Hi everyone!
Well, the competitive summer season is over and the qualifying season is underway!
After liberty I skated my long program at a local competition, Skate Wilmington. I skated a much watered down version compared to the planned program I had at liberty, but also skated very well. I received a critique and my coach and I got a lot of useful tips to make the program a little bit better. On my way out the door from the competition, a club representative handed me a plaque which said “Dorothy Dodson Trophy” for best overall free skate. I was very happy to receive this award and I was well on my way to skate another long program at the Hershey Arena.
At the Hershey Open, I skated my long program again and receive constructive criticisms and many compliments. I skated a more difficult version of the Wilmington program I had done two weeks prior and again, I was pleased with the way everything had gone. Yelena and I got feed back and worked to put the suggestions into my long program and I was again on my way the my second competition on the season, Moran Memorial.
I came to Moran with my eyes set on beating my personal best. I did beat my former personal best score by getting 53.– in the short program. I had a little trouble in the long program, but still obtained enough points to win the event, but not enough to out do my personal best score.
The next event on my schedule was Middle Atlantics. I always loved doing Middle Atlantics because it’s so close to New York City. The short program went pretty well. I receive all level 4’s on my spins and completed a triple lutz-triple loop combination for the first time in the season. Although I did step out of that jump, I thought it was a step in the right direction. I scored 59.– and was very proud. The long program was of the same quality as the short. A few little mistakes, but the program was very well received and my former personal best score of 98.– in a long program was broken when I received a 113.– and 173.– for an overall score.
The qualifying season was to start with South Atlantics. I didn’t skate my best there, but I was still able to win the event by 25+ points. My next stop on the qualifying schedule was Eastern Sectionals and I was feeling ready. I received credit for my lutz-loop again and also beat my personal best by getting 60.– to put me in first place. The long program went well, with only one error, a fall on a triple lutz. I beat my personal best again by getting a 116.– in the long and won Sectionals by 20+ points. While I was in Atlanta, I gained many fans and got to see people who I met at St. Louis Nationals, the beloved/supportive Frozen Peach members, and the mothers at the Skating Club of Georgia. I’m very grateful for all of the support I received from everybody at Easterns.
My next event is the National Championships where I will try and qualify for Junior Worlds. I will write in my journal after Nationals.
Thank you all for reading,
Adam