Photo credit Danielle Earl/U.S. Figure Skating
By Troy Schwindt
Patrick Blackwell took a commanding lead in the junior men’s event after the short program, while junior pairs team Reagan Moss and Jakub Galbavy sit in first place, a fraction of a point ahead of defending champions Olivia Flores and Luke Wang.
In the junior rhythm dance, Hana Maria Aboian and Daniil Veselukhin lead Elliana Peal and Ethan Peal by less than one point at the top of the standings.
The leaders in the novice pairs and novice ice dance competitions are clinging to one-point advantages, as well.
Blackwell Paces Junior Men
Blackwell enjoyed a sterling U.S. Championships debut with the top short program of the event and a personal best score of 77.73 points.
Skating to “Love Is a Bitch” by Two Feet, Blackwell was nearly mistake-free, finishing with Level 4s across the board and a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination that generated 12.53 points.
“It was such an improvement from the Junior Grand Prix events, other than the hand down on the Axel,” Blackwell said. “I really tried to focus on the [Level] 4s for this competition, the spins and especially the step sequence. I’m glad the jumps worked out well, too.”
Having international experience this past fall paid off as he was able to keep his nerves under control in Wichita, he said.
Blackwell is excited to showcase his free skate, which includes a backflip and raspberry twist made notable by World and U.S. champion Ilia Malinin.
Except for one fall, Elano Lorenzo was also outstanding, taking second place after the short. Performing to “Empty Chairs and Empty Tables” by Eddie Redmayne, Lorenzo opened the program with a strong triple Lutz-triple toe loop – which tied for the highest-scoring element of the event – and achieved the top program components score of the competition with 35.19 points. He notched a score of 71.60.
“[The program] was OK,” said Lorenzo, who was sixth in 2024 in the junior ranks. “It’s not what I do in practice, but I’m happy with the scores.”
Aleksandr Fegan placed third with 70.29 points. Fegan, the 2024 U.S. junior bronze medalist and only returning medalist from last year’s event, skated to “Boléro” by Maurice Ravel. The highlight of his performance was a triple Salchow-triple loop worth 11.82 points.
“My goal is always to stay clean, and I was able to do that today,” Fegan said. “I felt a little more nervous this time around, but it also felt good to be back and skate in this arena with all the top skaters in the United States.”
Vaclav Vasquez sits fourth with a score of 62.73.
Almost a Dead Heat at Top of Junior Pairs
The junior pairs team of Moss and Galbavy sit in first place after the short program, 0.11 points ahead of defending champions Flores and Wang.
The Minnesota-based Moss and Galbavy achieved a personal best score of 55.89, more than five points higher than their previous best.
Performing to “You Are The Reason” by Leona Lewis and Calum Scott, they posted the top technical element score with 33.28 points, which included Level 4s for their spin, lift and step sequence. They also landed their throw triple Salchow.
“[The program) felt good,” Moss said. “It got a little shaky at the end, but we felt happy with the performance. It was really fun. The vibe was so good. We could look at the people in the stands and smile and make them smile. ... We’ll take a calm energy into tomorrow’s free skate.”
Flores and Wang, who have medaled at every event they’ve competed at since the 2024 U.S. Championships, including silver at the 2024 World Junior Championships and the 2024 Junior Grand Prix Final, achieved the top program components score of the event with 26.32 points, skating to “Golden Slumbers” and “Carry That Weight” by Jennifer Hudson. Flores donned a new purple dress for the routine.
“It was like a fight,” Wang said. “We honestly have been training super well in terms of our short program and felt confident coming in here, so not what we hoped for. We are still happy we fought through, and we tried some things new to this event.”
On Wednesday, Flores and Wang can become the first junior pairs team ever to win two consecutive U.S. titles, but are focusing on using this competition as a “stepping stone” to build their foundation, confidence and consistency.
“We are building a different kind of sophistication and level to our programs,” Wnag said, adding they’ll be showcasing a different jump layout in their free skate.
Saya Carpenter and Jon Maravilla secured third place with 52.00 points. A Level 4 lift and all positive GOEs propelled the Michigan team.
“We are happy we landed everything and stayed on our feet,” Maravilla said. “It was a personal best. We got injured several months ago and had to skip the [U.S.] Pairs Final, so it’s nice to come back and have a good performance. ... We had a good season up until that point, so it was kind of like ‘stop the train’ a little bit. It’s nice to finally build back. I wasn’t an easy road.”
Boston’s Sofia Jarmoc and Luke Witkowski are fourth with 50.20 points.
Aboian and Veselukhin Lead in Tight Junior Ice Dance Race
Aboian and Veselukhin channeled Blondie and Amii Stewart to victory in the rhythm dance. Skating to “Heart of Glass” and “Knock on Wood,” the team from Connecticut cut loose and posted a score of 65.00.
Their midline step sequence generated a program-best 9.96 points.
“[The rhythm dance] was one of our better runs so far in competition. …I like the essence of Blondie and her sassiness intertwined with eccentric attitude of Amii Stewart.”
Peal and Peal posted a U.S. personal best score of 64.23.
“We normally go into the free dance being the underdog. Every junior nationals, we always got fourth or fifth in the rhythm then pull up to second or third or podium in the free, so it feels really good to be in this position.”
The Peals, who finished second at the Junior Grand Prix Final last month and are the reigning U.S. junior bronze medalists, achieved the top program components score of the rhythm dance with a mark of 29.56.
Olivia Ilin and Dylan Cain, who returned to the U.S. Championships after competing at the Youth Olympic Games last year, finished third in the segment with 57.54 points.
“It was OK,” Ilin said of their performance. “Definitely felt free on the ice. Some technical things could have been better, but just happy we are here and we were able to put out a clean skate.”
Emily Renzi and William Lissauer are fourth with 56.67 points.
Meeks in Front of Novice Pairs Field
A total of 1.03 points separates the top two novice pairs team after Tuesday’s short program.
Florida siblings Juliet Meek and Devin Meek posted a season’s best score of 42.89, while Alena Kerr and Mitchell Castelletti notched 41.86 points, also a season’s best.
The Meeks delivered a high-quality Level 4 lift to aid their cause. Kerr and Castelletti, who train in Minnesota, also produced Level 4s for their lift and spin.
Giuliana Gariti and Matthew Curtis, who train in the Chicago area, sit in third place with 34.39 points, while Tallulah Tanner and Nickolai Apter are fourth with 31.94 points.
Fischers Claim Top Spot After Novice Pattern Dances
Siblings Grace Fischer and Luke Fischer posted a personal best score to edge Marian Carhart and Denis Bledsoe by one point — 46.34-45.34 — after the pattern dance segment.
The Fischers won both pattern dances, a Westminster Waltz and tango.
Sophia Feige and Wiles Middlekauff rank third with 43.69 points and Annie Huang and Simon Mintz secured fourth with a total of 40.40.
Competition continues Wednesday with junior women’s short program. Medals will then be awarded following the junior men’s and pairs free skates, the novice pairs free skate, and the novice and junior free dance.
To follow the competition, including live results, how to watch information and more, visit the 2025 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships Competition Central.
