2019-20 U.S. Regional Singles & Sectional Pairs/Dance Challenges (spanning October 2019)

[Sylvia]

ETA: OK, so I was confused about the sched. There are 19 skaters in Senior (I could have sworn there were only 18 in the initial start order) so there are 4 groups and i assume an ice cut after the 2nd group, which just started.

I also recall 18 being listed after yesterday's FS draw even though 19 had competed in the SP. I think another FS draw must have taken place because the order of the final group seems to have changed from when I posted yesterday.

In any case, here's the link to the FS "live" scores: https://www.usfigureskating.org/leaderboard/results/2020/27725/CAT029SEG024.html

 

[Debbie S]

Beautiful skating by Julia Biechler. Even if the music was Love Story. I hope she can hang on to qualify for Easterns.

One more skater and then the final group!

 

[Debbie S]

Final group just announced. Standing room only in here. Gracie looking tiffed. And focused. Go Gracie!

ETA: Big 2A from Gracie. Nice 3Lo. Jill Heiner also looking good. Gracie 3Z-2T. And a 3F.

 

[sk8nlizard]

I'm here in Aston. Just had a sandwich since I figured I'd eat while there are still seats on the bleachers in Rink 1, lol. Watching the first group from the snack bar. It's bedlam in the lobby but pretty quiet here, lol. I'd like to see a skater I used to skate with in Junior Ladies but i'm thinking the timing is not going to cooperate so I may just go straight to Rink 1.

ETA: OK, so I was confused about the sched. There are 19 skaters in Senior (I could have sworn there were only 18 in the initial start order) so there are 4 groups and i assume an ice cut after the 2nd group, which just started.

I would double check about the ice cut...I haven’t been to many regionals that follows ice cuts at ki

Final group just announced. Standing room only in here. Gracie looking tiffed. And focused. Go Gracie!

ETA: Big 2A from Gracie. Nice 3Lo. Jill Heiner also looking good. Gracie 3Z-2T. And a 3F.

I hope that Gracie just does a few triples, she doesn’t need to attempt a 7 triple programs and doubles count in the long where they don’t in the short. Just get her levels for everything else. I am really pulling for her...

 

[Debbie S]

@sk8nlizard There was an ice cut after 2nd group in both Junior and Senior Ladies. I believe it's a USFS rule if there are 4 groups.

 

[Carolla5501]

I would double check about the ice cut...I haven’t been to many regionals that follows ice cuts at ki

I hope that Gracie just does a few triples, she doesn’t need to attempt a 7 triple programs and doubles count in the long where they don’t in the short. Just get her levels for everything else. I am really pulling for her...

Honestly I don’t think she came back to be a second-tier skater. Maybe I’m wrong and she’ll be thrilled to be coming forth and barely make it that I’d be surprised if that’s going to make her happy.


I’m really curious if she would be allowed to come in fifth or sixth. Or if she will be held up because of her past history. Or conversely her past history could work against her. It’s hard to tell with judges

 

[ZilphaK]

Final group just announced. Standing room only in here. Gracie looking tiffed. And focused. Go Gracie!

ETA: Big 2A from Gracie. Nice 3Lo. Jill Heiner also looking good. Gracie 3Z-2T. And a 3F.

I wonder whether using Rink 1 so there wouldn't be a huge crowd was done on purpose? Also, isn't Rink 2 Olympic size?A bit wider but 3 feet shorter. Maybe it was to give more running room for jumps, since that's what most skaters practice on?

 

[sk8nlizard]

Honestly I don’t think she came back to be a second-tier skater. Maybe I’m wrong and she’ll be thrilled to be coming forth and barely make it that I’d be surprised if that’s going to make her happy.


I’m really curious if she would be allowed to come in fifth or sixth. Or if she will be held up because of her past history. Or conversely her past history could work against her. It’s hard to tell with judges

I agree with you....I think she wants to be a top tier skater but I wish she would just ease into it and make it to sectionals. It’s been so long since she has successfully competed. I guess we will see.

 

[Sylvia]

Beautiful skating by Julia Biechler. Even if the music was Love Story. I hope she can hang on to qualify for Easterns.

Julia Biechler is still in the lead with 4 skaters to go so she will qualify for Easterns (top five will make it because Heiner has a NQS bye and elected to compete here, as mentioned earlier).

 

[ZilphaK]

Lovely skate from Cailey Weaver.

ETA: Well! Maybe this isn't her last competition!

 

[Debbie S]

Jill Heiner reeling off the triples, fighting, but some look...close.

Now, whenever I hear I Feel Pretty from WSS, I think of that U.S. Open commercial with Maria Sharapova.

Go Gracie!

 

[ZilphaK]

Jill looked like
2A
3Lz
3F+2T
3T
3S
3F
3Lz

Hard to tell, looked like some slight double foot or just really tight landings.
Good job!

 

[ZilphaK]

Gracie
3Lz(hand touch)+2T
3F
3L
1A
video cut out....

 

[Debbie S]

Gracie

3Z-2T, 3F, 3Lo, 1A, CCoSp, steps, 1A, 2Z, 2S, fly camel combo spin, layback.

Beautiful program. Arrghh, I hope she can stay top 5!

And she's 2nd! I'm glad the judges rewarded the superior skating skills and presentation.

 

[Sylvia]

With Emily Zhang left to skate:

1	17	Jill Heiner, Annapolis SC	2	56.97	1	101.41	158.38
2	18	Gracie Gold, IceWorks SC	3	51.21	3	84.18	135.39
3	16	Cailey Weaver, Panthers FSC	4	49.40	4	82.56	131.96
4	13	Julia Biechler, SC of Wilmington	6	41.49	2	88.68	130.17

 

[Debbie S]

Emily landed 3S-3Lo but loop looked questionable. Other triples good.

Jumps look more secure. Viktor Pfeifer (new coach) is doing good things for her.

 

[ZilphaK]

That was a promising start. 3Lz looked really big, got away from her. 3F and 3L looked solid. Quality.

Double axel is not an easy jump and why it remains a must-do at this level. That will get ironed out by Sectionals, no doubt -- triple run-throughs of that mid section.

ETA: Wow, they really dinged her on GOE for the jumps. Tough to see clearly from the LiveBarn cameras.

 

[Coco]

I was too nervous for this. I hope she (and Julia!) got her minimums, but if not at least they have Sectionals to try again.

 

[sk8nlizard]

I was too nervous for this. I hope she (and Julia!) got her minimums, but if not at least they have Sectionals to try again.

Gracie wasn’t even close to the minimum. It’s a 75 TES total and she had about a 60. However, she has a little over a month before Sectionals so hopefully she got her competition jitters out and can be stronger at Sectionals.

 

[Debbie S]

I was too nervous for this. I hope she (and Julia!) got her minimums, but if not at least they have Sectionals to try again.

Neither Gracie nor Julia got their minimums here (but did Julia achieve them at a summer NQS comp?) but hopefully they will at Easterns.

 

[Coco]

They need to water down the solo triple in the SP, imo. But even if she doesn't make nationals this year, a strong summer could get her a Senior B event next fall.

 

[Sylvia]

South Atlantics Senior Ladies top 5:

1	19	Emily Zhang, SC of Wilmington	1	60.77	1	117.52	178.29
2	17	Jill Heiner, Annapolis SC	2	56.97	2	101.41	158.38
3	18	Gracie Gold, IceWorks SC	3	51.21	4	84.18	135.39
4	16	Cailey Weaver, Panthers FSC	4	49.40	5	82.56	131.96
5	13	Julia Biechler, SC of Wilmington	6	41.49	3	88.68	130.17

FS protocols: https://www.usfigureskating.org/leaderboard/results/2020/27725/SEGM024.html

 

[Karen-W]

Gracie wasn’t even close to the minimum. It’s a 75 TES total and she had about a 60. However, she has a little over a month before Sectionals so hopefully she got her competition jitters out and can be stronger at Sectionals.

Actually, almost 62 - but that's still far off the TES minimum, so she has a ways to go in the next month. She lost a lot of points on her spin and footwork levels though and popping the loop in the SP. If she gets all that up to snuff, she should be okay for the minimum.

 

[Debbie S]

I'm now in Rink 2 (where no one has turned on the heat lamps ) for Senior Men.

William Hubbart's costume has "T Bird" printed on the back. Time for some Grease!

 

[ZilphaK]

Right now, skaters with byes to Eastern Sectionals are Megan Wessenberg (NE), Gabriella Izzo (NE), Audrey Shin (NA), and Sarah Jung (SA), correct? It is still top four from Sectionals go to Nationals?

 

[sk8nlizard]

Actually, almost 62 - but that's still far off the TES minimum, so she has a ways to go in the next month. She lost a lot of points on her spin and footwork levels though and popping the loop in the SP. If she gets all that up to snuff, she should be okay for the minimum.

Very true....the good news is she showed triple lutz, flip and loop throughout the competition and she successfully completed 2 programs. So, hopefully things will fall more into place now. I can only imagine the crazy pressure that she is feeling.

 

[Debbie S]

Right now, skaters with byes to Eastern Sectionals are Megan Wessenberg (NE), Gabriella Izzo (NE), Audrey Shin (NA), and Sarah Jung (SA), correct? It is still top four from Sectionals go to Nationals?

Yes. That list sounds right to me.

They are playing music during scoring breaks in Rink 2. Thankfully it's not the same music coordinator as SLC. No (bad) covers so far.

Good 3A attempt by Peter Liu. I think UR, though. Uh oh, and then the wheels came off. But very nice skating to Who Wants to Live Forever. I hope he can make Nats!

 

[Coco]

It's the halfway point of the quad. If she continues to make steady progress she'll be at Nationals in 2021 if not 2020. She's on track no matter what happens here. Slow and steady relatively continuous progress is more important than making Nationals this year.

 

[AYS]

This was an improvement for Gracie vs brief appearance on the GP last season, so, good for her and I hope she continues to progress.

 

[ZilphaK]

It's the halfway point of the quad. If she continues to make steady progress she'll be at Nationals in 2021 if not 2020. She's on track no matter what happens here. Slow and steady relatively continuous progress is more important than making Nationals this year.

Agree. That was a solid start, almost starting from ground zero again. She's been working hard all summer and I'm guessing the foot will be hard on the gas pedal from here on out.