Ann Arbor Training Mates Battle it Out in Junior Compulsory Dance
by Daphne Backman
 (1/22/07) - The junior ice dancing event at the 2007 State Farm U.S. Championships got under way in Spokane Monday with two teams from Ann Arbor, Mich., claiming the top spots after the compulsory dance.
The past few months have been leading to a showdown between training mates Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates, and Madison Hubbell and Keiffer Hubbell. Both teams were successful on the Junior Grand Prix circuit with Samuelson and Bates winning both of their events, and Hubbell and Hubbell winning silver and gold. A showdown in the Junior Grand Prix Final ended with Hubbell and Hubbell on top and Samuelson and Bates claiming the silver – a successful feat for two U.S. ice dancing teams.
Fast forward to the U.S. Championships where Samuelson and Bates finished first in both compulsory dances and now lead the event with 35.75 points, just 1.12 ahead of their training mates.
“We skated really well today, actually,” Bates said. “Both of our compulsories were well skated we thought for us. We felt strong, so it’s confidence we can take to tomorrow for our original dance.”
Samuelson and Bates normally train on an Olympic-size rink, but for the past few weeks cut the rink down to NHL size to train for this event. One pattern of the blues came a bit closer to the boards than expected.
“The corner came very quickly,” Bates said. “It was a little closer than where we would have been, but I think we handled it well.”
Samuelson and Bates appreciated the opportunities of traveling to different competition locations this fall.
“It was really nice to have the practice skating in front of different audiences,” Samuelson said.
“We put our programs in front of the technical callers and technical assistants and get feedback on levels,” Bates said. “We learn how to compete overseas with time changes and you never know what to expect. It’s nice before nationals to see what elements work, and we were very fortunate to have these opportunities.”
The Hubbells were pleased with the way they skated today. Their favorite of the two is the Midnight Blues because they prefer the artistic factor of the blues. They also feel that the Midnight Blues highlights their height and matching lines.
”We skated well,” Keiffer said. “We’re proud of the way we performed”.
Madison, though not a fan of compulsory dances, doesn’t feel they should be eliminated.
“I don’t think they should be eliminated because I feel like they’re really a true showing of how much technical ability someone does have,” Madison said. “I feel that in a choreographed program, [a team] can kind of hide [its] bad qualities, and compulsories just puts them (skills) out on display, so you really have to work on them.”
Pilar Bosley and John Corona are ecstatic to be in third place. Bosley suffered a severe bone bruise to her hip at practice on Sunday night while running through their original dance. At that time, they were unsure if they would be able to compete today.
“We were picking up after midline, and I do this move when I swing around him, and my left leg flew out right from underneath me and I ran into the wall right on my hip,” Bosley said. “It hurt, but our music was on so we went to pick it up at the stop before the spin. We went to our diagonal step sequence, and I do a twizzle on my left foot. It just kind of gave out and I flew right down on my hip. It was excruciating pain, but it’s better now.”
Bosley is appreciative of the medical staff’s efforts to help her compete today. The team scored 29.89 overall and were third in the Silver Samba and fourth in the Midnight Blues.
Close behind in fourth with a score of 29.33 are Shannon Wingle and Ryan Devereaux, with Piper Gilles and Tim McKernan in fifth with 29.08. Lynn Kriengkrairut and Logan Giulietti-Schmitt round out the top six with 28.45.
Less than two points separates third place and seventh.
The event continues with the original dance on Tuesday evening at the Convention Center.
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