U.S. Sectionals (Eastern/Midwestern/Pacific Coast), Nov. 14-17, 2018

Dumb question: why was there an Eastern sectional jr dance when there were only three and now two teams? I guess they all elected to compete?

Was asking because Gunter/Wein now having their season ended. :(
 
I've no idea why each team really chose to compete, but I'd assume because the teams wanted the competition experience. The Greens haven't been able to compete since June. And the Browns are only debuting in Juniors this season and can probably use all the experience, feedback, and exposure they can get. Also, I'm sure all the teams have been working hard & might like to show that hard work to a judging panel before we get to Nationals? Gunter & Wein still had some work to do after their last JGP. It wouldn't have been a bad idea for them to share what they've done. A shame that we won't get a chance to see it.
 
At least this is the last season of all these crazy small dance and pairs fields and half or more of the teams taking byes to Nationals. Next season with pairs and dance all competing at one sectional together like how Challenge in Canada happens now, teams will have to compete and place top 12 to move on. Doesn't sound like it will be optional to compete even if there are less than 12 teams. Should've happened a long time ago, really. And we have a much better chance of seeing that comp broadcast, since the exhibitions have been left out of our coverage, sadly.
 
Thursday, November 15 Combined Event Schedule -- all start times are Eastern time:

8:05 AM EASTERNS Juvenile Dance / Free Dance
8:20 AM MIDS Intermediate Men / Short Program
8:30 AM MIDS Juvenile Dance / P1: U.S. Willow Waltz
9:20 AM MIDS Juvenile Dance / P2: U.S. Tango Fiesta
9:35 AM EASTERNS Intermediate Dance / Free Dance
10:00 AM MIDS Intermediate Ladies / Short Program
10:50 AM EASTERNS Novice Pairs / Short Program
11:00 AM PACS Juvenile Girls / Free Skate
11:25 AM MIDS Novice Men / Short Program
11:55 AM EASTERNS Novice Dance / Free Dance
12:05 PM MIDS Juvenile Pairs / Free Skate
12:25 PM PACS Juvenile Boys / Free Skate
12:45 PM EASTERNS Junior Dance / Free Dance (NBC Sports Gold)
1:35 PM EASTERNS Junior Pairs / Short Program (NBC Sports Gold)
1:35 PM MIDS Intermediate Dance / P1: Rocker Foxtrot
1:50 PM PACS Juvenile Dance / Free Dance
2:05 PM MIDS Intermediate Dance / P2: European Waltz
2:45 PM EASTERNS Intermediate Men / Short Program
2:10 PM EASTERNS Senior Pairs / Short Program (NBC Sports Gold)
2:55 PM PACS Intermediate Ladies / Free Skate
3:45 PM MIDS Novice Ladies / Short Program
3:55 PM MIDS Novice Dance / P1: Starlight Waltz
4:15 PM EASTERNS Intermediate Ladies / Free Skate
4:25 PM MIDS Novice Dance / P2: U.S. Paso Doble
4:25 PM PACS Intermediate Men / Free Skate
5:20 PM MIDS Junior Ladies / Short Program (NBC Sports Gold)
5:50 PM EASTERNS Novice Ladies / Short Program
5:55 PM PACS Intermediate Dance / Free Dance
6:05 PM MIDS Intermediate Pairs / Free Skate
6:35 PM PACS Junior Dance / Rhythm Dance (NBC Sports Gold)
7:05 PM MIDS Junior Men / Short Program (NBC Sports Gold)
7:15 PM PACS Novice Pairs / Free Skate
7:25 PM EASTERNS Novice Men / Short Program
7:55 PM PACS Senior Ladies / Short Program (NBC Sports Gold)
9:50 PM PACS Senior Men / Short Program (NBC Sports Gold)
 
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Eric Prober just landed 3A (solo jump), 3F+2T & 2A in his Easterns Novice Men SP to "Give Me Love" and scored 60.17 - an impressive way to start the event! He is coached by Aaron Gillespie and John Kerr.
 
Eric Prober just landed 3A (solo jump), 3F+2T & 2A in his Easterns Novice Men SP to "Give Me Love" and scored 60.17 - an impressive way to start the event! He is coached by Aaron Gillespie and John Kerr.

Holy moly! And I'd never considered that there could be a 3A and a 2A in the same short program. Never seen two axel-type jumps in the same SP, before, so that's pretty cool.
 
Livvy Shilling just skated a great, high energy SP to "One Night Only" (3F+2T, 2A, 3Lo) and seemed overwhelmed to hear her 60.50 score!

Meanwhile at Easterns, young Ilia Malinin just skated a sensitive SP to "Bring Him Home" (3Lz, 3T+3T, 2A) and is in 2nd place.
 
Livvy Shilling just crushed it in the SP at Pacs, landing all her jumps, and showing more energy and spunk than anyone in the modern era. Very fun to One Night Only by Jennier Hudson. Scored 60.
 
Sierra Venetta followed Shilling with 61.80! She skated elegantly and confidently to a famous Beethoven(?) piano concerto. ETA that her jumps were 3Lz+2T, 3Lo & 2A.
 
I just watched most of Eastern intermediate mens. I had no clue you could watch free until today. The video quality is so good on my Kindle Fire! IceNetwork never worked for me.
 
Who just skated to Luck Be A Lady at Pacific Coast?
Brynne McIsaac is being coached at Pacific Coasts by Derrick Delmore. She's still based in Colorado Springs with Zakrajsek & Co.

Alysa Liu will skate first in the last group; Akari Nakahara will be 3rd and Liza Kulik will skate last.
 
Here's the line-up of the last flight of ladies at Pac Coast Sectionals - very excited to see Alysa Liu, since there's so much buzz about her. And, of course, the last skater is Katya Gordeeva & Ilya Kulik's daughter.


10 Alysa Liu, St. Moritz ISC
11 Chelsea Mischuk, All Year FSC
12 Akari Nakahara, All Year FSC
13 Avery Kurtz, Winterhawks FSC
14 Elizaveta Kulik, Glacier Falls FSC
 
Here's the line-up of the last flight of ladies at Pac Coast Sectionals - very excited to see Alysa Liu, since there's so much buzz about her. And, of course, the last skater is Katya Gordeeva & Ilya Kulik's daughter.


10 Alysa Liu, St. Moritz ISC
11 Chelsea Mischuk, All Year FSC
12 Akari Nakahara, All Year FSC
13 Avery Kurtz, Winterhawks FSC
14 Elizaveta Kulik, Glacier Falls FSC
Alysa is a dynamo Good skate. That 3A looked big
 
I've no idea why each team really chose to compete, but I'd assume because the teams wanted the competition experience. The Greens haven't been able to compete since June. And the Browns are only debuting in Juniors this season and can probably use all the experience, feedback, and exposure they can get. Also, I'm sure all the teams have been working hard & might like to show that hard work to a judging panel before we get to Nationals? Gunter & Wein still had some work to do after their last JGP. It wouldn't have been a bad idea for them to share what they've done. A shame that we won't get a chance to see it.

Well, I suspect it wasn't injury as they could have just wiggled a little on the ice and gotten a few points just to qualify. And as it turns out we'll see them no more... :(
 
I find Akari Nakahara to be a very appealing skater - she's in 3rd with 61.18 (Rippon 3F, 2A, 3S+2T, nice spirals).

I think that's Agnes Zawadzki who is helping Christy Krall with her students (Shilling, Avery Kurtz) here.

ETA: Katia Gordeeva is with her daughter here (like she was at SWP Regionals).
 
Kudos to Tkachenko & Kiliakov for winning novices at Eastern Sectionals. That had to have been a tough battle against Lin & Sletten as both teams won events on the North American Champions Series this summer.

And as it turns out we'll see them no more... :(

Sigh. This has been such a rough year for losing ice dance teams.
 

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