Brandon Mroz Leads The Way in Novice Men
by Michelle Wojdyla  (St. Charles, Mo. 1/8/05) - Competition opened this morning at the 2006 State Farm U.S. Figure Skating Championships in
St. Louis,
Mo. Novice men took the ice for the first
U.S. championship competition scored under the new ISU judging system in the
United States. Brian Simm (Los Angeles FSC) was the first skater to perform. When his score of 44.95 appeared, no one was sure where that would place him. After the 12 men had skated, Simm found himself in fourth. He asked if he thought he made history today.
“In a way,” Simm said. “I was anxious to get out there and test my new program. I thought I did well, but I guess I could have done better. We’ll see how tomorrow goes. We changed how I would gain points. Instead of trying to go for a new level footwork, we figured to get a plus (GOE) because that seems like a safer way to go. At sectionals I had a very sub-par program, and with my spins and components I made it to nationals.”
Standing in first after the short program is St. Louis native Brandon Mroz with 25.59/24.09 for 49.68 total. Mroz (pictured) moved to Colorado Springs two years ago and now skates for the Broadmoor Skating Club, but today he was Missouri’s own.
“It felt really good being here in my hometown and having my family watching,” Mroz said. “A little bit (of nerves) coming back, having my hometown crowd routing for me. There was a little pressure there.”
Mroz appreciated the altitude training he gets in Colorado Springs.
“It’s harder when you’re there, trust me, but it’s really worth it when you come down here,” he said.
Skating to “Montoona Clipper,” Mroz opened strong with a triple Lutz-double toe combination and a sharp triple flip, both of which received a positive GOE. The only negative marks came on his level three combination spin, which got a little clunky in the transitions between positions. A spread eagle into his double Axel received a .71 GOE, tying his flip with the highest quality element.
“It felt really good,” Mroz said. “I was happy with how I performed. I talked to myself while I was out there and kept it all together. I have my key words we were working on. It keeps you focused. I didn’t expect any certain placement. I just went out there to skate my personal best.”
“It’s about five or six points higher than he’s achieved,” coach Tom Zakrajsek said. “That’s a huge increase.”
Scott Dyer (Columbia FSC) attacked his “El Cid” program, scoring 21.50/26.70 for a 48.20 total. Dressed in brown with gold accents, Dyer fought for the landing on his opening triple Salchow, reaching for the ice but not touching it before he added the double toe. His triple toe had a turn out, but after those glitches, the program’s highlights came. His double Axel was big and his spins were world class. Dyer had countless changes of position and edge, yet the spins never dropped speed. His presentation did not appear as an afterthought, as the character and posture of the music was clear throughout the program.
Dyer said he wasn’t exactly sure what went wrong with the triple toe.
“I guess I was leaning too far back. It was a silly mistake,” he said. “I thought I did very well. I was really happy with my performance, especially with the big arena. This is my first nationals. It’s very nerve-wracking.”
Dyer’s nerves certainly didn’t show on his spins. His final spin combination received one of the only level 4s of the event.
“I love spinning,” Dyer said. “I’ve been working really hard to make sure all my spins are a high level.”
Ellot Halverson (St. Paul FSC) showed not only does he have the technical goods, but also he knows how to skate with the music, not just to it. Performing a paso doble, Halverson scored 23.86/22.83 for 46.69 total and third place. He opened with a triple Lutz and followed that with a triple flip-double toe combination and his double Axel. A back spiral was in the Biellmann position, and he did a full Biellmann spin to conclude his program. Halverson was still beaming after the competition.
“I thought it went perfectly,” Halverson said. “I had a goal to do a clean program and try my best, and that’s exactly what I did. I’m very satisfied.”
Halverson has been doing the Biellmann for four years, and said it takes “a lot of stretching to get it where it is right now. I’d say I’m naturally flexible, but I still have to work on it every day.”
He considers himself well-rounded.
“I can do the jumps I need to be doing right now,” Halverson said. “I think what sets me apart is my artistry. I like to get into the music and tell a story when I’m on the ice.”
The novice men’s free skates take place tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. |