2026-27 US Pairs Discussion - Howe Nagy to Twist Your Way to Starrdom

That's why we eagerly are anticipating the entries for CS John Nicks in Norwood, MA on Sept. 11-12, 2026. :) Entries by name are due "not later than: Friday, August 14, 2026 –20:00 ET."

ETA: GP Pairs minimum score is 137.00.
 
hoptoad said:
Thanks, Sylvia!

I thought the ISU had tightened up requirements for host spots by requiring a certain score that wouldn't have been met by new teams.
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The wording on the GP announcement is vague regarding the GP score minimum requirement, but if the host fed is using all 3 of their host spots then 1 of the skaters/teams doesn't need to meet the GP total score minimum. Also, with Pairs, any teams who compete at a Challenger and meet the GP total minimum score are added to the GP Alternates List.

Given the level of pairs experience teams like McBeath/Nagy, Shin/Howe and Flores/Sadusky have from prior partnerships, I'd be surprised if they aren't capable of achieving the GP total minimum score at an early Challenger.
 
Sylvia said:
Currently listed in the ISP as of today, August 7:

Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov
Linzy Fitzpatrick and Keyton Bearinger
Chelsea Liu and Ryan Bedard
Katie McBeath and Balazs Nagy
Valentina Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez
Naomi Williams and Lachlan Lewer
Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea

...

NEW Senior teams:
Starr Andrews/Daniil Parkman
Katie McBeath/Balazs Nagy
Audrey Shin/Spencer Howe
Olivia Flores/Mark Sadusky
Lyndsey Ream/Danny Neudecker
Sarah Nunez/Blake Eisenach
Deanna Stellato-Dudek/Danil Siianytsia (not confirmed atm)
Click to expand...

Why are Katie McBeath & Balazs Nagy on the ISP but not the other new teams? As far as I remember, they were all formed around the same time. And certainly Audrey & Spencer have similar amounts of experience from their prior partnerships.
 
I'm reading the document differently: Per Host Country Choice (paragraph 8)

1. "The selection, however, is only valid for skaters who fulfill the requirements of the minimum total score (with exceptions as noted per paragraphs 9 - 11.)"

Paragraph 9. Comeback Skaters/Couples (1-6 at at least one ISU Worlds in the past four years)
Paragraph 10. Return Skaters/Couples (Top 10 in 2024, 2025, and/or 2026 WC's)
Paragraph 11. Returning Split Couple (Top 10 in 2024, 2025, and/or 2026 WC's)

and 2. "..Such Pairs/Ice Dance couples are defined as a “Returning Split Couple” and such Returning
Split Couples do not need to fulfill the requirement of a minimum total score. For clarification, except
as a selection as a Host Country Skater,"

Minimum scores need to be met in 2025-26 or 2026-27 at an ISU event, including Challenger Series. The TBA deadline is officially September 15, but the document just says "entrants," but not by when the minimums need to be met, ie, by the TBA assignment, the start of the event, the registration deadline for the event, etc. Kinoshita, with Pairs, and John Nicks, are the two CS events before that deadline. (I don't see any entries lists, even though Kinoshita is in less than one month.) If assignments can be provisional, like some championships assignments in the past have been "* pending meeting minimums" between the registration deadline and the three/four week before the start deadline (depending on year) later cut-off, then USFS could assign a team without the minimums, new or continuing, pending them getting the score at one of the upcoming CS events with Pairs after the TBA deadline and before a Skate America-based deadline: Nebelhorn (GER), Trialeti (GEO). I don't know what disciplines are in Budapest in October; there's no announcement yet.

An adjacent rule: any team that might have qualified as a Returning Split couple had they been in the initial selection can only get on the Alternates List by winning a Challenger or, for Pairs only, if the ISU adds them to the list, if under ten names on it, based on non-winning CS results.

The other tightening rule is that a host needs to have at least two skaters/teams in the Top 75 of last year's SB list to be able to claim all three host spots. There has been talk of USFS only filling one of the two TBD spots, but it's not because of this rule: even if Split Couples' SB rank doesn't count, Efimova/Mitrofanov and Plazas/Fernandez are Top 22.
 
kwanfan1818 said:
Minimum scores need to be met in 2025-26 or 2026-27 at an ISU event, including Challenger Series. The TBA deadline is officially September 15, but the document just says "entrants," but not by when the minimums need to be met, ie, by the TBA assignment, the start of the event, the registration deadline for the event, etc. Kinoshita, with Pairs, and John Nicks, are the two CS events before that deadline. (I don't see any entries lists, even though Kinoshita is in less than one month.) If assignments can be provisional, like some championships assignments in the past have been "* pending meeting minimums" between the registration deadline and the three/four week before the start deadline (depending on year) later cut-off, then USFS could assign a team without the minimums, new or continuing, pending them getting the score at one of the upcoming CS events with Pairs after the TBA deadline and before a Skate America-based deadline: Nebelhorn (GER), Trialeti (GEO). I don't know what disciplines are in Budapest in October; there's no announcement yet.
Click to expand...
Kinoshita entries are due today. We should see the entry lists early next week, hopefully. Budapest pairs isn't a Challenger.
kwanfan1818 said:
The other tightening rule is that a host needs to have at least two skaters/teams in the Top 75 of last year's SB list to be able to claim all three host spots. There has been talk of USFS only filling one of the two TBD spots, but it's not because of this rule: even if Split Couples' SB rank doesn't count, Efimova/Mitrofanov and Plazas/Fernandez are Top 22.
Click to expand...
Williams/Lewer are also in the SB Top 75 with a qualifying total minimum score; same with Liu/Bedard; so the US has 4 teams who meet the requirement & haven't split. Plus, Kam/O'Shea are still on the ISP and could be, in theory, named to a SkAm host spot.

As it is, the USFS could name WilLew & KamO if they're required to name teams by Sept 15th who have the GP total minimum score requirement & none of the new teams achieve it at either Kinoshita or John Nicks. Then, if one or more of the new teams meets the GP total min score afterward at Nebelhorn or Trialeti, swap out WilLew and/or KamO.
 
Sylvia said:
Presumably McBeath/Nagy, Shin/Howe, Andrews/Parkman? (assuming Liu/Bedard get NHK Trophy as an alternate)

ETA - in their latest Instagram stories, Williams/Lewer (NHK) are landing throw 3S and demonstrating a very high 3twist!
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Olivia and Mark?
 
ISP has been updated to include:

Senior teams - Andrews/Parkman and Shin/Howe

Junior teams - Elizabeth Yun/Mitchell Castelletti

These additions would indicate that Starrman & SHowe will be debuting at John Nicks IPC and that Yun/Castelletti will make their debut the same week (possibly at JGP Ankara but could be in the junior category at John Nicks IPC).
 
ChillSkate said:
Why are Katie McBeath & Balazs Nagy on the ISP but not the other new teams? As far as I remember, they were all formed around the same time. And certainly Audrey & Spencer have similar amounts of experience from their prior partnerships.
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Since Andrews/Parkman and Shin/Howe have been added to the ISP now ... I've heard unofficially that new teams can be added to the ISP if they submit videos to USFS and/or have been monitored privately.

ETA:
Sylvia said:
Currently listed in the ISP as of today, August 7:
...
Kaitlyn Oh and Michael Chapa - she and Aaron Felberbaum are assigned to JGP Riga
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Throw 3S in practice by Oh/Felberbaum:
www.instagram.com

Chicagoland Illinois - Figure Skating on Instagram: "Progress feels good. 😊"

58 likes, 6 comments - oakton_edge_skatingacademy on August 11, 2026: "Progress feels good. 😊".
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com
 
Karen-W said:
ISP has been updated to include:

Senior teams - Andrews/Parkman and Shin/Howe

Junior teams - Elizabeth Yun/Mitchell Castelletti

These additions would indicate that Starrman & SHowe will be debuting at John Nicks IPC and that Yun/Castelletti will make their debut the same week (possibly at JGP Ankara but could be in the junior category at John Nicks IPC).
Click to expand...

If Yun/Castelletti are assigned to Ankara, it would be their JGP debut, which would be exciting.

2025-26 was their first season as a pair, including placement in junior top ten at Bavarian Open.
I saw them live in NQS, and I think they have a lot of charisma. Look forward to the growth of the partnership.
 
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Trudy Oltmanns' group is scheduled to compete at the Philadelphia Summer Championships in Aston, PA, Aug. 13-14 - this is a Pairs NQS.

Senior Pairs (2): Neamh Davison/Daniel Borisov (GBR) and Reagan Moss/Jakub Galbavy (season debut; moving up domestically); Sydney Cooke/Matthew Kennedy WD
Junior Pairs (1): Elizabeth Yun/Mitchell Castelletti
 
Question – is Deanna Stellato Dudek really paired up with the guy whose name I can’t really spell? Are they really a team?
 
Taich/Apter article by Scott Mammoser for FSO (Aug. 17):
“I love working with Chris and Alexa,” Baylen said. “It’s amazing to skate with them with what they accomplished in the past. It’s a good mixture, and they work well together.”
This season, Alexa choreographed the team’s short program to “What a Wonderful World” by Lexi Walker and the Piano Guys.
“I really like her choreography,” Baylen said of their short program. “It’s very emotional and it has a lot of flow to it.”
Apter added that “It makes you feel like you’re inside the program, it doesn’t make you feel like you are outside.”
For their free skate this season, Baylen and Nikolai worked with choreographers Katherine Hill and Ben Agosto. The program features three songs, “I Got” by Beats Antique, “Sahara Nights” by DJ Quincy and “Kum Kum” by Balkan Beat Box featuring A-WA.
“They created this really cool idea – an Egyptian and cultural program,” Baylen said. “It will be fun for people to watch and go through a lot of stages in the music.”
Click to expand...
“The goal is to have better lifts and more unique lifts and to do a triple jump in the program and skate with more elegance and be smoother on the ice and have more flow,” he added.
With their first Junior Grand Prix event ahead, the two hope their skating will showcase the hard work and growth they have put into their partnership.
“I want us to skate with a lot of power and show that we belong there because we’ve never been to a Junior Grand Prix event, so obviously, the teams are really different there than in an event from the U.S. I want us to show in our skating that we are at a good team and show everything we’ve been working on.”
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The 2 other Junior pairs competing in Xi'an this week were profiled in the fall of 2025 by FSO:
 
spin2win said:
Williams/Lewer posted this clip today of quad twist (work in progress): https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcRXwe1gKWx/
Click to expand...

Oh dear, do I want to click? They have so many other things to work on besides this.

I mean, they went to Gdańsk and watered down just about every single element when they should’ve performed much better. That was baffling.

I was like come on queen Natalia this is GP and could and Shoulda went to final…
 
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AngieNikodinovLove (ANL) said:
Oh dear, do I want to click? They have so many other things to work on besides this.

I mean, they went to Gdańsk and watered down just about every single element when they should’ve performed much better. That was baffling.

I was like come on queen Natalia this is GP and could and Shoulda went to final…
Click to expand...
Naomi, not Natalia. Ask me how I know. ;)
 
PRlady said:
Naomi, not Natalia. Ask me how I know. ;)
Click to expand...
I assume ANL is referring to his queen, Natalia Mishkutenok, one of Williams/Lewer's coaches? July 14th:
www.instagram.com

Natalia Mishkutenok on Instagram: "Thank you, Naomi, for sharing my birthday! 😊 Happy Birthday to both of us! 🌹❤️🌹"

337 likes, 24 comments - natalia.mishkutenok on July 14, 2026: "Thank you, Naomi, for sharing my birthday! 😊 Happy Birthday to both of us! 🌹❤️🌹".
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com

McBeath/Nagy and Shin/Howe are listed in the entries for Lombardia Trophy (Senior B, not a CS for Pairs, in Bergamo), Sept. 18-20 (Sub: Andrews/Parkman), the week after CS John Nicks.

Julianne Wong/Jared McPike have replaced Kaitlyn Oh/Aaron Felberbaum at next week's JGP in Riga.
 
JUNIOR PAIRS SCORES Summer 2026
Jarmoc/Witkowski 140
Jung/Griffin- 127
Taich/Apter 122
Yun/Castelletti 120
Kerr/Herbert 114
Meek/Meek 113
Kim/Lune 111
Oh/Felberbaum 109
Wong/McPike- 100

Yet to compete- Moss/Galbavy

SENIOR PAIRS SCORES Summer 2026

Liu/Bedard 165
Fitzpatrick/Bearinger 158

If there's any other senior pairs that have competed so far, I already forgot, so let me know. :)
 
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JGP #1 Xi'an U.S. Pairs results (10 teams competed):
4 Sofia JARMOC / Luke WITKOWSKI USA 132.21 4 4 (had they both landed 3T+2A seq. in FS they could have won the bronze...)
8 Alena KERR / Sam HERBERT USA 114.16 8 7
9 Baylen TAICH / Nikolai APTER USA 104.28 9 9

Olivia Flores & Mark Sadusky are in Norwood for Champs Camp, according to their Instastories. ETA - their SP was choreographed by Logan Giulietti-Schmitt to Tina Turner ("Proud Mary"?):
www.instagram.com

Logan Giulietti-Schmitt on Instagram: "Excited for the opportunity to create a SP for @yahooliv and @mark.sadusky this season. Thank you @drew_meekins @mmpairs for trusting me with one of your teams! Gotta make #tinaturner “proud.”#newbeginnings #fig

495 likes, 13 comments - coach.lgs on July 6, 2026: "Excited for the opportunity to create a SP for @yahooliv and @mark.sadusky this season. Thank you @drew_meekins @mmpairs for trusting me with one of your teams! Gotta make #tinaturner “proud.”#newbeginnings #figureskating #pairskating...
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com
 
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We finally have the John Nicks IPC entries!

Starr ANDREWS / Daniil PARKMAN
Sydney COOKE / Matthew KENNEDY
Katie MCBEATH / Balazs NAGY
Sarah NUNEZ / Blake EISENACH
Audrey SHIN / Spencer Akira HOWE
Naomi WILLIAMS / Lachlan LEWER
Subsitute - Olivia FLORES / Mark SADUSKY

ETA - so it looks like EfiMit won't be making their season debut until Nebelhorn or Trialeti, same with Fitzpatrick/Bearinger & Flores/Sadusky.
 
Deanna’s drive to continue is amazing. I find her very inspirational. And have always loved her skating. Lucky for her she has Canadian citizenship from this journey too. I’ve always liked Siianytsia’s skating. Excited to see where they will go. Do they have to sit out a season?
 
I was among those who were a bit :shuffle: at Stellato's switch back to the US so soon after getting Canadian citizenship, but her Instagram post about her genuine appreciation for Canada + "chas[ing] goals that inspire me, not in my 'next life' but in this one" was beautiful and heartfelt. She changed my mind. Which is very hard to do. She could have a career in PR or politics after skating. :lol:

Reposting here:
www.instagram.com

Deanna Stellato-Dudek on Instagram: "@skate_canada @patinageqc @maximedeschamps @josee.picard.79 @patinagesudouest @canadianolympicfoundation @ekinoxphysioetbienetre @xpressionelite @edeaskates @jackson.ultima @patricebrunetavocats"

3,076 likes, 140 comments - deannamsd622 on August 21, 2026: "@skate_canada @patinageqc @maximedeschamps @josee.picard.79 @patinagesudouest @canadianolympicfoundation @ekinoxphysioetbienetre @xpressionelite @edeaskates @jackson.ultima @patricebrunetavocats".
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com

Keep going as long as you want to, Deanna! :respec:
 
spin2win said:
Rocker Skating says they are domestic only until Feb 16, 2027

I would imagine then their target this year is US Nationals
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I mean that's what the usfs article said. Basically that they are gearing up to compete through the qualifying system for us nats. Can't wait to see them on a wonky livestream with the music muted.

Editing this to say they are on the list for the Summer Sizzler so i take that statement back
 
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