardorff/Johnson, Digerness/Meyh, Fakhroutdinov/Neudecker, et al. I am especially interested to find out who D/J are training with. Don't tell me that it's Tom Z. I seemed to hear his voice in the background during D/J's performance!
Apparently, Digerness/Meyh and Fak/Neu are still training but Nica only got back to training recently since coming back from injury. Her partnership with Ian is brand new. Fak/Neu had been training for sometime under Sappenfield. I seriously believe it is going to be an adjustment for all of Sappenfield's former teams, which is unfortunate. What I mean is that they may have gotten used to her training and most teams perhaps thrived under the coaching expertise she does possess. (I don't know if any teams experienced problems otherwise, aside from the training).
Does anyone know if there is going to be a second round for the pairs. Or is just this one free skate all she wrote for pairs qualifying?
Also, who are Dalilah Sappenfield's former pairs teams training with these days? That includes AFAIK, M/S, Deardorff/Johnson, Digerness/Meyh, Fakhroutdinov/Neudecker, et al. I am especially interested to find out who D/J are training with. Don't tell me that it's Tom Z. I seemed to hear his voice in the background during D/J's performance!
Apparently, Digerness/Meyh and Fak/Neu are still training but Nica only got back to training recently since coming back from injury. Her partnership with Ian is brand new. Fak/Neu had been training for sometime under Sappenfield. I seriously believe it is going to be an adjustment for all of Sappenfield's former teams, which is unfortunate. What I mean is that they may have gotten used to her training and most teams perhaps thrived under the coaching expertise she does possess. (I don't know if any teams experienced problems otherwise, aside from the training).
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- Mar 14, 2007
As far as I know there were 6 pairs slots, 6 pairs submitted videos and all 6 are going to nationals. I’m sure someone will be along to correct me if I’m wrong. And clearly in my constant fear about Gracie I have missed something huge with Delilah Sappenfield, can someone just link it?
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- Sep 1, 2020
The last I heard, Sappenfield's skaters were told to stop training with her and find other coaches. That's why K/O left Colorado, albeit maybe there were some issues already for K/O and DSap prior to USFS's directive to Sappenfield's skaters. It has to do with a SafeSport investigation AFAIK. Again, I think USFS has blame to share in all of this ongoing unfortunate abuse allegations that the sport has surely been experiencing since forever. It's just that people are speaking out more. I think USFS had an opportunity to examine the problem in the 1990s and get way ahead of the issue and try to institute guidelines that might have prevented some of what we are seeing today on too regular a basis.
Again, does anyone hopefully have perhaps some answers to my previous queries?
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- Mar 14, 2007
Ok now I remember. The team who came so close to the minimum but didn’t make it. How is Akira doing?
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- Sep 1, 2020
Okay, it looks like pairs teams just get the one virtual opportunity (and just the free skate).
So, does anyone know who DSap's pairs teams are training with now? Is it just temporary for most teams until they settle on new coaches?
I feel that DSap's teams are going to have to make huge adjustments. For example, K/O decided to split completely (albeit there were additional factors involved other than the change from DSap). Finster/Nagy also split, but they needed to, as I think Kate needs a taller partner. I also feel sad for Deardorff/Johnson who are a much better team than they showed in the 2021 qualifying comp. They were second in juniors qualifying last season, and also I believe they were 2nd or 3rd in junior pairs at 2020 Nationals.
It looks like D/J tried for more difficulty in their senior debut. Perhaps they should have stayed with a familiar program if they wished to try out new difficulty. They weren't looking as solid and confident as they do normally. How much that can be attributed to a change in coaching, is a question. This definitely worries me because they were a very good looking team from the start who seemed to be making excellent progress under Sappenfield. D/J should have at least been in third behind Lockley/Prochnow at this recent qualifying comp. To come behind a newly formed team in Hanns/Garbutt is totally a result of missing that lift late in their program. Plus, it looked so awkward going up. I definitely think the tentative way D/J looked has a lot to do with not training under Sappenfield who brought them together and seemed to instill confidence in them from the beginning. Deardorff of course competed a couple of seasons in seniors with Max Settlage, prior to pairing with Mikhail Johnson (aka Gumbah) to compete first in juniors.
Another burning question is whether or not Nagy and Kayne are going to be partnering on the ice.
So, does anyone know who DSap's pairs teams are training with now? Is it just temporary for most teams until they settle on new coaches?
I feel that DSap's teams are going to have to make huge adjustments. For example, K/O decided to split completely (albeit there were additional factors involved other than the change from DSap). Finster/Nagy also split, but they needed to, as I think Kate needs a taller partner. I also feel sad for Deardorff/Johnson who are a much better team than they showed in the 2021 qualifying comp. They were second in juniors qualifying last season, and also I believe they were 2nd or 3rd in junior pairs at 2020 Nationals.
It looks like D/J tried for more difficulty in their senior debut. Perhaps they should have stayed with a familiar program if they wished to try out new difficulty. They weren't looking as solid and confident as they do normally. How much that can be attributed to a change in coaching, is a question. This definitely worries me because they were a very good looking team from the start who seemed to be making excellent progress under Sappenfield. D/J should have at least been in third behind Lockley/Prochnow at this recent qualifying comp. To come behind a newly formed team in Hanns/Garbutt is totally a result of missing that lift late in their program. Plus, it looked so awkward going up. I definitely think the tentative way D/J looked has a lot to do with not training under Sappenfield who brought them together and seemed to instill confidence in them from the beginning. Deardorff of course competed a couple of seasons in seniors with Max Settlage, prior to pairing with Mikhail Johnson (aka Gumbah) to compete first in juniors.
Another burning question is whether or not Nagy and Kayne are going to be partnering on the ice.
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- Mar 14, 2007
All “virtual sectionals” were just the free. Ladies, men’s, pairs and I have to assume dance though the dance videos are not up yet.
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- Feb 27, 2012
Burden/Rounis already had competed in the summer at Cup of Colorado and at Colorado Springs Invitational. Both events were in-person competitions.
(Deardorff/Johnson and McIsaac/Sadusky also competed at both Colorado events.)
If(?) you are assuming that no one has remained with Sappenfield, I do not agree with that assumption.
It would appear that some of Sappenfield's elite pairs have continued to train with her -- based on extremely recent Instastory/Instagram content both from the skaters and from her.
IIRC, among them are McIsaac/Sadusky, Deardorff/Johnson, Burden/Rounis, Digerness/Meyh.
(To be clear: I am not an expressing an opinion on what the skaters should or should not be doing.)
Off topic:
I think you probably saw that Akari received a USFS scholastic award at a presentation in the arena at 2020 Nats.
Later I had the good fortune to bump into Akari and her mother near the Greensboro practice rink, and of course they both were as sweet as ever.
Although AFAIK Akari does not have social media accounts of her own, I seem to recall seeing elsewhere on social media that she graduated from high school this year. I never have come across any 2020 updates on her skating career.
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- Mar 14, 2007
Well how did I miss you in Greensboro? Akira may not have social media but her mother does. My skate was apparently the first skate she had signed and her mother took a picture of it and posted the picture.
So to bring this back to topic...why did F/N “have to” split? I loved their Nationals performance in Greensboro. This season has been crazy unstable even for US pairs. Junior champions split. Senior champions split. Senior bronze medalists split. No wonder we never get anywhere.
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- Sep 1, 2020
Well, good if some pairs teams likely are still training with Sappenfield then. Still, an adjustment due to all the distractions, as well as this crazy season. I still think D/J were trying for more difficulty and probably should have stuck with a more familiar program with some upgrades, thereby perhaps making the extra difficulty more easy to focus on without having to also learn a new program. However, I could be mistaken that their free is a completely new program. In any case, they didn't look as smooth and confident as they normally do. Plus that final lift looked very awkward on the entry. They should probably rethink how that is executed.
I can understand the difficulty for each and every team to stop training with Sappenfield. That's too abrupt in the middle of a season. Especially a season as strange as this one. US figure skating's directive was probably given as an advisement rather than a strict demand.
I can understand the difficulty for each and every team to stop training with Sappenfield. That's too abrupt in the middle of a season. Especially a season as strange as this one. US figure skating's directive was probably given as an advisement rather than a strict demand.
Yes, of course. US Figure skating has no legal basis to issue strict demands, at least until SafeSport investigfation is over.
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- Feb 27, 2012
Timothy LeDuc and Ashley Cain-Gribble contributed the closing number (starting at approx. 24:40) to Los Angeles FSC's virtual holiday ice show, posted on Dec 24.
Timothy is a member of LAFSC.
vimeo.com
(Disclaimer: I do not know whether the video of Ashley and Timothy already was available elsewhere. I think it was shot at one of the in-person shows at the Galleria rink in Dallas this year. The rink with the Christmas tree in the middle of it.)
Unrelated, but BTW, Ashley and Timothy gave some words of support to USFS synchro skaters.
Today USFS published a video including Junior Pairs highlights from Championship Series.
(Full Junior programs are being added to Peacock Premium this week. I do not know whether Junior Pairs have been added yet.)
moonvine, I do hope to meet you in person one day.
ETA:
Timothy is a member of LAFSC.
A Virtual Icestravganza 2020
This is "A Virtual Icestravganza 2020" by SkaterVideos on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.
vimeo.com
(Disclaimer: I do not know whether the video of Ashley and Timothy already was available elsewhere. I think it was shot at one of the in-person shows at the Galleria rink in Dallas this year. The rink with the Christmas tree in the middle of it.)
Unrelated, but BTW, Ashley and Timothy gave some words of support to USFS synchro skaters.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CI5-iSwlEXB/ (Dec 17)
Today USFS published a video including Junior Pairs highlights from Championship Series.
(Full Junior programs are being added to Peacock Premium this week. I do not know whether Junior Pairs have been added yet.)
moonvine, I do hope to meet you in person one day.
ETA:
Forgot to post today's new 54-minute podcast interview with Jessica Calalang:
(I have not had a chance to listen to it yet.)
Beyond The Rink: Beyond The Rink Episode 14 // Featuring Jessica Calalang on Apple Podcasts
Show Beyond The Rink, Ep Beyond The Rink Episode 14 // Featuring Jessica Calalang - 28 de dic. de 2020
podcasts.apple.com
(I have not had a chance to listen to it yet.)
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- Aug 12, 2014
Here's a fanzone article about the friendships of Ashley Cain-Gribble, Tim LeDuc and Amber Glenn. It's a very nice portrait of the on-ice and off-ice aspects. The article appeared on Dec. 15. It seems that few pairs partners even mention having disagreements during training. I like how Tim, in particular, brings into the light subjects that others are sometimes mum about.
Cain-Gribble and LeDuc say they have formed a sibling-like dynamic in their partnership, but admit they are like a work wife and work husband. With that, naturally comes conflict and disagreement from time to time. But, the important thing is, they resolve it peacefully.
usfigureskatingfanzone.com
Cain-Gribble and LeDuc say they have formed a sibling-like dynamic in their partnership, but admit they are like a work wife and work husband. With that, naturally comes conflict and disagreement from time to time. But, the important thing is, they resolve it peacefully.
Texas Teammates Ashley Cain-Gribble, Timothy LeDuc and Amber Glenn Are Squad Goals - U.S. Figure Skating
Any skater will know that lifelong friendships are born at the rink. It is natural for friendships to blossom when you spend so many hours training together in the
usfigureskatingfanzone.com
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