2010-11 US Pairs

[Sylvia]

Wonder what's going on with McBru these days?
McLaughlin/Brubaker’s next scheduled public skating appearance is the “Skate For Hope” benefit show on June 19th (Yankowskas/Coughlin is the other headliner pair) – link to the event thread in GSD: http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/showthread.php?t=73673

I posted the link to the May 30th Houston Chronicle article on Becky Bereswill starting pairs in the Bereswill/Young thread (http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/showpost.php?p=2776245&postcount=25) in GSD.

Here’s a Mark Ladwig article (June 8th): Hoping the Fairy tale will continue (http://figureskating.teamusa.org/news/2010/06/08/hoping-the-fairy-tale-will-continue/36420?ngb_id=3).

[HisWeirness]

Just copying over a post from the Grand Prix thread regarding Rockne Brubaker:
Then would Rockne's bye to 2011 Nationals still apply with a new partner?

No. He would have to qualify with a new partner through one of the 3 U.S. Sectionals in November in order to compete at 2011 Nationals. And he would have to find a new partner and register by the U.S. Nationals qualifying deadline of Sept. 1st (or is it August 31st?).

[Sylvia]

I checked online and September 1, 2010 is the application deadline for all skaters and teams that intend to compete in the U.S. Nationals qualifying system in the 2010-11 season (including those with byes to 2011 Nationals).

Thread in GSD where McLaughlin/Brubaker's split was officially announced on 6/22: http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/showthread.php?t=74035

[Polymer Bob]

That's a little over 2 months. Not much time. :(

EDIT : But if I understand the convoluted Grand Prix rules, it's still possible in theory for Rockne to find another partner and skate in the GP, thereby preserving his bye to Nationals.

[HisWeirness]

EDIT : But if I understand the convoluted Grand Prix rules, it's still possible in theory for Rockne to find another partner and skate in the GP, thereby preserving his bye to Nationals.
In theory yes, but in reality, it is impossible because he would have had to have partnered with someone American and amazing with an established elite reputation that "clicked" well with him from the start back in February, then put together programs, train, and have great summer results to probably be even considered as a TBA pick for Skate America. I doubt that any other GP federation would have picked the new pair for a partnership.

From what I understand, a GP assignment is not an automatic Nationals bye. There needs to be a conflict with regionals/sectionals and/or a special bye given by USFSA.

[haribobo]

Eh, not impossible. Just highly improbable. If he already has been working with a new partner that we don't know about yet, and they use last year's programs so only she would have to learn them.......who knows....

[Sylvia]

Byes to 2011 Nationals (top 5 at 2010 Nationals):
Denney/Barrett S1 (NHK & Skate America)
Evora/Ladwig S2 (China & Russia)
Inoue/Baldwin S3 (NHK)

Projected Byes to 2011 Nationals (GP timing conflict):
Yankowskas/Coughlin S6 (China)
Britney Simpson/Nathan Miller J2 (Russia)

Scheduled currently to compete at Sectionals (known teams):
Amanda Dobbs/Joseph Jacobsen S7 (Coasts)
Tiffany Vise/Don Baldwin S8 (Mids or Coasts)
Molly Aaron/Daniyel Cohen S9 (Coasts or Easterns)
Marissa Castelli/Simon Shnapir S10 (Skate Canada; Easterns)
Kendra Moyle/Steven Pottenger S13 (Mids)
Lisa Moore/Justin Gaumond S15 (Mids or Coasts)
Chloe Katz/Joseph Lynch S-wd (Easterns)
Felicia Zhang/Taylor Toth J1 (Easterns)
Erika Choi Smith/Nathan Bartholomay J3 (Easterns)
Brittany Chase/Grant Marron J6 (Mids or Coasts)
Gretchen Donlan/Andrew Speroff J8 (Easterns or Mids)
Lindsay Davis/Themi Leftheris (new team; Coasts)
Becky Bereswill/Trevor Young (new team; Mids)

There are currently 2 TBA pair spots at Skate America and an unknown number of Senior B pair spots.

[Polymer Bob]

From what I understand, a GP assignment is not an automatic Nationals bye. There needs to be a conflict with regionals/sectionals and/or a special bye given by USFSA.

I'm not sure. Officially, those are the rules. But I have heard that there is some unofficial policy that skaters with 2 GP events are not forced to do regionals / sectionals. Of course, one exception proves me wrong.

[HisWeirness]

I'm not sure. Officially, those are the rules. But I have heard that there is some unofficial policy that skaters with 2 GP events are not forced to do regionals / sectionals. Of course, one exception proves me wrong.
Yeah, that is the special bye/exception I mentioned. I remember in past seasons it was given for having to travel internationally to GPs or Senior Bs. I think 2 GPs almost always gets one out of qualifying for nationals because of the excessive travel conflicts.

[Polymer Bob]

I have been racking my brain here trying to figure out how Rockne can keep his bye to Nationals. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any way.

[gkelly]

He can't keep the bye he and Keauna earned for placing in the top 5 at 2010 Nationals.

He would have to earn a new bye for a different reason if he were to have one with a new partner. As you note, that's unlikely this year, considering that a new partnership doesn't exist yet.

[haribobo]

I have been racking my brain here trying to figure out how Rockne can keep his bye to Nationals. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any way.

:lol::wall::P:rofl:

[Sylvia]

I've been informed about a new Junior pair team: Lauren Gifford and Craig Norris, coached by Todd Sand and Jenni Meno in southern California. Gifford was 4th in Novice Pairs at Nationals 2 years ago and 10th in Novice this past season with Timothy LeDuc. Norris was 5th in Novice Pairs at Pacific Coast Sectionals this past season with Madeline Aaron. Gifford/Norris are a mirror pair (Norris rotates clockwise) and they have one year of ISU Junior age-eligiblity this season (he is 20).

It's difficult right now to predict how the Junior Pairs field will look at Sectionals because some of the Novice pairs that are competing Junior this summer (looking for a JGP assignment) may drop back down to Novice for Sectionals, like several teams did last season.

Carman/Reiss J5 (Coasts last year)
Cain/Reagan N1 (Mids)
Garza/Frazier N3 (Coasts last year; training in CO)
Duarte/Grafton N4 (Easterns last year; training in CO now)
Oltmanns/Santillan N6 (Mids last year; he belongs to a Coasts club)
Guterres/Schumann N7 (Coasts)
Agster/Civiello N8 (Coasts)
Sowa/Leenen N9 (Easterns)

New Junior teams known so far:
H. Denney/O'Shea (Easterns; he belongs to a Mids club)
Andrews/LeDuc (Mids)
Bautista/Harris (Coasts or Easterns; training in MA)
Gifford/Norris (Mids or Coasts; training in CA)

[smurfy]

I am bummed like everyone else about Rockne and Keauna - they had so much potential to me and was looking forward to their future.
I do enjoy Caydee and Jeremy, but am now hoping that Evora & Ladwig are national champs this year - they have worked so hard and developed so much. Caydee & Jeremy can win in future years again.

[crzesk8dad]

I have been racking my brain here trying to figure out how Rockne can keep his bye to Nationals. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any way.

Nope...no way. The bye goes bye bye.