The test form has been updated to
reflect new test dates and a new address and phone
number for Mindy Aaron. A spot for the coach’s
e-mail address has also been added, for improved communication.
The form has been distributed to the rinks and is available
on the Testing page.
Come and support our National Team
as they perform their programs in final preparation
for Nationals. The Exhibition will be Friday, December
31, at 2:15 pm at the Alltel Ice Den. Admission is
free.
 Congratulations
to Max Aaron, winner of the Juvenile boys event at
Junior Nationals! Max won both his qualifying round
and the final round with first place ordinals by all
judges. Congratulations, too, to his parents and to
coaches Doug & Lara Ladret. Also to be commended
is Molly Aaron, who had a fine finish in Intermediate
Ladies at Junior Nationals. From a starting field of
several hundred girls across the 9 regions, Molly finished
17th in the U.S. Well done, Max and Molly! Full
Story.
New Test Dates have been confirmed through August and have been added
to the upcoming events list and the Testing page.
We have added two more club members
to our National Team as a result of their performances
and placements at the Eastern Sectional competition
in Boxborough, Massachusetts, November 18 – 20.
Molly Aaron and her partner, Taylor Toth, placed first
in Novice Pairs, and Danny Curzon with partner Katie
Boxwell placed fourth in Junior Pairs. This brings
our National Team count to seven skaters representing
CSCA. If you add in the Ice Den-based partners and
training mates, the Arizona contingent now adds up
to eleven. Good Luck in Portland, team!
The Future Champions Series results
have been tabulated and we have several CSCA skaters
who came out on top. By consistently placing well at
select competitions, these athletes have shown they
are worthy of recognition. Hats off to these skaters:
- Molly Aaron (with Taylor Toth)
-- 1st Place, Novice Pairs
- Molly Aaron -- 1st Place, Intermediate
Ladies
- Max Aaron -- 1st Place, Juvenile
Boys
- Jenna Yount -- 2nd Place, Novice
Ladies
- Katlynn McNab -- 1st Place, Juvenile
Girls
- Madeline Kuhn -- 3rd Place, Juvenile
Girls
- Meghan Speranzo -- 4th Place,
Intermediate Ladies
- Abbie Hedges -- 4th Place, Juvenile
Girls
Local training mates Kelsey Syme
and JT Phoh also placed 4th in Novice Pairs. For complete
results, visit http://www.usfsa.org/event_details.asp?id=24290
To learn more about the Future Champions
Series, check out http://www.usfsa.org/Programs.asp?id=48
Our Pacific Coast Sectional team
did a great job in Escondido, CA, November 11-13. Many
fine performances were given by this group, and some
have come home with medals:
- Ryan O’Meara (with Lydia
Mannon) -- 1st place, Senior Dance
- Douglas Razzano -- 1st place,
Junior Men
- Jenna Yount & Grant Marron
-- 1st place, Junior Pairs
- Brianne Oswald (with Nathan Truesdell)
-- 2nd place, Novice Dance
- Laithe Al-Zubi -- 8th place,
Junior Men
- Jonathon Ross (with Kristin Vaccaiello) – 8th
place, Novice Dance
As a result of their placements at
Southwest Pacific Regionals, Molly Aaron (intermediate
Ladies) and Max Aaron (Juvenile Boys) will be competing
at Junior Nationals in Jamestown, New York, December
1 – 4. Katlynn McNab is currently the 1st alternate
in Juvenile Girls, and may also get the call to go.
We wish you all the best of luck. We are proud that
you have earned these spots!
We have 9 athletes moving on to compete
in November in Sectional competitions to try to qualify
for Nationals. Seven skaters will compete at Pacific
Coast in Escondido, CA, November 11 – 13: Douglas
Razzano and Laithe Al-Zubi will compete in Junior Men
and Jenna Yount and Grant Marron will compete in Junior
Pairs. Joining them from training centers outside of
Arizona will be Ryan O’Meara (Senior Dance),
Jonathan Ross (Novice Dance) and Brianne Oswald (Novice
Dance). Traveling to Boston to compete in Easterns
November 18 – 20 will be Danny Curzon (Junior
Pairs with his partner Katie Boxwell) and Molly Aaron
(Novice Pairs with her partner Taylor Toth). Good luck
to these competitiors!
CSCA skaters made a statement at
the Southwest Pacific Regional Championships in Burbank,
CA, October 13 –17. The following skaters turned
in excellent performances to earn medals in their events:
- Douglas Razzano – Gold medal,
Junior Men
- Max Aaron – Gold medal,
Juvenile Boys
- Daniel Everts – Gold medal,
Open Juvenile Men
- Laithe Al-Zubi – Bronze
medal, Junior Men
- Molly Aaron – Bronze medal,
Intermediate Ladies
- Justina Valgento - Bronze medal,
Open Juvenile Ladies
- Leah White - Pewter medal, Open
Juvenile Ladies
We are also very proud of the following
skaters, who advanced to and performed well in their
final rounds:
- Katlynn McNab - 5th place, Juvenile
Girls (won her Qual round)
- Meghan Speranzo - 8th place, Intermediate
Ladies (won her Qual round)
- Jenna Yount - 10th place, Novice
Ladies
- Madeline Kuhn - 10th place, Juvenile
Girls (won her Qual round)
- Desiree Pontarelli - 14th place,
Novice Ladies
It was an awesome showing by all
these skaters. The rest of our team also skated strong,
had fun, made new friends, and gained valuable experience
for next year. Hats off to you all! We also congratulate
the coaches and parents for their success in preparing
and supporting these athletes!
 The
official sendoff for our 2005 Regional team was held
Saturday, October 9, at the Alltel Ice Den. President
Hal Marron presented jackets, personalized soakers,
and checks from the club to the skaters and wished
them a “personal best” skate at Regionals.
Seventeen “first-timers” proudly donned
their special jackets, and four more “veterans” received
their first Coyotes team jackets. While a few of our
skaters could not make the event, the team photo still
shows a sizable group. California, Here We Come! Click
Here for Pictures.
The Club will be hosting a “Regional Send-Off” Party
on Saturday, October 9th at 3:00 p.m. in the party
room at the Alltel Ice Den. Please join us as we celebrate
sending one of the largest Regional contingencies in
the Coyotes Skating Club of Arizona’s history!
Friends and family are welcome to attend. Competitor
gifts will also be distributed at the party. We want
to extend our best wishes to all those competing and
congratulate them on their training efforts to qualify
for the competition.
We could really use some help keeping
the web site up to date. Now that we have our new format
up (courtesy of Tod Coyle), we want to do it justice
by posting news on a timely basis. If you are interested
in helping with the web site, please contact Anne Curzon
at 602-943-9710.
 Any
skater that has passed their Pre-preliminary moves
or higher is eligible to be a member of this year's
team. Performances will include the Alltel Ice Den
Show in May and the 2005 International Theatre on Ice
Competition. Rehearsals are on selected Mondays from
5:30 - 6:15 PM. If you like skating with a theatrical
flare, come join the cast! For more information
please contact CoyotesIceEnsemble@cox.net.
When you see Jenna Yount and Grant Marron, ask them what words they learned in Chinese during their recent trip to Harbin, China. They were there as part of the US team selected to compete in the Jr Grand Prix event, September 15 – 18. They finished in 7th place overall in a strong field, and were marked according to the new COP judging system. What a great opportunity for these kids!
Come and celebrate exhibition performances of our Regional team members as they prepare for the big event, October 13 – 17, in Burbank. The exhibitions will be spread over two days at the Ice Den. The first will be after the test session on Sunday, September 26 (approx 9 am); the second will be Saturday, October 2, 7:40 – 10 pm. We are proud to be sending to Regionals one of the largest teams (if not THE largest) ever from our club – 43 skaters – and that doesn’t even count three other skaters who will go straight to Sectionals.
Yes, it’s true. We have been selected to host Regionals next October, right here at home. It will be a wonderful opportunity for all of our younger skaters to see what it’s like to “go to Regionals.” And our own Regional team will get to sleep in their own beds and skate at home in front of their friends and family. We are proud to be selected to host this event and will need everyone’s help as preparations get underway. Volunteering at competitions is a great way to get involved in the club.
In September, Hal Marron was promoted to ISU World judge in Ice Dance, qualifying him as one of only a handful of US judges to judge at the World Championships and Olympic Games. This is quite an accomplishment and honor. Shake Hal’s hand when you next see him!
In August, the Coyotes Ice Ensemble hosted a workshop that concluded with an exhibition performance of a new routine learned that day. Emmy-award-winning director and choreographer Dee Dee Wood and Broadway performers Kelli James and Ray Walker were among the workshop faculty. Underprivileged children from La Mesita Homeless Family Shelter were invited to the exhibition and to a post-workshop learn-to-skate session. This was a rewarding day for all. Plans are underway for another workshop, so stay tuned!
If you shop at Bashas, please use our club’s ID number, 28994, as you use your Thank You card. The income we will receive will help finance our numerous club activities. Thank you Bashas’!
The competition frenzy should slow down a little now that school has started. Let’s take a moment to congratulate all our skaters for their awesome efforts at these late summer competitions: Glacier Falls, LA Open, Orange County open, Silicon Valley open, Liberty Open, Cactus Classic, St. Moritz, Indy Challenge, and National Showcase. Many hours of preparation by our skaters and coaches, and tremendous support by our parents made for a summer we can be proud of. We have many kids who are high in the standings of the Future Champions Series, as a result of their achievements. Great Job!
 Club member Ryan O’Meara and his partner Lydia Manon won the dance event at the Nebelhorn Trophy competition September 2-4 in Oberstdorf, Germany. This first senior international competition of the season shows that Ryan and Lydia have been working hard at their training base in Detroit. Additional photos of Ryan & Lydia have been posted on the US Figure Skating web site http://www.usfsa.org/Story.asp?id=26566.
Reigning Olympic champions Jamie Sale and David Pelletier spent a week at the Alltel Ice Den, July 5-9, providing an incredible experience for our skaters. Many had lessons with this famous duo and got to watch them learn and train a new program choreographed by Ice Den coach Doug Ladret and his partner Christine (Tuffy) Hough, who was also in town for the week. Jamie and David were very encouraging to our skaters and provided valuable tips, especially to the pair teams. You can see from David’s journal that he and Jamie also enjoyed their week in Arizona and were impressed by our skaters. Thank you to Jamie, David, Doug, and the Ice Den for a very special week!
Desiree Pontarelli has now been featured as a Future Champions medallist for 2003 on the US Figure Skating website. Check out her article and photo. We’re proud of you, Desiree! Good luck in 2004! View article here.
The Arizona Interclub has set test dates through the summer and fall. They are now posted in the Upcoming Events and on the Test Dates page. A new test form has also been prepared and can be downloaded here. Also, the rinks have been sent this new form, and will probably have copies available. Please toss any copies of the old form that you have and start using this new form. You will note that the $5 administrative fee has been eliminated and the test fees have been increased by $5, for a net change of $0. The fees and test dates have been moved to the front of the form, but it is still important to be aware of the test rules on the back side of the form. We anticipate a lot of testers this summer, so be sure to get your test forms turned in by the deadlines!
Fun was had by all during the recent Love 2 Skate ice show. Thank you to Julie Patterson and all the coaches of the Ice Den for their continued support of our skaters.
 An international panel of judges placed Douglas Razzano first in his first international competition at the Junior level (his first competition ever at the Junior level!). He placed second in the Junior Men's short program and first in the long program at Triglav Trophy, held April 15-18 in Jesenise, Slovenia. Great job, Douglas! Now go enjoy a nice break after a very long season.
Our adults brought home some fine hardware from Adult Pacific Coast Sectionals, held February 26 – 28 in Culver City, CA. Amy Thompson was awarded the gold medal in both of her events: Young Adult Gold Free Skating and Young Adult/Masters Interpretive. Patty McNeil also won gold in Adult Bronze Ladies II Free Skating and earned the bronze medal in Adult Ladies II Interpretive. Other fine skates were performed by Sarah Simons, Dawn Kinsley, and Kathy and John Gatti, and we hear they all had a grand time. We are proud of you all, for your hard work that produced such results!
Our skaters had a good showing in Atlanta in early January at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Jenna Yount and Grant Marron finished fifth in Junior Pairs, Douglas Razzano finished fifth in Novice Men, and Molly Aaron and Danny Curzon finished eighth in Novice Pairs. Congrats to these skaters for their successful seasons!
Many of our skaters had the opportunity to perform with
Brian Boitano, Nancy Kerrigan, Johnny Weir, Naomi Nari
Nam, and the professional pair team of Leonova & Kavalko in the new Glendale Arena on December 28. It
was a wonderful experience and our kids skated like
pros! Click here to view photos.
Six skaters represented our club at the Pacific Coast
Sectionals in Vancouver, Washington, November 13-17.
Molly Aaron and Danny Curzon won the Silver medal in
Novice Pairs and Douglas Razzano won the Bronze in Novice
Men, so all three qualified to compete at Nationals
in January in Atlanta! Jenna Yount and Grant Marron
placed 5th in Junior Pairs and are the first alternate
for Nationals from the Pacific Coast section. Laithe
Al-Zubi also competed in Novice Men and placed 8th.
Ice Den training mates Kelsey Syme and JT Pfoh placed
6th in Novice Pairs, earning the second alternate spot.
All these skaters trained very hard under club coaches
Doug and Lara Ladret who led this team to their fine
performances. Congrats to all!
 |
 |
Twenty-one CSCA skaters competed at Regionals October
8 – 12, in Anaheim, CA. The previous weekend,
they performed exhibitions for an appreciative home
town crowd, and enjoyed a send-off reception, hosted
by the club. Special recognition is due to medalists
Molly Aaron & Danny Curzon, 1st place Novice Pair,
Douglas Razzano, 2nd place Novice Men, and Laithe Al-Zubi,
3rd place Novice men. Juvenile skaters Meghan Speranzo,
Naomi Onaka, and Chelsi Guillen qualified for and competed
in the second round, and Jenna Yount (Novice) and Desiree
Pontarelli (Intermediate) can be proud for placing 9th
and 8th in the final rounds of their events. Congrats
to all skaters for a successful competitive season!
(more photos)
Jenna Yount and Grant Marron were selected to represent
the US in the second Junior Grand Prix event of the
2003-04 season. Competing in Junior Pairs, Jenna &
Grant joined a team of ten other US skaters September
18-21 in the JGP Slovak Republic. Congratulations Jenna
and Grant!
Six club skaters led by coach Doug Ladret were part
of the US team that competed at the North American Challenge
Skate competition August 1-2 in Mentor, Ohio. Douglas
Razzano and Laithe Al-Zubi finished second and third,
respectively, in the Novice Men event. Jenna Yount and
Grant Marron were third in Junior Pairs, and Molly Aaron
and Danny Curzon were fifth in Novice Pairs. All were
inspired by the camaraderie and performances of their
USA team mates and Canadian competitors. For more on
the NACS event visit the USFSA
web site.
We are always looking for
volunteers for competitions and special events. If you
are interested, please call Arlene Razzano
(arazona@aol.com)
|
