Nationals Coverage: Ladies, pairs, free dance

This is going a interesting battle for the Free...Two olders and one upstart

- OH THANK GOD! No Dick Button!!!! Yea for Scott
- um the Men's isn't wide open...

- Hehe that's an awesome reaction!

Pairs Start!

First up Vise and Trent
- I love this music!!!!!! Yea for William Joseph!
- Their costumes are beautiful too, especially her dress
- whops downgraded on the triple twist
- Trent two footed his Side by side
- great change lift
- oh she fell on her throw quad... first to land a throw quad...
- great death sprial
- I think the fact that they've come so far because they rotate in the opposition direction
- Yea for mentioning that Kristi skated Pairs! most people don't know that
- One reason I like dance better is that the lifts are ever changing... they don't change as much in Pairs.
- I'm just so thrilled that they used William Joseph!
- Landed the throw triple loop (in the last minute mind you!)
- I like Scott commentator so much better than Dick... He's positive!
- I'm not a fan of the ending though
Scores: 97.75, Total: 148.91

Brook and Ben
- Her dress is pretty and simple. I like that
- Brooke fell on her side by side triple
- Pretty entry into the death spiral
- good, gorgeous Triple twist
- two footed the Throw Triple
- good, clean combo side by sides
- oh yea! They did one of my favorite pair spins
- a little slow at the end of that spin combination
- pretty slow steps sequence. Scott likes it, Peggy misses the speed... I think both work well if it fits with the music
- Good side by side spins
- two footed throw triple. I love how Scott pointed that out but also said "nice throw" That's why I love him so much more than Dick. He points out what went wrong but also complements them
- Very unique ending
Score: 102.55 Total: 157.01

-I have to route for John and Rena... They will always be my favorite couple.
- Oh Scott... You're not that old
- Wow 23 nationals? Jesus

Mclauglin/Brubaker
- She is just gorgeous. That color works on her
- haha West Side Story!
- Close but clean triple twist
- nice speed heading into side by sides
- Rock couldn't get the second jump off
- Gorgeous lift!
- side by side triple toe's did not go well.. she fell, he stepped out
- good throw triple Salchow
- they're off in their side by side spins
- perfect spot for a death spiral
- Nice switch hand lift
- LOL using "Mambo" for their footwork sequence.
- a little slow on their sequence for the music
- huge throw triple loop!
- whops.. music a little off
- Good for her especially for her being sick!
Score: 117.64 Total: 178.76

Caitlin and Coughlin
- I don't remember them from last year
- She looks so familiar to me.. reminds me of somebody
- great acting on her part in that lift
- That was a huge lift
- clean triple twist
- turned out triple toe loops
- he singled his Axel. Her's wasn't so hot either
- turn out on her throw triple Axel
- Nice throw triple loop although close the boards
- Interesting entrance into that lift
- He seems to be moving her up and down just a bit in the death spiral
- Off in their side by side spins
- I'm not a fan of their interpretation of the music...
- I think this program should be re-worked a bit
- Decent job though
Score: 97.58 Total: 153.67

John and Rena
- I aw every time they go into this opening pose
- interesting music though
- ug... botched their side by side triples
- great speed
- really close on the boards on the triple twist
- good side by side double Axels and then John botched the second one...
- almost got through their side by side spins
- Great throw triple Salchow
- Beautiful death spiral
- good throw triple loop
- good lift
- very nice one handed star lift
- very interesting straight line sequence but slow and it doesn't fit with the music
Score: 109.97 currently in second

Denney and Barrett
- Ice skating in Florida... interesting
- They've been together 9 months... Honestly I think they need a bit more time together
- Skating to Spartacus
- good Triple Twist
- Good side by side's though a bit close to the boards on his part
- Nice triple Flip
- Good speed across the ice
- decent side by side double Axels
- I think he spins faster than she does... but they're doing a good job of keeping it together
- Good job in feeling the music and knowing the story behind it
- Nice! Amazing throw triple loop!
- stupid pairs foot sequence rule causes these to be against the music and looks bad
- Final spin sequence clean!
- In my mind they weren't the best but with the field throwing them mistakes, *shrugs* what can you do?
- LOL "I don't know if I can't watch this..."
Score: 114.76

The one thing I don't like about when NBC covers figure skating is they don't put what the music is.
Wow! Rockeny and Keanua won... wow
Good job for the newcomers! They still get to go to Worlds
Well that was interesting... Yea for repeating champions

Ladies short program. I've already posted the results but it'll be interesting to see how the programs actually went.

I'm so exited that Alissa is working with Brian.

Here's how it unfolded:

Alissa Cizney
- Over used music like no other but Alissa can pull it off
- good Lutz/Double toe, but close the boards
- good flip but again close the boards
- She's just a beautiful skater. I'm so glad she's in first
- Good stretch in her spins!
- good double Axel!
- Gorgeous stretch spiral!
- wow that Layback was amazing!
Score: 65.75

Caroline Zhang
- Not a fan of her music
- good clean triple triple but OMG that leg! It bugs me so bad!
- clean triple loop
- stepped out of the double Axel
- She's better than she was last year in terms of my liking her skating but her free leg into her back toe jumps OMG it's horrible and looks ugly.
- She does has amazing flexability
Score: 58.91

Miari Nagasu
- I was so annoyed that she won last year...
- she's still short LOL
- Good for her to going to a public high school
- Interesting music choice...
- ouch.. she hit the boards (LOL at Scotts comment about Midori Ito)
- good second chance combo
- hangs on to a double Axel
- I think it's good they put Smile into this program because most people don't know that the song was written by Charlie Chaplan
- good spin set
Score: 54.79

Ashley Wagner
- Hope a new coach will help her
- beautiful music
- Good but two footed triple flip and single jump
- two footed triple Lutz
- man she a gorgeous spiral sequence
- whops. flubbed her triple Axel
- I bet the nerves weren't helping with her jumps tonight
Score: 50.28 Poor her... I love her skating

Rachael Flatt
- interesting cover of Moonriver
- Good triple flip/double toe. Nice move
- Nice triple Lutz!
- why is it that all girls seem to do their jumps in the freakin' corners? They run into problems doing them there... Shouldn't their coaches realize this and teach them not to do them there?
- Shaky but clean double Axel
- a little shaky on her spiral sequence
- Media attention is not necessarily a good thing Scott
Score: 60.19 Second place

Ok now for the Free dance:

Navarro and Bommentre
- LOL Fat Boy Slim...
- I think if I had to chose a FS discipline, I'd chose Ice Dancing... much safer
- Interesting lift!
- good speed
- Interesting Twizzles!
- wow that's a great spin lift!
- wow!
- There are parts that looked like she kept slippping
Score: 176.30

Boy and Girl Hubble! (I have a special affection for them and they're brother and sister which is just adorable!)
- She looks like Reese Witherspoon!
- good Twizzels!
- Interesting lifts
- I want this music!
- They're not the first brother/sister to compete together... Kitty and Peter Curethers are the most well known
- wow that lift was amazing!
- Good program!
Score: 171.51

Meryl and Charlie
- Not sure if I like this music or not... I think it's a little over done
- Good twizzles
- Good speed
- intricate lifts
- Sorry but this is just a little boring to me.. I don't know what it is about this program... It's just not that interesting? Maybe because of the music, I don't know.
- Watch that last lift there Charlie... A little close
- Amazing ending pose!
- She always looks like a Disney princess... huge eyes
Score: 201.68 Your National Ice Dancing Champions

Summersett/Gilles
- she has no upper lip.. interesting
- I think she should take off the arm warmers... they look funky
- Good sense of the music
- wow...
- LOL at his facial expressions
- mistake on the twizzels
- slight mistake in the lift
- Great team but a little rough around the edges and need a bit more work
Score: 169.35

Samuelson/Bates
- good speed
- nice to him adding jumps like that
- good twizzels
- interesting music choice
- She has amazing lines
- dropped a spin
- good single foot leg
- I agree, the music has not depth to it... it's the same
- This team will be going places but they need a bit more work
Score: 181.64 Second place

Finals:
Meryl and Charlie
Suamuelson/Bates
Navarro/Bommentre

There will be more coverage tonight from me with the Ladies long program