Sept. 10 Marks Big Day for 2006 State Farm U.S. Championships
 (8/23/2005) - On Sept. 10 the 2006 State Farm U.S. Figure Skating Championships swing into full gear with the kickoff of individual ticket sales and the appearance of 2002 Olympic bronze medalist Timothy Goebel as a celebrity judge at the sweeper auditions in St. Louis, Mo. The 2006 U.S. Championships will take place Jan. 7-15, 2005, in St. Louis. Placements at the event will be one of the factors in determining the 2006 U.S. Olympic Team.
Individual tickets for the 2006 State Farm U.S. Figure Skating Championships go on sale Saturday, Sept. 10, at 10 a.m. The 2006 U.S. Championships will feature competition in ladies, men's, pairs and ice dancing. Approximately 250 skaters competing at the novice, junior and senior levels are expected to participate in the weeklong event. All senior events, as well as some junior events, will take place at the Savvis Center. The remaining events will take place at the Family Arena.
Goebel will be in St. Louis on Sept. 10 to appear at the sweeper auditions as a celebrity guest judge and to meet with the media. Sweeper auditions, a longtime tradition for major figure skating events, involve local children between the ages of 7-13 participating in an on-ice tryout to join the volunteer staff of the 2006 U.S. Championships as an official sweeper. During the event sweepers gather items such as stuffed animals and fake flowers thrown from fans onto the ice after each performance, and the sweepers collect them for the competitors. The sweepers selected at the audition will receive an official team costume, credentials to the 2006 U.S. Championships and the opportunity to watch the skaters compete rinkside.
Sweeper auditions will take place Sept. 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Webster Groves Ice Arena in Webster Groves, Mo. Media wishing to attend should contact Lynn Plage at mailto:lplage@lpcpublicity.com or 303.716.9500.
Expected to compete at the 2006 U.S. Championships are Goebel, five-time World and nine-time U.S. champion Michelle Kwan, two-time World silver medalist Sasha Cohen, two-time U.S. champion Johnny Weir, three-time U.S. champion Michael Weiss, and two-time U.S. ice dancing champions Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto.
Tickets to the event, ranging in price from $10-$85, are available at all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, by phone at 314.241.1888 (automated) or 314.421.4400 (sales rep), and online at http://www.ticketmaster.com.
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