The 2023 National Qualifying Series kicked off with the Dallas Classic and Cactus Classic competitions, where skaters began their journey toward qualifying for the Sectional and U.S. Finals. With the first two competitions completed, the 2022-23 U.S. Qualifying Season has officially begun.
Keep reading below for a few highlights from the series so far:
- Ice dance teams began their season in Allen, Texas, at the Dallas Classic, where Lorraine McNamara (Peninsula SC) and Anton Spiridinov (ION FSC) dominated the senior dance competition with 171.31 points.
- Reigning U.S. junior champions Leah Neset and Artem Markelov (Magic City FSC) competed at Dallas Classic, where they won the junior combined dance event with 160.13 total points. “2022 Dallas Classic was a great start to our season with a personal best in our free dance,” the team stated. “This competition was our first step toward our goal of winning the Junior World Championships this season.”
- At the Cactus Classic in Scottsdale, Arizona, Nicole Park (Glacier Falls FSC) won the senior women’s competition with 158.19 total points, and Goku Endo (Los Angeles FSC) launched his season with 170.32 total points in the senior men’s event.
- At the Cactus Classic, novice skater Keira Hilbelink received an official’s shoutout for her “fantastic performance with six clean triples and a huge personal best score.”
2022 Skate Detroit is currently underway, with pairs and singles athletes competing throughout the weekend. Ice dance returns on July 26 with the Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships.
Check out full results and information on upcoming competitions on the 2023 National Qualifying Series Competition Central. Learn more about the National Qualifying Series here.
