Short Program
1 Brian Krentz 51.92
2 Patrick Rupp 49.24
3 Jack Newberry 48.91 (GBR)
4 Graham Newberry 47.01 (GBR)
5 Jimmy Ma 46.46
6 Spencer Simon 45.80
7 James Schetelich 41.90
8 Danil Parkman 40.62 (RUS)
9 Artem Tsoglin 30.19 (ISR)
Free Skate
1 Brian Krentz 107.80
2 Patrick Rupp 105.07
3 Graham Newberry 102.73 (GBR)
4 Jimmy Ma 92.88
5 Jack Newberry 90.55 (GBR)
6 James Schetelich 83.63
7 Spencer Simon 82.31
8 Danil Parkman 72.30 (RUS)
9 Artem Tsoglin 57.57 (ISR)
Showing posts with label brian krentz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brian krentz. Show all posts
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Thursday, January 10, 2013
US Nationals Junior Men's Preview
Nathan Chen is back to defend his title and if he is successful, it will be his 4th consecutive national title. He was finally old enough to compete on the Junior Grand Prix this season and set the pace in Austria with a gold medal. He landed a triple axel there and has the 2nd highest score of the season for junior men by only a fraction of a point despite the fact that he doesn't have a quad. His international season was derailed by a growth injury that saw him withdraw from his second event. Unfortunately, this is a long term injury that will limit his training time and effects his ability to perform a full jump repertoire. He didn't attempt a triple axel or a triple lutz at sectionals but has planned his programs to make up for that deficit. He has a triple toe + triple toe and a triple flip planned in the bonus section of his short program and received all level 4s on his spins and steps in the free skate.
Vincent Zhou narrowly defeated Nathan Chen at sectionals and has done so at club competitions earlier this season. He is the reigning Novice Champion and could pull the upset here. He saw a slight decrease in his score from regionals to sectionals but that can be attributed to not receiving credit for a spin in his short program at sectionals. He has some of the most difficult content planned including a triple lutz + triple toe and a triple flip in the bonus section of his short program and a triple flip + double toe + double loop combination as well as a triple lutz + triple toe planned at the end of his free skate. He's got the whole package with Level 4s on all his spins and steps at sectionals.
Jordan Moeller stood on the novice podium just behind Nathan Chen in 2011 but failed to qualify to nationals as a junior last season. He took home gold from both of his qualifying events and is a real medal threat here. He has a triple lutz + triple toe planned in his short program along with a double axel in the bonus. He also has a smart layout in his free skate with a triple flip + double toe + double loop and a double axel + double toe planned in the bonus. He also received Level 4s on his spins.
Shotaro Omori did not qualify for nationals last season but was awarded two JGP events this season. He has a triple lutz + triple toe in his repertoire and has three triple axels planned in his programs. This gives him a huge technical advantage if he hits them as most of the men in this field do not have a triple axel planned at all. However, he missed all three attempts at sectionals which greatly hurt his point total.
Also in the hunt are Nix Phengsy, who finished ahead of Omori at sectionals, and Brian Krentz. Jay Yostanto also has a triple axel but struggled with his triple lutz at sectionals which cost him valuable points.
There are three spots for the men for junior worlds up for grabs at nationals. Unless they qualify for Worlds, two of those spots will likely go to Joshua Farris and Jason Brown who are competing as seniors. Harrison Choate won a medal on the JGP this season and is also competing as a senior at nationals and is also in contention for the Junior Worlds team. Vincent Zhou is not old enough to compete internationally but all of the other men will be looking for the top spot at the podium if they want a chance to make the team.
My podium predictions:
Gold: Nathan Chen
Silver: Vincent Zhou
Bronze: Jordan Moeller
Pewter: Shotaro Omori
Bios of the competitors:
Nathan Chen: He is 13 years old and represents the Salt Lake Figure Skating Club. He is the reigning Junior Champion. He won gold at JGP Austria. He placed 10th in Juvenile in 2007, is the 2008 Juvenile Boys bronze medalist, 2009 Intermediate Men's silver medalist and 2010 and 2011 Novice Men's Champion. He won silver at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals. Internationally, he has the best short program, 2nd best free skate and 2nd best total score. Nationally, he has the 2nd best short program, 2nd best free skate and 2nd best total score.
Brian Krentz: He is 18 years old and represents the Skokie Valley Skating Club. He placed 6th in Novice Men in 2012. He won silver at Upper Great Lakes Regionals and bronze at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 10th best short program, 6th best free skate and 7th best total score nationally.
Lukas Kaugars: He is 17 years old and represents the Broadmoor Skating Club. He placed 20th at JGP Slovenia. He finished 6th in Intermediate Men in 2009, 8th in Novice Men in 2010, 5th in Novice Men in 2011 and 5th in Junior Men in 2012. He won silver at Southwestern Regionals and pewter at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 8th best short program and 10th best total scores nationally.
Jimmy Ma: He is 17 years old and represents the Skating Club of New York. He placed 14th in Intermediate Men in 2010 and 5th in Novice Men in 2012. He won gold at North Atlantic Regionals and silver at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 9th best free skate and 9th best total scores nationally.
Marcus Mimidis: He represents the Skating Club of Wilmington. He placed 11th in Novice Men in 2011 and 19th in Intermediate Men in 2009. He won silver at South Atlantic Regionals and pewter at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.
Jordan Moeller: He is 17 year old and represents the Northern Ice Skating Club. He is the 2011 Novice Silver Medalist and 2010 Intermediate Champion. He finished 8th in Juvenile Boys in 2008 and 13th in Juvenile Boys in 2007. He won gold at Upper Great Lakes Regionals and gold at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the best short program, 3rd best free skate and 3rd best total scores nationally.
Shotaro Omori: He is 17 years old and represents the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club. He placed 4th at JGP Germany and JGP Turkey. He is the 2009 Juvenile Boys Bronze Medalist. He placed 9th in Junior Men in 2011, 9th in Novice Men in 2010 and 5th in Juvenile Boys in 2008. He won pewter at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 4th best short program score, 5th best free skate and 5th best total scores nationally.
Nix Phengsy: He is 17 years old and represents the All Year Figure Skating Club. He is the 2011 Novice Bronze Medalist and 2010 Intermediate Silver Medalist. He finished 16th in Juvenile Boys in 2008. He won silver at Southwest Pacific Regionals and bronze at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 6th best short program, 4th best free skate and 4th best total scores nationally.
James Schetelich: He is 16 years old and represents the Skating Club of New York. He is the reigning Novice Men's Silver Medalist. He placed 18th in Intermediate Men in 2010 and is the 2009 Juvenile Boys pewter medalist. He won bronze at North Atlantic Regionals and bronze at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.
Troy Tomasello: He is 18 years old and represents the Strongsville Skating Club. He finished 19th in Intermediate Men in 2008, 12th in Novice Men in 2010, 8th in Novice Men in 2011 and 8th in Junior Men in 2012. He won silver at Eastern Great Lakes Regionals and silver at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 5th best short program, 7th best free skate and 6th best total scores nationally.
Jay Yostanto: He is 18 years old and represents the Skating Club of New York. He finished 6th at JGP Germany and JGP Austria. He is the 2008 Intermediate Men's bronze medalist, 2009 Novice Men's pewter medalist and finished 7th in Junior Men's in 2012. He won gold at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.
Vincent Zhou: He is 12 years old and represents the All Year Figure Skating Club. He is the reigning Novice Champion. He placed 5th in Juvenile Boys in 2010 and is the 2011 Intermediate Men's Champion. He won gold at Southwest Pacific Regionals and gold at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 3rd best short program, best free skate and best total scores nationally.
Vincent Zhou narrowly defeated Nathan Chen at sectionals and has done so at club competitions earlier this season. He is the reigning Novice Champion and could pull the upset here. He saw a slight decrease in his score from regionals to sectionals but that can be attributed to not receiving credit for a spin in his short program at sectionals. He has some of the most difficult content planned including a triple lutz + triple toe and a triple flip in the bonus section of his short program and a triple flip + double toe + double loop combination as well as a triple lutz + triple toe planned at the end of his free skate. He's got the whole package with Level 4s on all his spins and steps at sectionals.
Jordan Moeller stood on the novice podium just behind Nathan Chen in 2011 but failed to qualify to nationals as a junior last season. He took home gold from both of his qualifying events and is a real medal threat here. He has a triple lutz + triple toe planned in his short program along with a double axel in the bonus. He also has a smart layout in his free skate with a triple flip + double toe + double loop and a double axel + double toe planned in the bonus. He also received Level 4s on his spins.
Shotaro Omori did not qualify for nationals last season but was awarded two JGP events this season. He has a triple lutz + triple toe in his repertoire and has three triple axels planned in his programs. This gives him a huge technical advantage if he hits them as most of the men in this field do not have a triple axel planned at all. However, he missed all three attempts at sectionals which greatly hurt his point total.
Also in the hunt are Nix Phengsy, who finished ahead of Omori at sectionals, and Brian Krentz. Jay Yostanto also has a triple axel but struggled with his triple lutz at sectionals which cost him valuable points.
There are three spots for the men for junior worlds up for grabs at nationals. Unless they qualify for Worlds, two of those spots will likely go to Joshua Farris and Jason Brown who are competing as seniors. Harrison Choate won a medal on the JGP this season and is also competing as a senior at nationals and is also in contention for the Junior Worlds team. Vincent Zhou is not old enough to compete internationally but all of the other men will be looking for the top spot at the podium if they want a chance to make the team.
My podium predictions:
Gold: Nathan Chen
Silver: Vincent Zhou
Bronze: Jordan Moeller
Pewter: Shotaro Omori
Bios of the competitors:
Nathan Chen: He is 13 years old and represents the Salt Lake Figure Skating Club. He is the reigning Junior Champion. He won gold at JGP Austria. He placed 10th in Juvenile in 2007, is the 2008 Juvenile Boys bronze medalist, 2009 Intermediate Men's silver medalist and 2010 and 2011 Novice Men's Champion. He won silver at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals. Internationally, he has the best short program, 2nd best free skate and 2nd best total score. Nationally, he has the 2nd best short program, 2nd best free skate and 2nd best total score.
Brian Krentz: He is 18 years old and represents the Skokie Valley Skating Club. He placed 6th in Novice Men in 2012. He won silver at Upper Great Lakes Regionals and bronze at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 10th best short program, 6th best free skate and 7th best total score nationally.
Lukas Kaugars: He is 17 years old and represents the Broadmoor Skating Club. He placed 20th at JGP Slovenia. He finished 6th in Intermediate Men in 2009, 8th in Novice Men in 2010, 5th in Novice Men in 2011 and 5th in Junior Men in 2012. He won silver at Southwestern Regionals and pewter at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 8th best short program and 10th best total scores nationally.
Jimmy Ma: He is 17 years old and represents the Skating Club of New York. He placed 14th in Intermediate Men in 2010 and 5th in Novice Men in 2012. He won gold at North Atlantic Regionals and silver at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 9th best free skate and 9th best total scores nationally.
Marcus Mimidis: He represents the Skating Club of Wilmington. He placed 11th in Novice Men in 2011 and 19th in Intermediate Men in 2009. He won silver at South Atlantic Regionals and pewter at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.
Jordan Moeller: He is 17 year old and represents the Northern Ice Skating Club. He is the 2011 Novice Silver Medalist and 2010 Intermediate Champion. He finished 8th in Juvenile Boys in 2008 and 13th in Juvenile Boys in 2007. He won gold at Upper Great Lakes Regionals and gold at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the best short program, 3rd best free skate and 3rd best total scores nationally.
Shotaro Omori: He is 17 years old and represents the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club. He placed 4th at JGP Germany and JGP Turkey. He is the 2009 Juvenile Boys Bronze Medalist. He placed 9th in Junior Men in 2011, 9th in Novice Men in 2010 and 5th in Juvenile Boys in 2008. He won pewter at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 4th best short program score, 5th best free skate and 5th best total scores nationally.
Nix Phengsy: He is 17 years old and represents the All Year Figure Skating Club. He is the 2011 Novice Bronze Medalist and 2010 Intermediate Silver Medalist. He finished 16th in Juvenile Boys in 2008. He won silver at Southwest Pacific Regionals and bronze at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 6th best short program, 4th best free skate and 4th best total scores nationally.
James Schetelich: He is 16 years old and represents the Skating Club of New York. He is the reigning Novice Men's Silver Medalist. He placed 18th in Intermediate Men in 2010 and is the 2009 Juvenile Boys pewter medalist. He won bronze at North Atlantic Regionals and bronze at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.
Troy Tomasello: He is 18 years old and represents the Strongsville Skating Club. He finished 19th in Intermediate Men in 2008, 12th in Novice Men in 2010, 8th in Novice Men in 2011 and 8th in Junior Men in 2012. He won silver at Eastern Great Lakes Regionals and silver at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 5th best short program, 7th best free skate and 6th best total scores nationally.
Jay Yostanto: He is 18 years old and represents the Skating Club of New York. He finished 6th at JGP Germany and JGP Austria. He is the 2008 Intermediate Men's bronze medalist, 2009 Novice Men's pewter medalist and finished 7th in Junior Men's in 2012. He won gold at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals.
Vincent Zhou: He is 12 years old and represents the All Year Figure Skating Club. He is the reigning Novice Champion. He placed 5th in Juvenile Boys in 2010 and is the 2011 Intermediate Men's Champion. He won gold at Southwest Pacific Regionals and gold at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 3rd best short program, best free skate and best total scores nationally.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Midwest Sectionals Junior Men's Results
Monday, January 23, 2012
U.S. Nationals: Novice Men's Free Skate
Tony Lu:
Wilbur Ji:
Oleksiy Melnyk:
Chase Belmontes:
Brian Krentz:
Kyle Shropshire: 37.69 TES + 39.35 PCS = 77.04 Total: 116.16 and into 3rd place
Wilbur Ji:
Oleksiy Melnyk:
Chase Belmontes:
Brian Krentz:
Kyle Shropshire: 37.69 TES + 39.35 PCS = 77.04 Total: 116.16 and into 3rd place
- Nice double axel + triple toe to open the program
- Step out of the triple flip
- Nice solid triple toe
- Good camel spin position but it takes him a bit to make the transition into the sit portion of the spin
- Step out of the triple salchow
- Not a very attractive broken leg position in the camel but a nice broken leg in the sit position
- Good double flip
- Triple lutz + double toe + single loop
- Interesting hydroblade with his free leg up in the air
- He doesn't seem to have enough umph behind this step sequence and there isn't a lot of use of his upper body
- Good double axel but his free leg was really low on the landing
- I love how excited he was to see himself on the jumbotron!
- Nice solid opening triple lutz with a good ride out on the landing
- Good triple flip
- Double axel + triple toe
- Nice stretched out positions in his spin and while he doesn't have a lot of speed it remains constant
- A little forward on the trople loop but he hangs on
- Nice camel position but he needs a little more stretch through the catch foot
- Nice triple flip + double toe
- Good speed and ice coverage through this footwork into his triple lutz + double toe + double loop
- He rotates so quickly
- Nice use of his upper body throughout this step sequence and he really gets across the ice quickly
- Triple salchow with a one arm variation on the landing
- Really nice sit spin position with a twist and good speed
- WOW! He nailed it and got people on their feet.
- He opens with a triple + double toe + double loop
- I'm not sold on his jump technique as he gets hunched over and clenches his hands before takeoff but it seems to be working for him for now
- Another beautiful triple flip
- Triple toe + double toe combo right on the music with great height
- Another nice triple
- Pops open his double axel into a single axel + single toe combo
- Triple flip and he hangs on to the landing
- The thing I really like about novice events is that the crowd is quieter and you can hear the coach's reaction
- Double axel was a struggle, probably only a single
- Lots of turns in this step sequence and a few difficult stops of rotation
- Nice twisted sit position
- Triple toe + triple toe to open his program
- Triple flip a little forward on the landing
- Fall on the triple lutz
- Very nice camel position but he could be lower on his sit spin
- Pops open the flip into a single + double toe
- Single axel + double toe
- Good twisted camel position with nice speed into a nice broken leg sit spin
- He seems to be wobbling on a few of these edge changes in the one foot section of his footwork but I really like how the movement flows through his whole body
- Double salchow
- Double axel with a really low landing but he hangs on to it
- Nice speed in the twisted sit spin
- Pops his opening jump into a single
- Single lutz
- He has a wonderful arabesque position and it really shows in the camel and I even like his triangle position
- I like that he still has a pleasant expression on his face after two big mistakes
- Single loop
- Triple flip
- Really close to the boards in a section of his footwork but he keeps pushing through it
- I'd really like to see him stretch through this footwork and really over emphasize the lyrical quality
- Triple lutz + double toe + double loop with a one arm variation
- Really good twisted sit position
- Triple loop + double toe with a little bit of a step back on the second jump
- Double axel + single toe
- I really like that he never gave up on this program despite the problems in the beginning. That says A LOT about him as a competitor that he fought through and came back with a strong finish.
- Triple lutz + double toe to open his program
- Double loop and he never got his body fully pulled in for the rotation
- Triple flip + double toe
- Triple lutz
- Nice position in his camel spin with a nice transition into the catch foot and good speed
- Double axel and he catches his free leg on the landing and stumbles a bit
- He could use more stretch through his free leg in the sit position and his working leg in the upright position
- A lot of twists and turns in the step sequence but not much in his upper body
- Triple flip
- Triple salchow
- Nice transitions between positions in his final spin
- Triple lutz and he squeezes out the landing
- Triple toe
- Triple loop was close to the boards but he lands it
- Good camel spin position into a really nice sit spin position with great speed
- Really nice twisted sit spin position
- Triple salchow + double toe with no speed at the end of either jump
- Really hard fall on the triple toe and he lands almost on his back
- Nice triple salchow to recover
- Solid double axel into another double axel for the sequence
- Lots of difficulty in these steps but not much ice coverage of speed
- Really close to the boards on this final spin...he looked like he was going to hit it on a few of the position changes
| Place | Start No. | Name | Short Program | Free Skate | Total Score | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Score | Place | Score | |||||
| 1 | 7 | Vincent Zhou, Peninsula SC | 1 | 52.45 | 1 | 112.51 | 164.96 | |
| 2 | 11 | James Schetelich, SC of NY | 4 | 46.45 | 2 | 93.32 | 139.77 | |
| 3 | 12 | Spencer Howe, Los Angeles FSC | 5 | 46.06 | 3 | 88.16 | 134.22 | |
| 4 | 10 | Kevin Shum, St. Moritz ISC | 2 | 50.85 | 7 | 81.83 | 132.68 | |
| 5 | 8 | Jimmy Ma, SC of NY | 6 | 43.88 | 4 | 85.41 | 129.29 | |
| 6 | 5 | Brian Krentz, Skokie Valley SC | 7 | 42.06 | 6 | 81.99 | 124.05 | |
| 7 | 9 | Nicholas Vrdoljak, DuPage FSC | 3 | 46.60 | 8 | 77.22 | 123.82 | |
| 8 | 4 | Chase Belmontes, Broadmoor SC | 10 | 40.24 | 5 | 82.86 | 123.10 | |
| 9 | 6 | Kyle Shropshire, Wagon Wheel FSC | 11 | 39.12 | 9 | 77.04 | 116.16 | |
| 10 | 1 | Tony Lu, SC of Wilmington | 9 | 41.07 | 10 | 73.03 | 114.10 | |
| 11 | 3 | Oleksiy Melnyk, WA FSC | 8 | 41.97 | 11 | 71.93 | 113.90 | |
| 12 | 2 | Wilbur Ji, SC of San Francisco | 12 | 38.24 | 12 | 70.20 | 108.44 | |
Monday, December 26, 2011
U.S. Nationals Novice Men's Preview
Vincent Zhou enters this event as the favorite after winning both of his qualifying events this season by comfortable margins. At just 11 years old, he already has one national championship to his name, winning the intermediate level last season. He has double axels and lots of triple jumps and while not everything is the prettiest, he is fairly consistent and sticks his landings. He has the top two scores of the season by a comfortable margin and should win this event solidly.
Here's the video of his winning performance at Junior Nationals last season.
Kevin Shum finished 2nd behind Zhou at both of his events last season and had consistent scoring between the two events. He lost points when he completed an illegal triple+triple combination in his short program at Sectionals but that technical prowess could give him an edge if he uses it correctly. He is also one of two skaters that made it to nationals at the novice level last season and that experience should allow him to better handle the pressure of skating in a larger event with bigger crowds.
The rest of the skaters are fairly evenly matched, and I think the whole event will be close, especially the race for the podium. Of the rest of the field, Tony Lu had the highest scores and was the most consistent between events so I give him a slight edge.
My podium predictions:
Gold: Vincent Zhou
Silver: Kevin Shum
Bronze: Tony Lu
Pewter: Spencer Howe
Bios of the competitors:
Tony Lu: He is 12 years old and competes on behalf of the Skating Club of Wilmington. He is the 2010 Juvenile Boys Silver Medalist and finished 18th in Juvenile Boys in 2009. He won gold at South Atlantic Regionals and Eastern Sectionals to qualify for Nationals. He has the 7th best short program, 3rd best free skate and 4th best total score.
Jimmy Ma: He placed 14th in Intermediate Men in 2010. He won silver at North Atlantic Regionals and Eastern Sectionals to qualify for Nationals. He has the 2nd best short program, 8th best free skate and 5th best total score.
Oleksiy Melnyk: He is 14 years old and competes on behalf of the Washington Figure Skating Club. He is the 2011 Intermediate Men's Silver Medalist and finished 7th in Juvenile Boys in 2009. He won silver at South Atlantic Regionals and the pewter medal at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for Nationals. He has the 9th best short program and 10th best total score.
James Schetelich: He is 15 years old and represents the Skating Club of New York. He placed 18th in Intermediate Men in 2010 and is the 2009 Juvenile Boys pewter medalist. He won gold at North Atlantic Regionals and the bronze medal at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for Nationals. He has the 3rd best short program and 6th best free skate and total scores.
Chase Belmontes: He represents the Broadmoor Skating Club. He placed 20th in Intermediate Men in 2010. He won gold at Southwestern Regionals and silver at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 10th best short program, 7th best free skate and 8th best total score.
Brian Krentz: He represents the Skokie Valley Skating Club. He placed 5th in Intermediate Pairs in 2011. He won gold Upper Great Lakes Regionals and Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 4th best free skate and 7th best total score.
Kyle Shropshire: He represents the Wagon Wheel Skating Club. He placed 13th in Intermediate Men in 2010. He won the bronze medal at Upper Great Lakes Regionals and pewter medal at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 9th best free skate and 10th best total score.
Nicholas Vrdoljak: He is 15 years old and competes for Northern Ice Skating Club. He is the 2009 Juvenile Boys Champion and placed 5th in Intermediate Men in 2010 and 14th in Juvenile Boys in 2008. He won the silver medal at Upper Great Lakes Sectionals and bronze at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 6th best short program and 9th best total score.
Spencer Howe: He is 15 years old and represents the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club. He is the 2009 Juvenile Boys silver medalist, placed 16th in Intermediate Men in 2010 and 6th in Novice Men in 2011. He won bronze at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 5th best short program and free skate and 3rd best total score.
Wilbur Ji: He represents the Skating Club of San Francisco. He won bronze at Central Pacific Regionals and the pewter medal at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for Nationals.
Kevin Shum: He represents the St. Moritz Ice Skating Club. He is the 2008 Juvenile Boys Champion, placed 7th in Intermediate Men in 2009, 6th in Intermediate Men in 2010 and 9th in Novice Men in 2011. He won silver at Central Pacific Regionals and Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 4th best short program and 2nd best free skate and total score.
Vincent Zhou: He is 11 years old and represents the Peninsula Skating Club. He placed 5th in Juvenile Boys in 2010 and is the reigning Intermediate Men's Champion. He won gold at Central Pacific Regionals and Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the best short program, free skate and total score.
Here's the video of his winning performance at Junior Nationals last season.
Kevin Shum finished 2nd behind Zhou at both of his events last season and had consistent scoring between the two events. He lost points when he completed an illegal triple+triple combination in his short program at Sectionals but that technical prowess could give him an edge if he uses it correctly. He is also one of two skaters that made it to nationals at the novice level last season and that experience should allow him to better handle the pressure of skating in a larger event with bigger crowds.
The rest of the skaters are fairly evenly matched, and I think the whole event will be close, especially the race for the podium. Of the rest of the field, Tony Lu had the highest scores and was the most consistent between events so I give him a slight edge.
My podium predictions:
Gold: Vincent Zhou
Silver: Kevin Shum
Bronze: Tony Lu
Pewter: Spencer Howe
Bios of the competitors:
Tony Lu: He is 12 years old and competes on behalf of the Skating Club of Wilmington. He is the 2010 Juvenile Boys Silver Medalist and finished 18th in Juvenile Boys in 2009. He won gold at South Atlantic Regionals and Eastern Sectionals to qualify for Nationals. He has the 7th best short program, 3rd best free skate and 4th best total score.
Jimmy Ma: He placed 14th in Intermediate Men in 2010. He won silver at North Atlantic Regionals and Eastern Sectionals to qualify for Nationals. He has the 2nd best short program, 8th best free skate and 5th best total score.
Oleksiy Melnyk: He is 14 years old and competes on behalf of the Washington Figure Skating Club. He is the 2011 Intermediate Men's Silver Medalist and finished 7th in Juvenile Boys in 2009. He won silver at South Atlantic Regionals and the pewter medal at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for Nationals. He has the 9th best short program and 10th best total score.
James Schetelich: He is 15 years old and represents the Skating Club of New York. He placed 18th in Intermediate Men in 2010 and is the 2009 Juvenile Boys pewter medalist. He won gold at North Atlantic Regionals and the bronze medal at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for Nationals. He has the 3rd best short program and 6th best free skate and total scores.
Chase Belmontes: He represents the Broadmoor Skating Club. He placed 20th in Intermediate Men in 2010. He won gold at Southwestern Regionals and silver at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 10th best short program, 7th best free skate and 8th best total score.
Brian Krentz: He represents the Skokie Valley Skating Club. He placed 5th in Intermediate Pairs in 2011. He won gold Upper Great Lakes Regionals and Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 4th best free skate and 7th best total score.
Kyle Shropshire: He represents the Wagon Wheel Skating Club. He placed 13th in Intermediate Men in 2010. He won the bronze medal at Upper Great Lakes Regionals and pewter medal at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 9th best free skate and 10th best total score.
Nicholas Vrdoljak: He is 15 years old and competes for Northern Ice Skating Club. He is the 2009 Juvenile Boys Champion and placed 5th in Intermediate Men in 2010 and 14th in Juvenile Boys in 2008. He won the silver medal at Upper Great Lakes Sectionals and bronze at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 6th best short program and 9th best total score.
Spencer Howe: He is 15 years old and represents the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club. He is the 2009 Juvenile Boys silver medalist, placed 16th in Intermediate Men in 2010 and 6th in Novice Men in 2011. He won bronze at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 5th best short program and free skate and 3rd best total score.
Wilbur Ji: He represents the Skating Club of San Francisco. He won bronze at Central Pacific Regionals and the pewter medal at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for Nationals.
Kevin Shum: He represents the St. Moritz Ice Skating Club. He is the 2008 Juvenile Boys Champion, placed 7th in Intermediate Men in 2009, 6th in Intermediate Men in 2010 and 9th in Novice Men in 2011. He won silver at Central Pacific Regionals and Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the 4th best short program and 2nd best free skate and total score.
Vincent Zhou: He is 11 years old and represents the Peninsula Skating Club. He placed 5th in Juvenile Boys in 2010 and is the reigning Intermediate Men's Champion. He won gold at Central Pacific Regionals and Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals. He has the best short program, free skate and total score.
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