Great Skaters that Never Qualified for Nationals

[Jenna]

Sophia Adams (SWP) definitely comes to mind. She is a fantastic skater. Gorgeous body line and posture. Great spinner and she is a good jumper when she's on too. Unfortunately, consistency has cost her a chance to compete at Nationals. Who are some others?

[Cheylana]

Tashe Smith on the West Coast comes to mind.

[leafygreens]

Katherine Healy. Suzanne MacDonald.

[OnyxRose81]

Maybe this is just me but if they can't get to Nationals, then are they really great skaters?

[Debbie S]

Maybe this is just me but if they can't get to Nationals, then are they really great skaters?

Depends on your definition of "great skaters". There are always the "beautiful skaters who can't jump" or skaters who are great when they're on, but are inconsistent. There are also skaters who are very good but have the misfortune of being in a crowded section (like Jeremy Abbott and Braden Overett in '06).

[bardtoob]

Do you mean specifically Sr. Nationals?

[Sylvia]

Suzanne MacDonald.

Suzanne McDonald (SC of New York) qualified for U.S. Nationals once -- as a Senior in 2004 (ETA: she placed 18th and was listed as "Suzy" in the official results).

I remember when Kayla Howey's name came up last season as someone who had consistently "come close" to qualifying for U.S. Nationals as a novice and junior but hadn't due to the depth/competitiveness of her regional and sectional. Well, she finally made it to Nationals as a Senior in 2010!

[Polymer Bob]

Maybe this is just me but if they can't get to Nationals, then are they really great skaters?

I was wondering about that myself.

[orbitz]

Maybe this is just me but if they can't get to Nationals, then are they really great skaters?

...and the majority of skaters that do make it to Nationals are indeed very good skaters in their own rights, but only an extremely rare few can be labeled as "great".

Also, skaters that don't make it to Nationals are too obscure for a large section of skating fans to know them about anyway.

[Jenna]

I was wondering about that myself.

Well, I competed against a lot of skaters in my day that I considered great. If you can land a triple jump, to me, that is certainly something to ride home about. Also, passing a senior free skate test is a fantastic achievement. Many skaters (most actually) work hard for decades to be able to have the chance to compete at the National Championships. The vast majority do not achieve this goal. However, as a skating mom myself, I see the blood, sweat, and tears that these young athletes pour into their sport for a slim chance at making it bigtime. So, in summary, I think there are also many "great" skaters that never qualified for nationals. JMO.

[leafygreens]

Suzanne McDonald (SC of New York) qualified for U.S. Nationals once -- as a Senior in 2004 (ETA: she placed 18th and was listed as "Suzy" in the official results).

Oh ok. I saw her, it must have been 2003, skating an exhibition at Rockefeller Center with the Ice Theatre. They announced her as an "apprentice" who was "first alternate to the U.S. Nationals." I guess that means she got 5th place at sectionals. So she must have gotten to Nationals the following year. I just remember her being a very elegant skater, as pretty much all Ice Theatre skaters are. I was surprised that at her level, she was "only" an apprentice, because she looked really good.

[2sk8]

Maybe this is just me but if they can't get to Nationals, then are they really great skaters?

Umm... IMHO, they very well could be GREAT skaters if they are from a country with a rela history/depth in figure skating like the US, Japan, Russia, etc. Not meaning to offend anyone, but such skaters are very likely better than many that make it Nationals in countries with less competitors -

[neptune]

I was just thinking--is there going to be another thread, "Terrible Skaters Who Never Qualified for Nationals"? I wonder if there were very many of those?

[leafygreens]

I was just thinking--is there going to be another thread, "Terrible Skaters Who Never Qualified for Nationals"? I wonder if there were very many of those?

Or "Terrible Skaters Who Did Qualify for Nationals" would be entertaining.

[pinky166]

Michaelee Scarincio.Well, this girl DID qualify for nationals, but the last time she went was in 2007 where she finished 10th in junior ladies, which was disappointing because many thought she had a shot at a medal. Since 2007 she's been hampered with a lot of injuries likely due to a big growthspurt and has recently given up competitive skating altogether, but she really was a very lovely skater back in the 05-06 and 06-07 seasons. What was really special about this skater was her ballet training, in addition to all the skating she took ballet lessons (at Ballet Regeant and then later Boston Ballet - not rink ballet classes) almost every day, and it's clearly visible in her skating. Her speed and super long legs also made her skating appear very elegant.

Here are some videos of Michaelee from 06-07:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpAQFsMYVBY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_s9v6...eature=related

Not the best jump technique and she didn't have all the triples yet, but I still find her a beautiful skater.

[Jenna]

Oh yes. Who could forget Michaelee? She was great. It's too bad her string of injuries hampered her career. I think she could've been very successful on the senior level.

[zaphyre14]

There's a big difference between "beautiful" and "great." At least in my book.

[Emmett]

How about Diane Deleuw (sp)- 1975 world champion who never made it out of southwest pacifics, or Susan Driano (forget which year in 1970's ) world bronze medalist who never made it out of Pacific Coast?

[orbitz]

Having seen utube performances of Dianne's 75 LP and at the World Pros, I definitely would not qualify her as a "great" skater.

[judgejudy27]

Having seen utube performances of Dianne's 75 LP and at the World Pros, I definitely would not qualify her as a "great" skater.

If an Olympic silver medalist and World Champion (regardless how she got those awards) is not a "great" skater then nobody who never qualified to even skate at Senior Nationals is.