31 UD figure skaters to compete in nationals

Kimmie Meissner will lead a strong University of Delaware contingent in the 2006 State Farm U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

11:48 a.m., Jan. 5, 2006--Thirty-one athletes who train at the University of Delaware’s Ice Skating Science Development Center will compete in the 2006 State Farm U.S. Figure Skating Championships, to be held Jan. 7-15 at the Savvis Center in St. Louis.

Defending national bronze medalist Kimmie Meissner will lead a strong UD contingent competing at the championship level in the ladies event. She will be joined on the ice by Megan Oster, Megan Williams-Stewart and Christine Zukowski.

The top three finishers in the ladies competition will compete in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Meissner is expected to battle Kwan, Sasha Cohen, Alyssa Csizny and Emily Hughes for a spot on the Olympic team.

Michelle Kwan has withdrawn from nationals due to injury but is expected to petition the U.S. Figure Skating Association for a position on the Olympic team.

Also competing at the championship level from UD are Shaun Rogers in the men’s event, Kimberly Navarro and Brent Bommentre in ice dance and Tiffany Scott and Rusty Fein in the pair competition. Scott was a member of the Olympic team at Salt Lake City, when her partner was Philip Dulebohn.

UD junior competitors are Melissa Bulanhagui, Jordan Miller, Craig Ratterree, Adam Rippon, Traighe Rouse and Geoff Varner and the pair teams of Kaela Pflumm and Chris Pottenger and Bridget Namiotka and John Coughlin.

Novice competitors are Hilary Ho, Zachary DeWulf, the pair teams of Rachel DeRita and Peter Briccotto and Meg Byrne and Nate Bartholomay, and the ice dance teams of Genevieve Deutch and Alex Lorello, Isabella Cannuscio and Zachary Varraux, and Alexis Hauser and Kyle Herring.

ESPN2 will broadcast the ladies and men’s short programs from 7:30-11 p.m., Thursday, Jan 12, and pair and ice dance from 10:30 p.m.-1 a.m., Friday, Jan. 13.

ABC Sports will provide live coverage of the men’s free skating from 4-6 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 14, and of the ladies free skating from 8-11 p.m. that night.

For more information on the competition schedule and results, see the U.S. Figure Skating web site at [www.usfigureskating.org].

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