I have been following them through the past two seasons. I had the pleasure of seeing them in Lake Placid. They look so much younger than their years.... and really have a good music sense IMO. I can't wait until they are seniors. The US is really becoming a ice dance machine these past few years.
There's no guarantee that the Shibutanis will wind up competing for the US. They could follow the Reeds' example and compete for Japan.
Maia just turned 13, but because her birthday is after July 1, she is too young to compete internationally. It will be interesting to see which country they will compete for next year, when they will be eligible for the JGP.