I’m back from South Atlantic Regionals, and all in all it wasn’t too bad. Considering I’ve had less than about ten weeks to train for it (the last two weeks I spent in physical therapy daily getting a hematoma ultrasounded and stemmed on my left hip). I ended up fifth overall, and I made first alternate to Eastern Sectionals. This year being off the ice for about five months from about January through June and with such a limited time to get ready, we all decided that I would do the triple flip/double toe loop combination in the short, and get it out in front of the judges in competition. Last year was the year of the triple lutz/double toe loop in competition. Now I’ve done the triple lutz/double toe loop and triple flip/double toe loop in my short programs at competitions. It might have taken me two years to do it because I’ve only done one jump combo each year, but I did it!

I went in new boots today, it feels so good to have support under me, especially when I land jumps. It’s kind of hard to stick landings when your boots can’t hold you securely.

I was so happy when I landed the triple flip/double toe in my short program at Regionals (even if I did step out) because I hadn’t rotated a flip for about two weeks or so. The day of my short program competition on my afternoon practice ice with Liz, I landed two out of three triple flips and stepped out of one. On my official practice ice I only did double flip, on my six-minute warm-up I did double flip again. In the program I did the triple loop, triple flip step out double toe and I was feeling good! I continued on and landed a double axel. The long program I did triple flip (step out), two double axels, two triple loops (stepped out of one, and fell on one - oops) double lutz and double salchow. I’m very sure that if I had had more time on the ice instead of off the ice this past year things would have been quite different. There is always next year and I am so looking forward to it. We have decided to keep my short program from this year, “Kismet,” and my new long program will be “Seven Years In Tibet.”

I want to congratulate my little sister, Jenna, for winning the silver in the Intermediate Ladies Final at Regionals. Thank you, Jenna, because of you we all get to go to Junior Nationals in Lake Placid this December!

Photograph by Tisa Delavolpe, courtesy of Shayna Syken.  Skate photograph copyright © Dave Amorde.  Unless otherwise noted, all content Do not reproduce elsewhere without permission.