Event Coverage – 2018 U.S. National Championships

FD: Summertime 

Career Highlights:   
4th – 2018 Midwestern Sectional Championships
8th – 2017 U.S. National Championships (novice)
3rd – 2017 Midwestern Sectional Championships
5th – 2016 U.S. National Championships (intermediate)
6th – 2016 U.S. National Championships (juvenile)

Team Notes:  Blahunka & Shawer are competing in their third U.S. Championships. From the beginning of their partnership in 2014, Izzy and Will have been known as Team Wizzy.

Coach(es): Andrew Lavrik
Choreographer(s): Info not available
Club(s): SC of New York

FD: “Traeme Paz” by Patricia Vonne and “Malaguena” by Brian Setzer

Career Highlights:   
1st – 2018 Eastern Sectional Championships
4th – 2017 U.S. Challenge Skate
12th – 2017 U.S. National Championships
4th – 2017 Eastern Sectional Championships

Team Notes:  This is the second U.S. Championships for the Brown siblings.

Coach(es): Igor Shpilband
Choreographer(s): Igor Shpilband
Club(s): St. Paul FSC

FD:   Music from The Prince of Egypt

Career Highlights:   
2nd – 2018 Midwestern Sectional Championships
3rd – 2017 U.S. National Championships
1st – 2017 Midwestern Sectional Championships
5th – 2016 U.S. National Championships (intermediate)
10th – 2015 U.S. National Championships (juvenile)

Team Notes:  Brykalova & Brykalov are a sibling team from Minnesota who starting ice dancing in 2013. 

Coach(es): Marina Zoueva and Oleg Epstein
Choreographer(s): Info not available
Club(s):  Seattle SC / Peninsula SC

FD: “My Sweet and Tender Beast” by Eugene Doga

Career Highlights:   
2nd – 2018 Pacific Coast Sectional Championships
1st – 2017 U.S. Challenge Skate

Team Notes: Buckley & Chen teamed up in 2017.

Coach(es): Elena Dostatni
Choreographer(s): Info not available
Club(s): Broadmoor SC

FD: “Smooth” by Carlos Santana featuring Rob Thomas and “That Man” by Caro Emerald

Career Highlights:   
3rd – 2018 Midwestern Sectional Championships

Team Notes: Flores & Gumba are competing in their first U.S. Championships.

FD: Music from Grease

Career Highlights:   
3rd – 2018 Eastern Sectional Championships
3rd – 2017 U.S. Challenge Skate
5th – 2017 Eastern Sectional Championships
4th – 2016 U.S. National Championships
4th – 2015 U.S. National Championships

Team Notes: Lin & Sletten have been skating together since 2014.

Coach(es): Dmitri Boundakin with assistance from Oleg Voyko and Ekaterina Gvozdkova
Choreographer(s): Douglas Webster and Carly Donowick (FD opening); Ekaterina Gvozdkova (FD)
Club(s): Hickory Hill FSC / All Year FSC

FD: Music from Alegria (Cirque du Soleil)

Career Highlights:   
1st – 2018 Pacific Coast Sectional Championships
5th – 2017 U.S. Challenge Skate

Team Notes: Liu & Slevira teamed up in 2017.

Coach(es): Dmitri Boundoukin, Svetlana Kulikova, Alexei Komarov, Felita Carr
Choreographer(s): Svetlana Kulikova
Club(s): Colonial FSC / All Year FSC

FD: “La valse d’Amélie (orchestral version), Comptine d’un autre été : L’après-midi, La noyée” by Yann Tiersen from the Amelie soundtrack

Career Highlights:  
4th – 2018 Eastern Sectional Championships
6th – 2017 U.S. Challenge Skate
10th – 2017 U.S. National Championships
4th – 2017 Pacific Coast Sectional Championships 

Team Notes:  Pettersson and Carey are competing in their third season together. This is their second trip to the U.S. Championships.

Coach(es): Michelle Marvin, CG Lee, Robbie Kaine
Choreographer(s): Michelle Marvin, CG Lee
Club(s): All Year FSC / Philadelphia SC and HS

FD: “Five Months, Two Weeks, Two Days” by Louis Prima, “Si Tu Vois Ma Mere” by Sidney Bechet and “Sing Sing Sing” by Louis Prima

Career Highlights:   
5th – 2017 U.S. National Championships
3rd – 2017 Pacific Coast Sectional Championships
3rd – 2017 Lake Placid Ice Dance International (Adv. Novice)

Team Notes:  
Pride & Lawless are competing in their second U.S. National Championships.

Coach(es): Alexei Kiliakov, Elena Novak and Dmytri Ilin
Choreographer(s): Alexei Kiliakov, Elena Novak
Club(s): Washington FSC

FD:  “Derap” by Hugues Le Bars

Career Highlights:   
2nd – 2018 Eastern Sectional Championships
7th – 2017 U.S. Challenge Skate
4th – 2017 U.S. National Championships
2nd – 2017 Eastern Sectional Championships
1st – 2016 U.S. Championships (intermediate)
1st – 2015 U.S. Championships (juvenile)

Team Notes:  Tkachenko & Kiliakov are two-time U.S. National Champions (juvenile and intermediate).  They are coached by Kiliakov’s parents.

Coach(es): John Kerr
Choreographer(s): John Kerr
Club(s): Los Angeles FSC / Pines SMC

FD: “Smile” and “L-O-V-E” by Nat King Cole

Career Highlights:   

4th – 2018 Pacific Coast Sectional Championships

Team Notes: Weatherby & Bogomol are competing in their first U.S. Championships.

Coach(es): Angelika Krylova, Pasquale Camerlengo, Natalia Deller, Paul Bellantuono
Choreographer(s): Angelika Krylova, Pasquale Camerlengo
Club(s): Peninsula SC / Detroit SC

FD:  Music from the La La Land soundtrack

Career Highlights:   
1st – 2018 Midwestern Championships
2nd – 2017 U.S. Challenge Skate
1st – 2017 U.S. National Championships
1st – 2017 Pacific Coast Sectional Championships

Team Notes:  
Wolfkostin & Zhao started skating together in June 2016.

Coach(es): Marina Zoueva and Oleg Epstein
Choreographer(s): Info not available
Club(s): Arctic FSC / All Year FSC

FD: Music from The Artist

Career Highlights:   
4th – 2018 Pacific Coast Sectional Championships

Team Notes: 

Coach(es): Info not available
Choreographer(s): Info not available
Club(s): Warwick Figure Skaters

FD: “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”, “Lucy in the Sky with Diamond” and “Hey Jude” by the Beatles

Career Highlights:   
4th – 2018 Eastern Sectional Championships

Team Notes: Aruda & Alexander are competing in their first U.S. Championships.

FD: “Almost Paradise” by Mike Reno and Ann Wilson and “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins from the Footloose soundtrack

Career Highlights:   

2nd – 2018 Midwestern Sectional Championships
11th – 2017 U.S. National Championships
4th – 2017 Midwestern Sectional Championships

Team Notes: Brown & Driscoll are competing in their second U.S. Championships.

Coach(es): Alexei Kiliakov, Elena Novak, Dmytri Ilin and Ramil Sarkulov
Choreographer(s): Info not available
Club(s): Washington FSC / Washington FSC

FD: “Nocturne” and “The Reel” by Secret Garden, 

Career Highlights:   
1st – 2018 Eastern Sectional Championships
6th – 2017 U.S. National Championships
2nd – 2017 Eastern Sectional Championships
3rd – 2016 U.S. Championships (juvenile)
8th – 2015 U.S. Championships (juvenile) 

Team Notes:  Cain & Davydov have been a team since 2013.

Coach(es): Nathan Truesdell
Choreographer(s): Info not available
Club(s): Triangle FSC

FD: “Dark Eyes” by Andre Rieu

Career Highlights:   
3rd – 2017 Eastern Sectional Championships
1st – 2017 U.S. National Championships
1st – 2017 Eastern Sectional Championships
7th – 2016 U.S. National Championships

Team Notes:  Efimova & Zhao are in the third year of their partnership.  Efimova’s older sister, Alina, is also competing at the 2018 U.S. Championships in ice danceing (junior).

Coach(es):  Gary Shortland
Choreographer(s): Info not available
Club(s): All Year FSC / FSC of Charlotte

FD:  Music from My Fair Lady

Career Highlights:   
2nd – 2018 Pacific Coast Sectional Championships
5th – 2017 U.S. National Championships
3rd – 2017 Eastern Sectional Championships

Team Notes: This is Foti & Bennett’s second trip to the U.S. Championships.

Coach(es): Slava Uchitel
Choreographer(s): Info not available
Club(s): Philadelphia SC & HS / Peninsula SC

FD: “Good Morning Baltimore” by Nikki Blonsky and “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from Hairspray

Career Highlights:   
2nd – 2018 Eastern Sectional Championships

Team Notes: Gissibl & Colucci are competing in their first U.S. Championships.

Coach(es): Info not available
Choreographer(s): Info not available
Club(s):  Dallas FSC

FD: “Shatritsa” by Tatyana Komova and Georgy Quick

Career Highlights:   
4th – 2018 Midwestern Sectional Championships

Team Notes: Johnston & Zharkov are a new team this season.

Coach(es): Naomi Lang and Todd Gilles
Choreographer(s): Info not available
Club(s): Kent Valley FSC / Coyotes SC of Arizona

FD: “I Put a Spell on You”

Career Highlights:   
3rd – 2018 Pacific Coast Sectional Championships

Team Notes: Koncius & Ayers are competing at their first U.S. Championships.

Coach(es): Nick Traxler and Kristen Nardozzi
Choreographer(s): Info not available
Club(s): Lone Star FSC / St. Peters FSA

FD: “Don’t Stop Believin'” by the Glee cast

Career Highlights:   
3rd – 2018 Midwestern Sectional Championships
10th – 2017 U.S. National Championships
5th – 2017 Midwestern Sectional Championships

Team Notes: Lassiter & Anderson are competing in their second U.S. Championships.

Coach(es): Robert Peal
Choreographer(s): Robert Peal
Club(s): Skokie Valley SC

FD: Music from Beetlejuice

Career Highlights:   
1st – 2018 Midwestern Sectional Championships
3rd – 2017 U.S. National Championships
1st – 2017 Midwestern Sectional Championships

Team Notes:  The Peal siblings are coached by their father, Robert, who is a former U.S. ice dancer. Ethan qualified for the U.S. Championships in juvenile singles.

Coach(es): Info not available
Choreographer(s): Info not available
Club(s): IceWorks SC / All Year FSC

FD: Theme from Bewitched!, “Witchcraft” and “BeWitched” by Frank Sinatra, 

Career Highlights:   
1st – 2018 Pacific Coast Sectional Championships

Team Notes: This is Schaub & Haddad’s first season as a team.

Coach(es): Paul Bellantuono, Natalia Deller
Choreographer(s): Info not available
Club(s): Detroit SC

FD: “I Want You Back” and “I’ll Be There” by the Jackson 5 and “Don’t Stop (’til you get enough)” by Michael Jackson

Career Highlights:   
2nd – 2018 Midwestern Sectional Championships
6th – 2017 Midwestern Sectional Championships

Team Notes: Bland & Francis are competing in their second season as a team.

Coach(es): Info not available
Choreographer(s): Info not available
Club(s): Skokie Valley Skating Club

FD: “Come What May” by Jesse Cook, “Bamboleo” by Gipsy Kings

Career Highlights:   
4th – 2018 Midwestern Sectional Championships

Team Notes:  Bell also competes in juvenile singles and finished sixth at Midwestern Sectionals.

Coach(es): Alexei Kiliakov, Elena Novak, Dmytri Ilin and Ramil Sarkulov
Choreographer(s): Info not available
Club(s): Peninsula SC / Washington FSC

FD: “Moonlight Serenade” by Frank Valdor and his Orchestra and “Puttin’ On the Ritz” by Tom Chambers and the ‘Top Hat’ Company

Career Highlights:   
2nd – 2018 Pacific Coast Sectional Championships

Team Notes: Chunikhin & Korotcov moved up from the pre-juvenile level this seaon. 

Coach(es): Jamie Burns
Choreographer(s): Info not available
Club(s): St. Paul FSC

FD: “When I’m Sixty-Four”, “Twist and Shout” and “Ob-La-Di, Ob La Da” by the Beatles

Career Highlights:   
3rd – 2018 Midwestern Sectional Championships

Team Notes: Clift & Kruegar are a new team this season.

Coach(es): Adrienne Koob-Doddy
Choreographer(s): Slava Uchitel
Club(s): IceWorks SC / Peninsula SC

FD: “Candy Man” by Christina Aguilera, and “Moonlight Serenade” by Beegie Adair

Career Highlights:   
3rd – 2018 Pacific Coast Sectional Championships

Team Notes: Epps & Gilman are competing in their first U.S. Championships.  They won the Lift Award at the 2018 Pacific Coast Sectionals.

Coach(es): Jeannie Widlicka-Lafornara 
Choreographer(s): Info not available
Club(s): Amherst Skating Club / Niagara University SC

FD: “All You Need is Love”, “Long and Winding Road” and “Love me do” by the Beatles

Career Highlights:   

2nd – 2018 Eastern Sectional Championships
5th – 2017 Eastern Sectional Championships

Team Notes: Halim & Lafornara are in their second season as a team.

Coach(es): Svetlana Kulikova, Denys Latyshev and Mathew Gates
Choreographer(s):  Svetlana Kulikova & Mathew Gates
Club(s): SC of Wilmington / Charter Oak FSC

FD: Music from The Artist

Career Highlights:   

1st – 2018 Eastern Sectional Championships

Team Notes: After five weeks together, Hauer & Starr placed first in the free dance at LPIDC.  Jenna is from Virginia and Ben from Connecticut.

Coach(es): Alexei Kiliakov, Elena Novak, Dmytri Ilin and Ramil Sarkulov
Choreographer(s): Info not available
Club(s): Washington FSC

FD: “Rockin’ Robin” and “Only You”

Career Highlights:   
3rd – 2018 Eastern Sectional Championships

Team Notes: Ilin & Cain moved up from the pre-juvenile level this seaon. 

Coach(es): Info not available
Choreographer(s): Info not available
Club(s):  SC of Boston

FD: “Gimme That Swing!” by Cissie Redgwick

Career Highlights:   

4th – 2018 Eastern Sectional Championships
7th – 2017 Eastern Sectional Championships

Team Notes:  L’Esperance & Amdour are competing in their second season as a team.

Coach(es): Info not available
Choreographer(s): Info not available
Club(s): St. Moritz ISC, Stockton FSC

FD: “Step in Time” from Mary Poppins (the Broadway Musical)

Career Highlights:   
4th – 2018 Pacific Coast Sectional Championships

Team Notes:  

Coach(es): Alexei Kiliakov, Elena Novak, Dmytri Ilin and Ramil Sarkulov
Choreographer(s): Info not available
Club(s):  Peninsula SC / SC of Northern VA

FD: “Ah Helidoni Mou” by Bouzouki Kings, “Zorba” by Diler Ebepri and “Zorba the Greek” by Bouzouki Kings

Career Highlights:   

1st – 2018 Pacific Coast Sectional Championships

Team Notes: Sensenbrenner & Sperry are a new team this season.

Coach(es): Natalia Deller
Choreographer(s): Info not available
Club(s): Detroit SC

FD: “Cotton Eye Joe” by Vanessa Mae, “The Old Country Waltz” by Neil Young, “Cotton Eye Joe” by Rednex

Career Highlights:   
1st – 2018 Midwestern Sectional Championships

Team Notes:  Weishaus & Sainte-Marie are a new team this season.

1. Lauren Capehart / Stephen Chasman
2. Jane Summersett / Elliot Pennington
3. Emily Samuelson / Evan Bates
4. Elizabeth Palmer / Ryland Stucke