U.S. Pairs 2018-19 season - News & Updates, Part IX

aftershocks

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D/F and S/B couldn't even get out of the SP and qualify for the LP leaving the Knierim's to have to fight to keeps spots.

Could we at least try to be positive and celebratory instead of resorting to immediate knee-jerk criticizing mode? Let's not forget that Haven Denney is lucky to be walking, much less being able to come back to athletic competition as a high level figure skater. I give Haven huge props for her courage, and I respect Brandon for sticking by her through thick and thin.

D/F have had a lot of ups-and-downs, but they deserve credit for their quality elements, particularly their world-class lifts, throws, and twist! They had very good programs this season, and they've made tremendous progress. They are back with the right coaching team for them and they are regaining their confidence. Part of the process will be demanding more respect from the judges, who did not give them full due on a stellar throw in the sp at 4CCs. What happened two years ago at Worlds for D/F has already been duly prosecuted and prognosticated. As fans, I don't think we should stay stuck there. No one should be pointing fingers by now, and not even at the time. Everyone involved handled it well and gave D/F full support and encouragement. In turn, D/F worked through the disappointment and they've continued working hard and pushing forward. They definitely have a lot more to offer as a team, and I enjoy watching them!

S/B performed very well at last year's Worlds and received a bit stingy marks in a deeper field than this year. Plus S/B just missed the fp cut-off, due to no fault of their own. It was poor rules by ISU and bad luck for S/B. In addition, coming off a 4CCs win last year, Kayne/O'Shea were unable to attend Worlds due to injury, so S/B went to Worlds as alternates. It's great S/B had that experience.
 
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semogal

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Not fond of K/O’s music choice. I guess more important to me is their choice of choreographer. Please don’t let this be an in house program
 

aftershocks

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^^ We don't yet know the exact cut of K/O's music choice. Hopefully, it will be a good selection and a cut that works well for them.
 

Skittl1321

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To me, it was tremendously good sportsmanship on the part of Cain/LeDuc to seemingly be as excited for having gained the two spots for the US Pairs as they were for themselves skating so well at Worlds. Great feelings for good people.
That was one of their stated goals going into world's...spots.

I remember Tim coming home from Jr. World's excited about having earned spots, even when he wouldn't be eligible for them anymore.

But of course, more spots also increases the chance they can go again next year...
 

Sylvia

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USFS has published the initial ISP list for the 2019-20 season and here are the 17 pairs:

Ashley Cain & Timothy LeDuc S1
Haven Denney & Brandon Frazier S2
Tarah Kayne & Danny O’Shea S4
Jessica Calalang & Brian Johnson S5
Audrey Lu & Misha Mitrofanov S6
Alexa Scimeca-Knierim & Chris Knierim S7
Nica Digerness & Danny Neudecker S8
Erika Smith & AJ Reiss S9
Allison Timlen & Justin Highgate-Brutman S12
Sarah Feng & TJ Nyman
Laiken Lockley & Keenan Prochnow J1

ISU Junior age-eligible in 2019-20:
Kate Finster & Balazs Nagy J2
Isabelle Martins & Ryan Bedard J3
Grace Knoop & Blake Eisenach J5
Isabelle Goldstein & Keyton Bearinger N1
Cate Fleming & Jedidiah Isbell N2
Anastasiia Smirnova & Danil Siianytsia N3

Notably missing (no public announcement yet, AFAIK):
Deanna Stellato & Nathan Bartholomay S3

USFS recently sponsored a pairs tryout camp in Dallas and here is a group photo from Katie McBeath's IG: https://www.instagram.com/p/BvpQrlbHXRU/

Deanna S. is there (4th from the right) so hopefully this means she may be continuing? Danny O'Shea and Brandon Frazier also were there - presumably to assist the female skaters who are new to pairs.
 
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Sylvia

TBD
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Posted in this thread back on Feb. 13:
Sad to see Winter Deardorff [S10] on icepartnersearch. I thought she and Max Settlage had potential.
Also looks like Matt Rounis and Ainsley Peterson [J6] have split as they are both on icepartnersearch now.

Not currently listed in ISP are these 4 5 teams:

Chelsea Liu / Ian Meyh S11 - she turned 19 this past December and he will be 19 in May
Olivia Serafini / Mervin Tran S13 - they are still skating together in Montreal
ETA: Jessica Pfund / Joshua Santillan - WD from Nationals; they are back training on the ice for the new season

Maria Mokhova / Ivan Mokhov J4 - she's 12 and he's 20
Sarah Rose / Jim Garbutt J7 (split) - he's 21 and attended the pairs tryout camp in Dallas; she will turn 18 next week and posted on her Instagram (private) March 22 - a excerpt: "So thankful for all that this sport has given me. I’ll never forget the people I’ve met and the places I’ve been." Rose also shared several throwback photos with her former partner Joseph Goodpaster with whom she placed 6th of 10 in Pairs at the 2016 Youth Olympics in Norway and won a Mixed NOC Team event gold medal.
 
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pairskatingfan

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Posted in this thread back on Feb. 13:



Not currently listed in ISP are these 4 teams:

Chelsea Liu / Ian Meyh S11 - she turned 19 this past December and he will be 19 in May
Olivia Serafini / Mervin Tran S13 - they are still skating together in Montreal.

Curious how Liu/ Meyh did not get placed in the ISP even though they placed above Timlen and Highgate-Brutman.
I assume that if Serafini and Tran skate well in the early season they can get added as well. Is there anybody moving up from Juniors or anybody else in Seniors that could even get added this year? Seems like they added pretty much everybody to the ISP.

6 Junior eligible teams should mean that we see 2 pairs at each jgp with 2 events each, I would think. With 11 ISP teams and 5 Challenger series events (11 total spots.. I think? [add'l spot at Salt Lake]) It will be interesting to see how the CS events get split up.

Anybody have any good ideas for who Deanna would skate with? I can't come up with anybody.
 

olympic

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Did I miss something? Are S/B throwing in the towel? Why else would they not be in the envelope??
 

aftershocks

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Notably missing (no public announcement yet, AFAIK):
Deanna Stellato & Nathan Bartholomay S3

Deanna S. is there (4th from the right) so hopefully this means she may be continuing?

What is meant? Is this an indication that somehow Nate has decided not to continue and it's well known behind-the-scenes, but no one knows Deanna's plans?

Nothing relevant on Nate's Instagram. This is from January 6:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsUTg29H1Uc/
And his latest post is about playing frisbee with his dog

Maria Mokhova / Ivan Mokhov J4 - she's 12 and he's 20

:eek:

If they stay together, he's going to age out, and she won't be able to compete in seniors simultaneously to his aging out.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BvpQrlbHXRU/

Deanna S. is there (4th from the right) so hopefully this means she may be continuing? Danny O'Shea and Brandon Frazier also were there - presumably to assist the female skaters who are new to pairs.

Did Danny O'Shea decide to completely shave his head, à la tennis great Andre Agassi?!
 
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aftershocks

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... Jim Garbutt J7 (split) - he's 21 and attended the pairs tryout camp in Dallas;

jkl said:
... see Winter Deardorff [S10] on icepartnersearch...

Anybody have any good ideas for who Deanna would skate with? I can't come up with anybody.

jkl said:
... looks like Matt Rounis and Ainsley Peterson [J6] have split ...

At least four people in need of partners... So shouldn't there be a lot of tryouts happening? Umm, if suited, perhaps Deanna with Rounis, and Deardorff with Garbutt, or vice versa. Alas, I know pairs matching up is never as simple as that. Hopefully good news will come out of the pairs tryout camp.

Blasts from the past:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyGO2lI3iKE Matt Rounis with Meiryla Findley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gj86HA-RiNE Deanna Stellato with Nate B at their first U.S. Natls

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TihkqNFFe7I Jim Garbutt with Sarah Rose

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47YBMS2gttE Winter Deardorff with Max Settlage
 

her grace

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6 Junior eligible teams should mean that we see 2 pairs at each jgp with 2 events each, I would think.

There's only 4 JGP events with pairs so if all 6 got two assignments (but this is USFS, so :rofl:), they would have to send 3 teams to each event. But USFS loves to waste pair spots, using like 5 total instead. Hopefully, USFS will use at least 3 at the home event in Lake Placid. In years past, hosts could send an unlimited number of teams, so if USFS wanted to save costs, they could send all 6 to the host event. Not that they would choose to do that. :slinkaway
 

Ardarys

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If Deanna and Nate are done, I really, really hope she can find a partner to match her, though I can’t think of any right now. I think she adds something so cool and exciting to US pairs (and, because she’s my age, it makes me feel less old) — I love seeing her out there still, but I never felt that she and Nate were particularly well matched
 

aftershocks

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Maybe someone from another country?

Right, that thought crossed my mind too. Good luck to her. It seems as if (likely due to ubiquitous social media gossip and rumor mill) many skaters prefer to be radio silent about their plans and choices these days, unless they have a specific reason to advertise and promote. I don't blame them.
 

AngieNikodinovLove

Frangi & Piazza & Paul & Hektor & Theo. Oh My! 😝
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Kayne/O'Shea have announced that their new LP will be to Les Miserables.

https://twitter.com/TarahKayne/status/1109142329053474817?s=19

Aside from "Take Me To Church" they just love a warhorse.

@oleada Im a bit behind in this thread for some reason. I just saw what you posted after I posted.... Totally agree....

I dont get it.. if I had the talent to be an elite figure skater there would just be NO way in h - e - double hockey sticks Im coming out there to Carmen or POTO or Les Mis. Id be serving you all Michelle Kwan / Lori Nichol material hennnneyyyyy.

Maybe even some of Ru's "Sissy That Walk" or "Freaky Money" but a warhorse.... child......
 
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Spun Silver

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If Deanna and Nate are done, I really, really hope she can find a partner to match her, though I can’t think of any right now. I think she adds something so cool and exciting to US pairs (and, because she’s my age, it makes me feel less old) — I love seeing her out there still, but I never felt that she and Nate were particularly well matched
It would be fitting if Rockne Brubaker came out of retirement to skate with her. 😍
 

aftershocks

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^is she though? Is she young enough to start over?

Upthread @Sylvia (post #488) already indicated that Deanna was at a recent pairs try-out camp in Dallas. And Deanna's Instagram message expresses that she wants to continue competing. I wouldn't bet against her being able to do anything she sets her mind on doing. :) I wish her good luck in finding a good partner!
 

aftershocks

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^^ I mean hella for sure. Did anyone forget already Deanna's fierceness in her performances at 2019 U.S. Nats?! Lady means bizness! And Deanna certainly spoke up and said exactly what was on her mind when the clueless press assembled at the pairs fp conference failed to ask her & Nate more questions. Deanna has sumpin' to say alright. :D

Nagging injuries can prevent skaters from performing the way they want and achieving the goals they don't want to settle for less than. So that's surely a big reason for Nate taking a step back (and he cited nagging injury in his Instagram statement). I wouldn't be surprised if injuries (or finances) also played a role in Max Settlage not continuing. I have truly enjoyed Max and Winter every time I've seen them skate. :encore:

Please note that Joshua Santillan and Jessica Pfund are planning to continue competing. Both of them have been injured and that's why they missed the recent U.S. Nationals. Due to being injured and rehabilitating, Josh hasn't been able to work, which has caused financial setbacks for them, including loss of funding from USFS. But they are committed to continuing their training and giving themselves a chance to work toward the 2022 Olympics. Josh posts on his Twitter that he and Jessica have updated their GoFundMe, and they are grateful to everyone who can donate, send words of support, and/or share his post. :saint:

https://twitter.com/joshesantillan/status/1113830514656522242
 
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AxelAnnie

Like a small boat on the ocean...
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What is Nate needing a "speedy recovery" from? Did I miss some news about an injury?

There is something wonky in all of this. I read a few weeks after US Nats that Deanna was quitting so she could be with her husband.

Then we hear Nate is retiring.

Shortly after that, we hear he is "taking time off to heal an ankle injury".

I hope she finds a great partner STAT! I really liked them.
 

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