{"id":38969,"date":"2025-02-02T19:40:57","date_gmt":"2025-02-03T00:40:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/?p=38969"},"modified":"2025-02-02T19:40:57","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T00:40:57","slug":"recap-2025-u-s-championships-junior","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/recap-2025-u-s-championships-junior\/","title":{"rendered":"Recap: 2025 U.S. Championships (Junior)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Anne Calder | Photo by Daphne Backman<\/em><\/p>\n

The 2025 National Figure Skating Championships were held from January 20-26 at the INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita,\u00a0Kansas. Eleven junior teams competed. Ten qualified at the Ice Dance Final.\u00a0 <\/span>Elliana Peal & Ethan Peal earned a bye after qualifying for the 2024 ISU Junior Grand Prix Final.<\/p>\n

Junior Rhythm Dance was the final event of the first evening. The teams skated to \u201cSocial Dances and Styles of the 1950\u2019s, 1960\u2019s and 1970\u2019s.\u201d The Pattern Dance required 2 Sequences of the Paso Doble.<\/p>\n

The leaderboard after the Rhythm Dance included: (1) Hana Marie Aboian & Daniil Veselukhin, (2) Elliana Peal & Ethan Peal, (3) Olivia Ilin & Dylan Cain, (4) Emily Renzi & William Lissauer (5) Caroline Mullen & Brendan Mullen.<\/p>\n

Hana Marie Aboian & Daniil Veselukhin held a slim lead with a 65.00 score for their dance to \u201cHeart of Glass\u201d by Blondie and \u201cKnock on Wood\u201d by Amii Stewart. The twizzles and lift earned level 4.The team trains in Newington, CT with Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov.<\/p>\n

Elliana Peal & Ethan Peal danced to \u201cBoogie Shoes\u201d by KC and the Sunshine Band and \u201cDance to the Music\u201d by Sly and the Family Stone. The 64.23 score had them in a close second place spot. The twizzles and lift earned level 4. The siblings train in Nashville, TN with their father, Robert Peal and Bianka Szijgyarto.<\/p>\n

Olivia Ilin & Dylan Cain scored 57.54 for their dance to \u201cBoogie Wonderland\u201d by Earth, Wind & Fire, \u201cHeart of Glass\u201d by Blondie and \u201cHot Stuff\u201d by Donna Summer. The team trains in Rockville, MD with Olivia\u2019s father, Dmytri Ilin.<\/p>\n

Emily Renzi & William Lissauer danced to \u201cShake a Tailfeather\u201d by Ray Charles and The Blues Brothers and \u201cThink\u201d by Aretha Franklin. The program scored 56.67. The team trains in Little Falls, NJ with Kristen Fraser-Lukanin and Igor\u00a0Lukanin.<\/p>\n

Caroline Mullen & Brendan Mullen\u201ds Bee Gees medley dance to \u201cStayin\u2019 Alive, \u201cNight Fever\u201d and \u201cYou Should Be Dancing\u201d scored 56.41. The team trains in Rockville, MD with Dmytri Ilin and Ruslan Goncharov.<\/p>\n

FREE DANCE<\/b><\/p>\n

The Free Dance began with Hana Marie Aboian & Daniil Veselukhin in the lead by .77 points.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Throughout the evening several teams had unfortunate mistakes and falls that led to changes in the final placements.<\/p>\n

The 2025 Junior Ice Dance Podium: Hana Marie Aboian & Daniil Vesulukhin (gold), Elliana Peal & Ethan Peal (silver) Caroline Mullen & Brendan Mullen (bronze), and Michelle Deych & Ryan Hu (pewter)<\/p>\n

Aboian & Veselukhin\u2019s ethereal interpretation of \u201cClarinet Concerto in A major K.622\/II,\u201d \u201cPiano Concerto No.21 in C major K.467\/II\u201d and \u201cSymphony no.40 in G minor – Molto Allegro\u201d composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart scored 97.40.<\/p>\n

The 2024 Dallas Classic, 2024 Lake Placid International (Junior) and 2025 US Ice Dance Final (junior) winners scored 162.40 and added another gold medal to their resume.<\/p>\n

Aboian and Vesulukhin found each other on Partner Search and began skating together in December 2023. The team shared their thoughts on the U.S. Championship debut.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is one of my favorite programs,\u201d Aboian said. \u201cI had tears of joy at the end.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very special moment for us as a couple,\u201d Vesulukhin added. \u201cThis is our first season, and we love our work. We are grateful to be here and to present ourselves and show our best. We really enjoyed our skate today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aboian explained the program\u2019s theme. \u201cSo we were originally going towards the classical side. Originally the concept was of the earth with the flower moving with the wind, but we intertwined it with the idea of a ballet.\u00a0 <\/span>Because of his long lines and our speed and my ballet background, it definitely helps enhance the program. So we went towards a ballet representation of the wind and flower concept.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elliana & Ethan Peal danced to music from the Pearl Harbor<\/i> soundtrack by Hans Zimmer, earning a third place 88.77 score and a total 153.00.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the ISU JGP Wuxi gold medalists fell below their season and personal best free dance and total scores. The team will be moving to the senior level for the 2025-2026 season.<\/p>\n

Ethan Peal shared his thoughts on their Free Dance. \u201cThe skate was honestly everything we wanted. We put everything\u00a0<\/span>we could into the performance. Part of the sport is getting judged on your performance, but we touched a lot of people\u2019s hearts with this performance, and we are proud of that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Caroline & Brendan Mullen\u2019s light and airy seamless presentation of \u201cLa Terre vue du ciel\u201d [Earth From Above] by Armand Amar and Karl Hugo and arranged by Hugo Chouinard scored 92.10. The two-time 2024 JGP medalists totaled 148.51.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Mullen siblings explained the idea of the Free Dance program as a preparation for their move to seniors next season and their motivation to continue to focus on the passion they share for the sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur last season in junior, we chose this program to try and show our maturity,” Brendan said. “We wanted to move to senior with a strong performance showing that we have the senior quality.\u201d<\/p>\n

Caroline added, \u201cWe will take time to look at and reflect on this season – learn from the good things we did and also some of the mistakes we made. We both have such a strong passion for the sport and for working with each other.\u00a0 <\/span>Creating something we make together is special and unique. We have a passion for that and want to continue.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michelle Deych & Ryan Hu\u2019s total 135.45 vaulted them from sixth to fourth place and the pewter medal. The free dance scored 79.96 with music from Romeo and Juliet <\/i>by Abel Korzeniowski. The 2024 U.S. Championships novice silver medalists train in Novi, MI with Igor Sphilband\u2019s team.<\/p>\n

After taking a break for personal reasons, the team reunited with just ten practice days left before the 2025 U.S. Ice Dance Final in late November.<\/p>\n

Deych and Hu spoke about the transition from novice to junior and their current and future goals.<\/p>\n

\u201cJuniors is a lot harder,\u201d Deych noted.\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAs for our [immediate] goal, it was to get here in the first place, and we\u2019re real happy to be here, no matter how we skated. We could have skated better obviously.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe second half of the season went down hill, so we\u2019re just happy to be back together performing in front of everyone,\u201d Hu said. \u201cOur goal for next season is to skate errorless. We also hope to get two Junior Grand Prix assignments.”<\/p>\n

\u201cThe hardest part right now is to get a hold of our nerves,\u201d added Deych.<\/p>\n

The 2025 <\/b>World Junior Championships assignments:<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Hana Maria Aboian and Daniil Veseluhkin
Caroline Mullen and Brendan Mullen
Katarina Wolfkostin and Dimitry Tsarevski<\/p>\n

Alternate 1: Elliana Peal and Ethan Peal
Alternate 2: Olivia Ilin and Dylan Cain\u00a0
Alternate 3: Michelle Deych and Ryan Hu<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Anne Calder | Photo by Daphne Backman The 2025 National Figure Skating Championships were held from January 20-26 at the INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita,\u00a0Kansas. Eleven junior teams competed. 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