Photography by Ann Jensen
Adam Aronowitz
Jordan Brauninger
Dustin Brinsmade
Bradford Griffies Photos
Nicholas LaRoche Photos
Matthew Lind
Benjamin Miller
Dennis Phan
Shaun Rogers Photos
Daniel Steffel
Joshua Uster
Jordan Wilson Photos
SP: 8
Scaped the landing on 2 axel. Popped the lutz, but did a 3 toe after it. Did very fast really nice and neat one foot back 3 turns into the 2 loop. Nothing wrong with this guy's skating - I enjoyed him the last time I saw him. But his music was all percussion all the time. It was a tough go.
FS:10 Final:10
Fell on 3 lutz. 2footed another attempt. Swung out of 3 flip. Tried a 3loop-3loop - cheated a bunch and swung out of it. Swung out of 3 sal. 3 toe-3 turns-2 toe. I think he did one other jump that I missed (my line of sight for the free skate was terrible.)
SP:4
2 Axel. 3 lutz-2 toe. 2 loop. Fine Camel spin. He had a real nice footwork run - some of it was on one foot for an extended time. His back crossovers limp a little bit, but that is nit picking. He skated to the overblown Broadway showstopper version of McArthur Park. I actually enjoyed it much better that the usual dirge version.
FS: 5 Final:5
Great control on his footwork. Fast spins. Great back slide spiral. 2 axel-2 toe (swing out). 3 lutz-3 toe. Popped lutz. 3 flip. 3 loop. 3 sal. 2 flip-2loop.
SP: 9
2 axel. Fell on 3 lutz. Landed the loop WAY forward. Nice Camel. Slow diagonal footwork. Gets the ina bauer bonus points.
FS:7 Final:7
I missed a lot of his jumps due to my "blind spot". single axel. 3 lutz-2toe. 3 lutz. fell on 3 flip. I believe there was a sal and an axel I missed.
SP:11
Popped the axel. Popped the lutz and put both hands down. 2 loop. Barely made the revolutions on the camel. I haven't seen Brad for several years. I hope that the performance is indicitave of a recent recovery from injury or something and not of a loss of interest. I felt that he was really holding back here.
FS:10 Final:10
Well, this was MUCH better. I was very pleased to see that. 2 axel. fell on 3 lutz. 2 footed the 3 flip. turned out of the 3 loop. did two 3 sal-2 toes - one of them was swinggy at the end. popped or shorted revolution on a 3 toe.
SP: 2
Wow. Ok - as Sandra said from her practice reports, this guy does still barrell into the jumps, but WHAT a difference in the "in-betweens". HUGE improvement to his attention to expressing the music and presenting the choreography (done by Russ Witherby). It really shows that Nick & his team have put a lot of time and attention into this. His coach is Ken Congemi. 2 axel. 3 lutx-3 toe. Fell on the loop (argh).
FS:1 Final:1
Stepped out of axel. 3 lutz-3 toe. stepped out of 3 lutz. 3 flip. 3 sal. 3 loop. 3 axel. Great energy up til near the end & then he was struggling a bit.
SP: 6
The axel was messy. 2 footed and short of rotation. I believe that may be because he was trying for a 3 axel, but I wouldn't swear to it. 3 lutz-2toe. 2? loop. His camel had beautiful positions, but rotated sloooowly. This guy has beautiful long lines and really uses his height to full advantage. Really nice stag leaps. A very enjoyable program. He even managed to look the audience in the eye and smile!
FS: 4 Final:4
2 axel. 2 axel. 3 lutz-2toe. 3 flip. 3 loop. 3 sal-2toe (sal was short of rotation). 3 sal (2 footed). Did a couple of spread eagles (yeah) Nice expressiveness. Lots of eye contact. I like that.
SP: 3
Ok, my friend saw Benjamin just last year and she agrees that he is just not recognizable this year. His face has changed sooo much. Anyway. He had big ruffley sleeves and did a very "Russian" program with big sweeping dramatic arm movements. Throughout he had a very nice smile on his face that really conveyed the joy of skating. I liked that a LOT. And the smile is still a little on the goofy side (this is not meant as a bad thing...I just don't know another word to describe it). That smile was the first time I recognized the Benjamin Miller I remember. How do parents do this????? How do you folks wake up with a stranger in your house who used to be your son??? Hats off to you all. But I digress. He landed a very nice 2 axel. A triple lutz - popped toe. I didn't mark the loop, but he must have done it. His camel is stil slooowwww (that I wish wasn't so recognizable). But his combo spin into a sit with a pancake was fast and very nice.
FS:3 Final:3
Hmm... This Spanish Matador theme wasn't as enjoyable as the short for me, but it had a beautiful, long, deep spread eagle. Fell on 3 axel. 3 lutz-2.75 toe. 3 flip. 3 loop. 2.75 sal (step out). . Sloooow camel.
SP: 7
2 axel. Fell on 3 lutz. Landed loop WAY forward. His fast and beautiful spins, speed of skating and complex footwork made it clear he would be first of all the men who missed the combination.
FS: 8 Final: 8
2 axel. Popped lutz. 2.85 flip (step out). 3 loop?. 3 toe-3 toe. 3 sal-2 toe. 3 sal.
SP: 1
Hmm.. Well he did a very nice 3 axel-2toe. a 2 axel and a 2 loop. His combo spin was great, but his camel had a severe recentering with a wobble after the change. He skated to something called "Drumbone" which was all percussion, all the time. And he has sort of "chop-chop" Elvis arms choreographed for it. I knew that with the axel combo and Nick's error on the loop he'd be first.
FS: 2 Final: 2
3 axel (short rotation, fall). 3 lutz-2 toe. 3 lutz (fall). 3 flip (fought for landing). 3 loop. 3 sal (fought for landing). Fell on 3 lutz. 3 flip. This guy clearly has the goods technically, but by the time he was through with all of these jump attempts, there wasn't much time for anything else in the program.
Geesh - there I go again. You know - Re-reading this I have to say - I absolutey recognize this guy is a very excellent skater. He was clearly going to be on the podium in this thing. And there is nothing wrong with his line or extension or speed. My gripe is a purely stylistic one - and definitely reflects more about my taste in men's skating than anything he is actually doing "wrong".
SP: 12
Ok - this kid has the worst luck at Nationals of anyone I have ever seen. Two years ago he had a stomach bug and was ill on the ice during his program. This year he either has the world's oddest choreography, or he pulled a groin muscle early in the short program. The name of his music was "Nightmare". It was very heavy on the percussion. He landed a 2 axel. He fell on the lutz and loop attempts. He is only 17, or I would suggest that someone buy this boy a drink. My husband said "guess who will not be skating his free skate?". Yup. Yup. Yup.
FS: withdrew. Our best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.
SP: 10
Well, I really liked his music. It isn't listed in the program, but it was a sort of swingy jazz. With actual instruments and a melody and everything. A 2 footed attempt at a 2 axel. A very odd huge deep long edge into a lutz that was doomed from the start (popped). Nice 2 loop. Good fast footwork. A painfully slow camel. I liked his style though. Hope he stays around. I got an e-mail letting me know that the music is a Spike Jones medly. Thanks!
FS: 11 Final: 11
2 axel. 2lutz. 3 loop out of a series of back 3s. 3 toe. Has really interesting Choreography - lots of neat touches most folks aren't bothering with. He almost fell on a nice stag leap in his footwork. He had a couple of spin problems. His camel didn't seem to have enough revolutions. His sit spin has a nice back position, but could use a little more sit.
SP: 5
Ken Congemi is listed as Jordan's coach, with Grace Maxwell as the choreographer. Ken, Russ Witherby & Frank Carroll put him on the ice this evening. He is doing a really clever number to the theme from Shaft. Well suited to his skating style and personality. HUGE 3 axel (hand down)-3 toe. A real low landing on the 2? loop. Fine 2 axel. Nice camel.
FS: 6 Final: 6
Jordan does not have very tidy landings, and in places his shoulders tend to slump, and this combination leave a ...nfinished look, but I do really enjoy the way he expresses the music. 3 axel-2 toe. He put his hand down on a jump in a corner I couldn't see, and stepped out of it -- I think it was probably a 3 lutz. 3 sal-2 toe. Stepped out of a 3 sal. 3 toe. Another triple I couldn't quite see -- probably a loop. Had trouble on the flying sit, but managed to hold on.
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Last updated: January 30, 2002 7:13 PM