Juniors Take Center Ice on Day One of 2023 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships

The 2023 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships kicked off today at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. Today's events were all about the junior competitors with the junior pairs and men's short programs and the junior rhythm dance events.
 
Lucas Broussard, the 2022 Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalist, secured the top spot in the junior men's short program while junior ice dancers Helena Carhart and Volodymyr Horovyi are in position to win their first U.S. championship on Wednesday. Ellie Korytek and Timmy Chapman lead the field in the junior pairs competition.
 
Junior Men
 

In the junior men's competition, Broussard took the top spot on the leaderboard after an impassioned short program to "Adios Nonino" by Astor Piazzola. Broussard, who captured the silver medal at last month's Junior Grand Prix Final, performed with the confidence of a seasoned competitor and earned a career-best 82.03 for his efforts.
 
"My goal was skate how I've been skating in practice and the skate that I put out today was pretty much reflective of that," he said. "I think it shows that the training has really paid off because I've put out a high scoring program."
 
The 16-year-old opened his program with a triple Axel, landing the jump with authority despite being tilted in the air. Broussard followed that up with a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination and earned Level Fours on two spins and his step sequence.
 
"I think the Junior Grand Prix series, as scary as it can be, has really taught me that it's okay to be really nervous," he explained. "It's taught me that even if I'm nervous I can still put out a good skate. I think this is just kind of an example of how I've grown mentally stronger."
 
Broussard's Junior Grand Prix Final teammate, Robert Yampolsky, finished in second place with 78.60 points, a career best. The 18-year-old began his program with a solid triple Axel and like Broussard, completed a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination. Yampolsky also earned a Level Four designation on each of his spins.
 
"I pulled off a clean skate and I think kind of similar to the skate in the Junior Grand Prix Final," he said. "In both cases and especially here, I am proud of how I did. I am proud of the elements that I executed. There are some small things that definitely need to be polished — faster spins, maybe better landings, and expression, but for what I did today I'm really happy."
 
Fifth in this competition a year ago, Yampolsky skated to "Lord & Master" by Apashe with a newfound attack and freedom that he attributes to his experience in international competitions earlier this season.
 
"I think I've become more fearless," he said. "Especially going into these international competitions and after experiencing the Junior Grand Prix Final, I have learned how to begin to control my nerves and kind of go into every jump without any fear."
 
Finishing in third place was Daniil Murzin, a 19-year-old in his first U.S. Championships. The Bay Area resident scored a U.S. personal best 72.94 points after a strong performance to "Le temps cathedrale" by Bruno Pelletier.
 
"I think I did good but it's not my maximum. I can do better," he said. "I made some mistakes on all my spins, but in general it was good."
 
Murzin opened with a solid triple Axel and opted for a triple flip-triple toe loop combination. He also earned Level Fours on two of his spins in the program.
 
"I landed a good triple Axel — I think it was so good," Murzin said with a smile. "All of my jumps and the step sequence were pretty good. I'm so happy. I'll take it for my first U.S. Nationals in junior this year."
 
Fifteen-year-old Jacob Sanchez, who earned the pewter medal in this event in 2021, finished in fourth place in today's short program with 69.85 points. His score marks a new U.S. personal best.
 
Junior Ice Dance

In the final competition of the day, Carhart and Horovyi took a commanding lead after the junior rhythm dance with a career-best 68.53 points. Fifth in this competition a year ago, the duo performed a technically brilliant program that embodied the gritty and staccato feeling of the prescribed Argentine tango.
 
"I think our main focus today was just to do our best skate and be connected," Carhart explained. "That's been something we've been working on — our connection and our facial expressions — our performance in general. I think that we made our goal, which was just to skate our best and perform at the level we've been training."
 
Skating to "Angelica" by Hans Zimmer and "Angry and Dead Again" by Rodrigo y Gabriela, the leaders garnered Level Fours on both tango patterns, the twizzles and their closing rotational lift.
 
"We have been trying from the beginning of this season to focus on our technical score first and then work on the GOEs, and then to add the other stuff like expression and performance," Horovyi shared. 
 
"I think this whole season we've been really focusing on our turns and our key points," Carhart added. "That's something that we've really been focusing on — being able to bend our boot and step on the edge right away. I felt very solid on our turns, and we felt each other's timing. We were able to help each other when needed."
 
Finishing in second place were Jenna Hauer and Benjamin Starr, who skated to a medley of "Adios Noninos" and "Felicia" by Forever Tango and "Malaguena Salerosa" by Chingon.
 
"I'm thrilled," Hauer said after their performance. "I went into this competition feeling really good — I mean not like I hadn't before, but I feel like this is a new level for us. I just wanted to show what we've practiced over the last few months.
 
Hauer and Starr also earned high praise from the judging panel, notching Level Fours on their second tango pattern, the twizzles and the rotational lift. The duo, who finished sixth in this event last season, showed great improvement in their performance quality, captivating the audience with their tense and snappy tango choreography.
 
"It didn't even feel like a run through or anything," Starr admitted. "It was just a dance and when you dance, you are able to get into it. It was fun, which is the main thing. Not every competition is fun. This one was."
 
Hauer and Starr finished the rhythm dance with a career-high 65.47 points.
 
The sibling team of Elliana Peal and Ethan Peal filled out the top three, becoming the third team at the top to notch a new personal best. They earned 61.91 points for their striking "Otra Noche En La Viruta" by Otros Aires and "Bamboleo" by Gipsy Kings program.
 
"I think we kind of just went out with the intention of just going for it and no matter what happens, happens," Elliana Peal said. "We have trained throughout the entire season, so we were just kind of doing what we've been doing the whole season and then putting that last attack on top of it."
 
The couple earned Level Four marks on three elements — their second tango pattern, the twizzles and the rotational lift. The program was without error, a step forward from performances earlier this season, according to Ethan Peal.
 
"This season we've been really fortunate to get some really great opportunities, but our skates throughout the year haven't been the most of what we wanted from them," he said. "Through every competition there's been a lot of struggles. It's just great going into free dance with a strong performance under our belts, and it's especially nice to have skate that you really feel good about especially at the U.S Championships."
 
Vanessa Pham and Jonathan Rogers finished the day in fourth place with 58.22 points.
 
Junior Pairs

The day began with a small but mighty field of seven junior pairs, with three of the four teams in medal position skating at their first U.S. Championships.
 
The first-year team of Korytek and Chapman took the early lead after a strong short program. The duo earned 57.69 points with their entertaining "Mambo Italiano" (Bette Midler) program, which featured a high-flying opening triple twist and a powerful Level 4 lasso lift to close.
 
"Our strongest suit is having fun," Chapman said. "We love performing as much as we can. Out twist was very good today."
 
The leaders just returned to the ice about three weeks ago after two-month hiatus to give Korytek time to recover from an ill-timed injury.
 
"I have a stress fracture in my first metatarsal," Korytek said of her right foot. "I walked in a boot for five weeks and they couldn't figure out what it was. So, three weeks before these championships, I decided that I am going to go and do my best and see what happens."
 
Finishing just behind the leaders with 56.79 points was Naomi Williams and Lachlan Lewer, another team in their inaugural season together.
 
"I'm happy that we were able to, as a new team this season, put ourselves out there," Williams said. "Every competition this year has been an improvement so that feels nice."
 
The couple, who just started skating together in August, also opened their "Tiny Dancer" (Florence + the Machine) with a high-flying triple twist. The program also included a strong set of side-by-side double Axel jumps.
 
"The twist really went well," Lewer said. "We've been focusing on that a lot the past couple of weeks, so getting it up and getting it done, we're really happy with that."
 
Alternates to this event a year ago, Lillianna Murray and Jordan Gillette were called up just a week before those championships and finished in 11th place. This season, with the duo are in third place after their "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" (Pink Floyd) short program and are challenging for a spot on the podium.
 
"We felt really good throughout (the program)," Gillette shared. "There are a couple things we could improve on — we lost the first cluster in our footwork, but we put ourselves in a position going into the long to still be competitive."
 
Murray and Gillette finished their short program, which also opened with a strong triple twist lift, with 47.85 points.
 
Olivia Flores and Luke Wang, another team in their first year together, finished in fourth place with 46.31 points, and will look to contend for a podium position tomorrow.
 
Medals for junior pairs, men and ice dance will be decided Wednesday in a full day of competition that begins in the morning with the junior ladies short program. To follow all the action, visit the 2023 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships Competition Central.