Champions Crowned on Last Day of U.S. Adult Championships

Championship Adult Dance

First-time champions Michelle Daichman (Washington FSC) and Andrejs Sitiks (University of Delaware FSC) performed a moving, emotional free dance to "Fix You" by Coldplay, posting a score of 45.16 and a total score of 72.73. Their performance featured a twizzle series with a hop entry, as well as a difficult curve lift where Sitiks held Daichman completely upside-down.
After placing second in the past two seasons, Daichman and Sitiks were thrilled to be able to improve on last year's placement and win the title for the first time.

"It was nerve-wracking," Sitiks remarked.

"It's a lot of pressure going in," Daichman added.

Moving up from fifth place in 2018, Pamela Federbusch (North Jersey FSC) and Oleksandr Shakalov (individual member) earned the silver medal with a total score of 69.32. Skating to "To Build A Home" and "Secrets," Federbusch and Shakalov showed impressive speed on their rotational lift, which was a highlight of the performance, to score 43.24 points.

Bronze medalists Jennifer Freedman (Hickory Hill FSC) and Oleg Voyko (individual member) performed a jazzy free dance to "New York, New York," scoring 37.38 points and 65.84 overall. Dressed in red and black costumes, the team generated a great amount of applause for their rotational lift. This is their first championship medal as a team.

Skating to "Body Talks" by The Struts, Jill Ahlbrecht (Alpine SC) and James Bookwalter (Denver FSC) earned the pewter medal with a free dance score of 37.62 points and 60.39 total points. Their twizzle series opened with a challenging hop entry, and the audience enjoyed their engaging, lighthearted choreography.

Championship Adult Gold Men

In his first time competing in a championship-level event, gold medalist Rafael Quintanar (Harvard University) had a shaky start to his week. During a practice session, Quintanar fell on a combination spin, resulting in 13 stitches in his lip and chin.

"I wasn't sure how I was going to do," Quintanar remarked, noting that texting with his coach back home helped him feel motivated to rebound after the accident.

"I got through it," he said, and went on to score an impressive 36.71 points.

Performing to "Jazz Suite No. 1," Quintanar's program featured a solo Axel as well as a challenging Lutz-Axel sequence. Clad in a white shirt, vivid red suspenders and a bowtie, Quintanar made sure that the costume contributed to the whimsical theme of the program.

"I had this idea in my head, but I couldn't execute it myself," he said, thanking choreographer Beth Duxbury and coach Chad Brennan for bringing the lighthearted, circus-inspired program to life. 

Scoring 33.79 points, silver medalist Serafin Ong (All Year FSC) performed to "Winds of Change" by Scorpions.
"This was last year's program that I used again because I skated so well," the three-time championship medalist shared.

Bronze medalist Antonio Conte (Los Angeles FSC) showed excellent speed and flow in his performance of a modern rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," which scored 33.04 points.

"I wanted to show that one of the oldest competitors in the group can still hold their own," said Conte, who has competed in the championship event 10 times. 

Skating to "A Song For You" by Donny Hathaway, Ian Catindig (St. Moritz ISC) earned the pewter medal with a score of 31.83.

Championship Adult Silver Men

After coming back to skating from a 20-year hiatus and a fourth-place finish at the 2018 U.S. Adult Championships, Adam Hudson (Birmingham FSC) secured the 2019 championship adult gold title with a score of 25.42 points.

Opening his program to selections from Ghost with an Axel-loop combination, Hudson landed all of his elements and drew cheers from the crowd as he struck his ending pose.

"I'm still kind of processing everything," he said after the medal ceremony, "but I feel great."

Taking the silver medal is William Tran (Pasadena FSC), who posted a score of 23.01 points. His "La Vie En Rose" program featured a flip-toe loop-loop three-jump combination.

"Somebody told me it was the most relaxed I've ever looked, and that was the best compliment I've ever gotten," he said. "Because that's really the goal of skating is to combine the technical and the presentation and to look relaxed out there."

Individual member Christopher Shipley finished just .5 point behind Tran with 22.65 points, taking the third place spot. In his 13th U.S. Adult Championships, the skater from Boston opened his Samson and Delilah program with a three-jump combination.

"It felt great," Shipley said upon finishing his skate, which he said could have gone better. "I just want to keep pushing and trying to get better."

Mark Adams (Washington FSC) rounded out the podium with 22.45 points. The 2018 championship adult silver men champion's tango-inspired program, an audience favorite, featured a flip-toe loop-toe loop combination.  

Championship Adult Gold Ladies

Stephanie Knighton (Utah FSC) delivered a heartfelt tribute to her late daughter to secure the championship gold ladies title.

Everleigh Knighton passed away about a year-and-a-half ago after battling serious genetic health issues since birth. She was 5.

Knighton's tribute was performed to a modern classical piece titled "November" by Max Richter. She finished with a personal-best score of 38.05, which included all but one positive grades of execution and an event-best program components score.

"It was a concept my coach and I came up with," Knighton said. "It was about the journey of rediscovering her presence in my life after she was lost. I just felt like she was with me; she stood with me."

Cassandra McNulty (Crossroads FSC) returned to the ice for the first time since 2016 to win the silver medal with a score of 37.18. McNulty had surgery in both hips to repair a torn labrum and was off the ice for a year-and-a-half.

"My goal for this season was just to make it here and prove to myself that I didn't lose anything by being off the ice," said McNulty.

She performed to music from Evita. McNulty received all but one positive GOEs.

Grace Stuever (Pittsburgh FSC) earned the bronze medal with a score of 36.50. She arrived having captured the silver medal the past two seasons.

Stuever skated to "Your Heart is as Black as Night," covered by Beth Hart, and Alannah Myles' "Black Velvet."

"My spins felt really good; my legs were a little shaky," Stuever said. "I popped that double toe, which made me so mad. It wasn't my best skate, but I was happy with it."

Heather Hilgar (University of Delaware FSC) finished fourth with 33.48 points.

Championship Adult Silver Ladies

Leslie Duskin (SC of San Francisco) dominated the competition at the championship adult silver ladies event on Saturday afternoon. The 2018 silver ladies champion posted a score of 25.27 to win the title.

In her program to "Fever" by Ava Cassidy, Duskin executed two Axels - one in combination. Though she said her grades of execution weren't what she hoped for, it was enough to grab the gold.

"I just wanted to skate a clean program and do my best," the mother of three said. "Competing makes me so much better as a skater and gives me something to shoot for."

Representing the Nittany Valley FSC, Anne Martin skated her way into second place with 24.84 points. Skating to "Journey to the Past" from Anastasia, Martin landed two Axel jumps, one in a sequence with a flip jump, which helped her earn the highest technical score of the event.

"I'm really excited," the Penn State professor said after learning she's heading home with a silver medal. "I was not expecting that."
In her first appearance at the U.S. Adult Championships, Gianina Renault (Panthers FSC) notched 24.49 points - including the highest components score of the event - to secure the bronze medal. Though her program to "You Don't Own Me" wasn't her best, Renault said she was happy with her skate.

"At least I didn't fall," she laughed.

Julie Nyikos from the Denver FSC rounded out the podium with 22.08 points. Her Adele-inspired program featured a Lutz-loop-toe loop three-jump combination.

Championship Masters Intermediate-Novice Ladies

Olivia Wyrick (Los Angeles FSC) captured the championship masters intermediate-novice ladies title, landing three double jumps while performing a show-stopping routine to the song "I've Got Rhythm," covered by Dorothy Dandridge. She posted a score of 41.42.

For Wyrick, who competed for Boston University's intercollegiate team through 2013, this was her first U.S. Adult Championships.

"I competed all the way through college and stopped for a while," Wyrick said. "Last year I picked it up again and it's been such a good experience."

Her program included all positive grades of execution and the top program components score.

Patricia Satkiewicz (Portland ISC) earned the silver medal in her U.S. Adult Championships debut.

"That's unexpected, awesome," said Satkiewicz, who skated to songs from the soundtrack to the movie Yellow Submarine. Up last in the field of 12 ladies, Satkiewicz posted a score of 40.76. "I only started doing it a year ago and had no expectations, and then I qualified for nationals."

Satkiewicz, who used to skate for the DC EDGE adult synchronized skating team, had been off the ice from ages 23 to 31 before returning last year.

"One of my favorite parts of this whole experience was doing the music myself," she said. "I have the Yellow Submarine dress; I figure judges like pretty dresses and pretty music."

Elizabeth Murdock (Central Florida FSC) turned in a personal-best performance to claim the bronze medal with a score of 39.40. She performed her program to "Letters" from the W.E. soundtrack.

"This is one of my best performances ever, so I'm pleased," she said.

Kathleen Westmoreland secured the pewter medal with a score of 37.89.

Championship Masters Intermediate-Novice Men

Eric Bilardi (Los Angeles FSC) reigned in the masters intermediate-novice men's event at the U.S. Adult Championships on Saturday.

After a broken back that took him off the ice for 16 years, Bilardi returned to the adult figure skating scene three years ago, slowly climbing his way to the top of the podium.

This year, his program to selections by John Berry carried him to 41.80 points and the gold medal. His main goal this year: attempt a double loop in competition.

"I'm happy I put it out there," the 51-year-old said. Next, he hopes to start working on double flips and Lutzes.

"I just feel like I'm scratching the surface of what I could potentially do," he noted.

In his 10th appearance at the U.S. Adult Championships, Ken Ho (Pittsburgh FSC) put it all out on the ice to score 38.95 points and grab the silver medal. His program, set to "Last Dance" by Donna Summer, drew cheers from the audience as he executed two double jumps and a Level 3 combination spin.

"Everyone said, 'just go out, do what you do and try to have fun,'" he said, "so I tried to do that."

Souvanthong Muangkhoua (ISC of Fresno) channeled his idol, Paul Wylie, in his program to The Mission to earn the bronze medal with 36.28 points. His program featured two double loops and two double toe loops.

"The last time I was here, I didn't skate well, so this is like redemption," he said. "And to do two double loops in one program, that's like icing on the cake."

Christopher Williams (FSC of Minneapolis) grabbed the pewter medal with 36.18 points.

Championship Masters Junior-Senior Ladies

Kristina Struthwolf-Leato (Centennial Park FSC) delivered a record-breaking performance in front of a home crowd to win the championship masters junior-senior ladies event.

Struthwolf-Leato landed 10 double jumps, three in combination, while skating a beautiful and seamless program to "Never Enough" from the soundtrack to The Greatest Showman. Her score of 73.65 was more than 16 points better than that of the silver medalist's. She received a standing ovation.

It was her first U.S. Adult Championships. She had qualified for 10 sectional championships, with the last one coming in 2016.

"At that time I thought 10 was a good number so I stopped," she said. "I got married, and I have a little boy, Luca, who is 1."

Three-time defending champion Regan Alsup (Detroit SC) secured the silver medal with a score of 57.21.

Skating to two songs by Alicia Keys, Alsup landed eight double jumps, three in combination.

"This year I knew there was a really good level of competition and I was excited to go up against that," said Alsup. "I was happy with the program I put out there, even though it wasn't perfect."

Stephanie Roth (Jersey Coast FSC) became the first lady to land a triple jump at the U.S. Adult Championships en route to a bronze medal and a score of 53.27.

"My big thing (coming into the U.S. Adult Championships) was to be on my feet for the triple toe this year," Roth said. "I did it but left the double Axel behind."

Roth, skating to "Bohemian Rhapsody," put a hand down on the triple toe but was credited with fully rotating the jump.

Veteran Natalie Shaby (All Year FSC) claimed the pewter medal with a score of 52.56.

Championship Masters Junior-Senior Men

For Daniel Palmeri (Onyx-Suburban Skating Academy), his experience at the 2019 U.S. Adult Championships may have been about more than just winning, but his fifth consecutive title has him on the route to breaking the record for most titles in the championship masters junior-senior men division.

On Saturday night, Palmeri executed three triple jumps and two double Axels en route to scoring 74.86, the highest of the entire U.S. Adult Championships, and winning the gold medal.

"I just always want to push myself more and more," he said. "I just love to skate, and hopefully I show that while I'm skating."
Palmeri's score was nearly 30 points higher than second place finisher's Jason Cotnoir (Highland SC), who posted a score of 46.34 in his U.S. Adult Championships debut. In his Bohemian Rhapsody program, all but one of his elements received positive grades of execution.

"I didn't think I'd be able to skate again, so just to be able to have the opportunity to do so is so special," he said. "I just can't believe I'm so old and I'm still doing it."

Davin Grindstaff (Burnsville-MN Valley FSC) secured the bronze medal with 45.09 points with his program set to selections by Sam Smith. Opening with a double Salchow, Grindstaff executed all of his elements except for the last: a double flip downgraded to a single.

"Aside from that last double flip, I was thrilled," he said. "You just can't get in your head."

Matthew Essingmann (Ithaca Area FSA) rounded out the top four with 40.73 points.

Championship Pairs

Judy Mata and Vladimir Levchenkov (Detroit SC) secured the championship masters pairs title, performing to music from Pink Floyd's album "The Wall."

The veteran team posted a score of 49.75, which included an opening Level 4 lift.

"We didn't do the perfect program, but we did the best we could at this point," Levchenkov said. "The biggest thing, like Judy said before, was getting over the nerves because of the injury."

The new team of Erin Krentz and Chris Obzansky (FSC of Park City) performed a tango and claimed the silver medal with a score of 47.94.

"It's been challenging," said Obzansky, who was a Team USA ice dancer during his competitive career and now coaches in the Salt Lake City area. "Learning death spirals, different types of lifts and footwork on the lifts, it's been challenging. But it's fun to have that skill set now. If you look at pairs, it's turning into ice dancing in a lot of ways, especially the choreography. … It's been fun, keeps me in shape, I enjoy it."

Elaine Jurun and Zdenek Krajc (Kent Valley FSC) grabbed the bronze medal with a score of 40.45.

Jurun, who competed earlier in the day in championship singles, said she was happy with her singles performance but was a little shaky in her pairs routine to music from the soundtrack to The Gladiator.

"It was fun, I had a good time," Jurun said. "It was definitely different doing it on the same day, but I pulled through."

Diana Cheng (Baltimore FSC) and Kirill Solovyev (All Year FSC) collected the pewter medal with a score of 39.86.