U.S. Junior Figure Skating Championships
Recurring figure skating competition
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The U.S. Junior Figure Skating Championships are an annual figure skating competition organized by U.S. Figure Skating to crown the junior-level national champions of the United States.[1] The first U.S. Championships for junior-level skaters were held in 1918 in New York City, and featured the men's and women's events.[2] Skaters may qualify for the national championships by competing at either the Pacific Coast Sectional Finals, Eastern Sectional Finals, Midwestern Sectional Finals, U.S. Ice Dance Finals, or U.S. Pairs Finals. The results of the competition are among the criteria used to determine the American teams to the World Junior Championships.[3] They have been held without interruption since 1920.
| U.S. Junior Figure Skating Championships | |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Genre | National championships |
| Date | January |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Country | |
| Inaugurated | 1918 |
Previous event | 2026 U.S. Championships |
Next event | 2027 U.S. Championships |
| Organized by | U.S. Figure Skating |
Beginning with the 1988 U.S. Championships, pewter medals have been awarded to the fourth-place finishers in each event.[4] Compulsory figures, which had been a required element of men's and women's single skating since the championships began, were retired after the 1990 U.S. Championships,[5] although they continued as a separate event for men and women from 1991 to 1999,[6] when they were retired altogether.[7]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 U.S. Championships were still held, albeit in a sealed arena with no live audience present. The sound of an audience was piped into the arena, seats were filled with fan cutouts, and the athletes' friends and families could be seen cheering them on via strategically-placed monitors.[8]
Three days after the 2025 U.S. Championships, a group of twenty-eight skaters, coaches, and family members flying to Washington, D.C., were killed when their airplane collided with a military helicopter and crashed into the Potomac River. Coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, the parents of U.S. skater Maxim Naumov, who had just won the pewter medal in the senior men's event, were among those killed.[9]
The 2027 U.S. Championships are scheduled to be held from January 5 to 10 at the Maverik Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.[10]
Qualification
Beginning with the 2022–23 season, skaters qualify for the U.S. Championships by competing in the National Qualifying Series (NQS), a series of regional competitions running from mid-July to early October. Skaters compete in one of three sections (Pacific Coast, Midwestern, or Eastern) based on geographic location. The highest-placed skaters and teams across all competitions advance to the NQS finals (Pacific Coast Sectional Finals, Eastern Sectional Finals, Midwestern Sectional Finals, U.S. Ice Dance Finals, or U.S. Pairs Finals). The top juvenile, intermediate, and novice skaters are invited to the National High Performance Development Camp, while junior and senior skaters advance to the U.S. Championships. Athletes may also receive a bye to the NQS finals by being assigned to and competing at an international assignment from an approved list.[1]
Advancement to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships:[1]
- Single skating: 18 spots available
- Athletes receiving a bye
- Top two from each section, plus the next best scores nationwide until the maximum number of entrants is met
- Pair skating: 12 spots available
- Athletes receiving a bye
- Next best scores from the NQS Finals until the maximum number of entrants is met
- Ice dance: 15 spots available
- Athletes receiving a bye
- Next best scores from the NQS Finals until the maximum number of entrants is met
Skaters can earn the right at the U.S. Championships without qualifying through a sectional championship by accomplishing any of the following:[1]
- Placing in the top five in their respective discipline at the previous U.S. Championships at the senior level
- Selection to the previous year's World Championship team
- Winning a medal at any Winter Olympic Games (excluding the team event)
- Qualifying for the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final or Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final
- Competing at three international competitions from an approved list
Regions and sections
Prior to 2020, qualification for the U.S. Championships began at one of nine regional competitions. The regions were New England, North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Upper Great Lakes, Eastern Great Lakes, Southwestern, Northwest Pacific, Central Pacific, and Southwest Pacific. The top four finishers in each regional advanced to one of three sectional competitions (Eastern, Midwestern, or Pacific Coast). Skaters who placed in the top four at each sectional competition advanced to the U.S. Championships.[1]
- Eastern Section[1]
- New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
- North Atlantic: New Jersey; New York; Erie, Pennsylvania
- South Atlantic: Delaware; District of Columbia; Florida; Georgia; Maryland; North Carolina; Pennsylvania (excluding Erie); South Carolina; Virginia; West Virginia; Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Midwestern Section[1]
- Eastern Great Lakes: Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan (Lower Peninsula), Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee (excluding Chattanooga)
- Southwestern: Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas (including Kansas City and St. Joseph, Missouri), Louisiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas City
- Upper Great Lakes: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan (Upper Peninsula), Minnesota, Missouri (excluding Kansas City and St. Joseph), North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin
- Pacific Coast Section[1]
- Central Pacific: Northern California, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah
- Northwest Pacific: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming
- Southwest Pacific: Arizona, Southern California
The Championship Series
During the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons, the traditional qualification system was replaced with the Championship Series due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 U.S. Championship Series took place in a virtual format from November 10 through December 6.[11] The top scorers from the series in junior and senior men's singles, women's singles, and pair skating, as well as junior ice dance, advanced to the 2021 U.S. Championships.[12] The 2022 U.S. Championship Series featured a series of eight competitions held from October 4 through November 20.[13]
Medalists
Men's singles
Women's singles
Pairs
| Year | Location | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Pewter | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1923 | New Haven |
|
|
No other competitors | [18] | |
| 1924 | Philadelphia |
|
|
|
No pewter medals awarded | [19] |
| 1925 | New York City |
|
|
[20] | ||
| 1926 | Boston |
|
|
[21] | ||
| 1927 | New York City |
|
|
[22] | ||
| 1928 | New Haven |
|
|
[23] | ||
| 1929 | New York City |
|
|
No other competitors | [24] | |
| 1930 | Providence |
|
|
|
No pewter medals awarded | [25] |
| 1931 | Boston |
|
|
|
[26] | |
| 1932 | New York City |
|
|
[27] | ||
| 1933 | New Haven |
|
|
[28] | ||
| 1934 | Philadelphia |
|
|
[29] | ||
| 1935 | New Haven |
|
|
|
[30] | |
| 1936 | New York City |
|
|
[31] | ||
| 1937 | Chicago |
|
|
|
[32] | |
| 1938 | Philadelphia |
|
|
|
[33] | |
| 1939 | Saint Paul |
|
|
[34] | ||
| 1940 | Cleveland |
|
|
|
[35] | |
| 1941 | Boston |
|
|
|
[36] | |
| 1942 | Chicago |
|
|
[37] | ||
| 1943 | New York City |
|
|
[38] | ||
| 1944 | Minneapolis |
|
|
[39] | ||
| 1945 | New York City |
|
[40] | |||
| 1946 | Chicago |
|
|
[41] | ||
| 1947 | Berkeley |
|
|
[42] | ||
| 1948 | Colorado Springs |
|
|
[43] | ||
| 1949 |
|
[44] | ||||
| 1950 | Washington, D.C. |
|
|
[45] | ||
| 1951 | Seattle |
|
|
|
[46] | |
| 1952 | Colorado Springs |
|
|
|
[47] | |
| 1953 | Hershey |
|
|
|
[48] | |
| 1954 | Los Angeles |
|
|
|
[49] | |
| 1955 | Colorado Springs |
|
|
|
[50] | |
| 1956 | Philadelphia |
|
|
[51] | ||
| 1957 | Berkeley |
|
|
[52] | ||
| 1958 | Minneapolis |
|
|
[53] | ||
| 1959 | Rochester |
|
[54] | |||
| 1960 | Seattle |
|
[55] | |||
| 1961 | Colorado Springs |
|
[131] | |||
| 1962 | Boston |
|
|
[132] | ||
| 1963 | Long Beach | [58] | ||||
| 1964 | Cleveland |
|
|
|
[133] | |
| 1965 | Lake Placid |
|
|
|
[60] | |
| 1966 | Berkeley |
|
|
[61] | ||
| 1967 | Omaha |
|
|
[62] | ||
| 1968 | Philadelphia |
|
|
[63] | ||
| 1969 | Seattle |
|
|
[134] | ||
| 1970 | Tulsa |
|
|
[65] | ||
| 1971 | Buffalo |
|
|
|
[66] | |
| 1972 | Long Beach |
|
|
|
[67] | |
| 1973 | Minneapolis |
|
|
[68] | ||
| 1974 | Providence |
|
|
|
[69] | |
| 1975 | Oakland |
|
|
|
[70] | |
| 1976 | Colorado Springs |
|
|
|
[71] | |
| 1977 | Hartford |
|
|
|
[72] | |
| 1978 | Portland |
|
|
|
[73] | |
| 1979 | Cincinnati |
|
|
|
[74] | |
| 1980 | Atlanta |
|
|
|
[125] | |
| 1981 | San Diego |
|
|
[135] | ||
| 1982 | Indianapolis |
|
[136] | |||
| 1983 | Pittsburgh |
|
|
[78] | ||
| 1984 | Salt Lake City |
|
|
|
[79] | |
| 1985 | Kansas City |
|
|
|
[80] | |
| 1986 | Uniondale |
|
|
[81] | ||
| 1987 | Tacoma |
|
|
|
[82] | |
| 1988 | Denver |
|
|
|
|
[4] |
| 1989 | Baltimore |
|
|
|
|
[83] |
| 1990 | Salt Lake City |
|
|
|
|
[5] |
| 1991 | Minneapolis |
|
|
|
|
[6] |
| 1992 | Orlando |
|
|
|
|
[84] |
| 1993 | Phoenix |
|
|
|
[85] | |
| 1994 | Detroit |
|
|
|
[86] | |
| 1995 | Providence |
|
|
[87] | ||
| 1996 | San Jose |
|
|
|
[88] | |
| 1997 | Nashville |
|
[89] | |||
| 1998 | Philadelphia |
|
|
|
[90] | |
| 1999 | Salt Lake City |
|
|
|
[91] | |
| 2000 | Cleveland |
|
|
|
[92] | |
| 2001 | Boston |
|
|
|
[93] | |
| 2002 | Los Angeles |
|
|
|
|
[94] |
| 2003 | Dallas |
|
|
|
|
[95] |
| 2004 | Atlanta |
|
[96] | |||
| 2005 | Portland |
|
|
[97] | ||
| 2006 | St. Louis |
|
[98] | |||
| 2007 | Spokane |
|
|
[99] | ||
| 2008 | Saint Paul |
|
|
|
|
[100] |
| 2009 | Cleveland |
|
|
|
[101] | |
| 2010 | Spokane |
|
|
|
[102] | |
| 2011 | Greensboro |
|
|
|
[103] | |
| 2012 | San Jose |
|
[104] | |||
| 2013 | Omaha |
|
[105] | |||
| 2014 | Boston |
|
|
|
[106] | |
| 2015 | Greensboro |
|
|
|
[107] | |
| 2016 | Saint Paul |
|
|
|
|
[108] |
| 2017 | Kansas City |
|
|
|
|
[109] |
| 2018 | San Jose |
|
|
|
[110] | |
| 2019 | Detroit |
|
|
|
|
[111] |
| 2020 | Greensboro |
|
|
|
[112] | |
| 2021 | Las Vegas |
|
|
[137] | ||
| 2022 | Nashville |
|
|
[138] | ||
| 2023 | San Jose |
|
|
[139] | ||
| 2024 | Columbus |
|
|
[116] | ||
| 2025 | Wichita |
|
|
|
[117] | |
| 2026 | St. Louis |
|
|
|
[118] | |
Ice dance
| Year | Location | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Pewter | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | New York City |
|
|
|
No pewter medals awarded | [38] |
| 1944 | Minneapolis |
|
|
[39] | ||
| 1945 | New York City |
|
|
|
[40] | |
| 1946 | Chicago |
|
|
|
[41] | |
| 1947 | Berkeley |
|
|
[42] | ||
| 1948 | Colorado Springs |
|
|
|
[43] | |
| 1949 |
|
[44] | ||||
| 1950 | Washington, D.C. |
|
|
[45] | ||
| 1951 | Seattle |
|
|
|
[46] | |
| 1952 | Colorado Springs |
|
|
|
[47] | |
| 1953 | Hershey |
|
|
|
[48] | |
| 1954 | Los Angeles |
|
|
|
[49] | |
| 1955 | Colorado Springs |
|
|
|
[50] | |
| 1956 | Philadelphia |
|
|
|
[51] | |
| 1957 | Berkeley |
|
|
|
[52] | |
| 1958 | Minneapolis |
|
|
[53] | ||
| 1959 | Rochester | [54] | ||||
| 1960 | Seattle | [55] | ||||
| 1961 | Colorado Springs |
|
[119] | |||
| 1962 | Boston |
|
|
|
[140] | |
| 1963 | Long Beach |
|
|
|
[58] | |
| 1964 | Cleveland |
|
|
|
[141] | |
| 1965 | Lake Placid |
|
|
|
[60] | |
| 1966 | Berkeley |
|
|
|
[61] | |
| 1967 | Omaha |
|
|
|
[142] | |
| 1968 | Philadelphia |
|
|
|
[63] | |
| 1969 | Seattle |
|
|
|
[143] | |
| 1970 | Tulsa |
|
|
|
[65] | |
| 1971 | Buffalo |
|
|
|
[66] | |
| 1972 | Long Beach |
|
|
|
[67] | |
| 1973 | Minneapolis |
|
|
[68] | ||
| 1974 | Providence |
|
|
|
[69] | |
| 1975 | Oakland |
|
|
[70] | ||
| 1976 | Colorado Springs |
|
|
[71] | ||
| 1977 | Hartford |
|
|
|
[72] | |
| 1978 | Portland |
|
|
|
[73] | |
| 1979 | Cincinnati |
|
|
|
[74] | |
| 1980 | Atlanta |
|
|
|
[144] | |
| 1981 | San Diego |
|
|
[145] | ||
| 1982 | Indianapolis |
|
|
|
[77] | |
| 1983 | Pittsburgh |
|
|
|
[78] | |
| 1984 | Salt Lake City |
|
|
|
[79] | |
| 1985 | Kansas City |
|
|
|
[80] | |
| 1986 | Uniondale |
|
|
|
[81] | |
| 1987 | Tacoma |
|
|
|
[82] | |
| 1988 | Denver |
|
|
|
[4] | |
| 1989 | Baltimore |
|
|
|
[83] | |
| 1990 | Salt Lake City |
|
|
|
|
[5] |
| 1991 | Minneapolis |
|
|
|
|
[6] |
| 1992 | Orlando |
|
|
|
|
[84] |
| 1993 | Phoenix |
|
|
|
|
[85] |
| 1994 | Detroit |
|
|
|
[86] | |
| 1995 | Providence |
|
|
[87] | ||
| 1996 | San Jose |
|
|
|
[88] | |
| 1997 | Nashville |
|
|
[89] | ||
| 1998 | Philadelphia |
|
|
|
[90] | |
| 1999 | Salt Lake City |
|
|
[91] | ||
| 2000 | Cleveland |
|
|
[92] | ||
| 2001 | Boston |
|
|
|
|
[93] |
| 2002 | Los Angeles |
|
|
|
[94] | |
| 2003 | Dallas |
|
|
|
[95] | |
| 2004 | Atlanta |
|
[96] | |||
| 2005 | Portland |
|
|
|
[97] | |
| 2006 | St. Louis |
|
|
[98] | ||
| 2007 | Spokane | [99] | ||||
| 2008 | Saint Paul | [100] | ||||
| 2009 | Cleveland |
|
[101] | |||
| 2010 | Spokane |
|
[102] | |||
| 2011 | Greensboro |
|
|
[103] | ||
| 2012 | San Jose | [104] | ||||
| 2013 | Omaha |
|
[105] | |||
| 2014 | Boston | [106] | ||||
| 2015 | Greensboro | [107] | ||||
| 2016 | Saint Paul | [108] | ||||
| 2017 | Kansas City | [109] | ||||
| 2018 | San Jose |
|
[110] | |||
| 2019 | Detroit |
|
[111] | |||
| 2020 | Greensboro | [112] | ||||
| 2021 | Las Vegas |
|
|
[146] | ||
| 2022 | Nashville |
|
|
|
[147] | |
| 2023 | San Jose |
|
|
|
[148] | |
| 2024 | Columbus |
|
|
|
[116] | |
| 2025 | Wichita |
|
|
|
|
[117] |
| 2026 | St. Louis |
|
|
|
[118] |
Compulsory figures
Competitions in compulsory figures were held for the last time at the 1999 U.S. Championships in Salt Lake City.[149]
Men's figures
| Year | Location | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Pewter | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Minneapolis | Laurent Massé | Mark Drouillard | Scott Tonidandel | Vearle Klinger | [6] |
| 1992 | Orlando | Jay Cochon | Jeffrey Adler | Eddie Gornik | [84] | |
| 1993 | Phoenix | Everett Weiss | Jeffrey Adler | Shaun Ditmar | Anthony Chicalace | [150] |
| 1994 | Detroit | Erik Schulz | Anthony Chicalace | John Wright | Ryan Jahnke | [86] |
| 1995 | Providence | Christopher Malato | Colin Bennett | Michael Keller | Jonathan Lawrence | [87] |
| 1996 | San Jose | Lloyd Sarbacker | Robert Shmalo | Christopher Mattern | [88] | |
| 1997 | Nashville | Scott Sarbacker | Christopher Mattern | Colin Bennett | Scott Sheets | [151] |
Women's figures
| Year | Location | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Pewter | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Minneapolis | Casey Link | Caroline Murray | Jennifer Blount | Sabrina Vora | [6] |
| 1992 | Orlando | Jessica Posada | Jennifer Carlson | Kristin Knotts | Sara Brock | [84] |
| 1993 | Phoenix | Leah Hardy | Shirley Pang | Melanie Dupon | Sarah Ohlmiller | [150] |
| 1994 | Detroit | Jennifer Clark | Karlene Marie Machovec | Cassy Papajohn | Theresa Cho | [86] |
| 1995 | Providence | Jamie Wunderlich | Lyndsey Read | Kristen Varney | Jennifer Rickard | [87] |
| 1996 | San Jose | Evelynn Raphael | Elizabeth Handley | Cammi Bruns | Mya Rose Zapata | [88] |
| 1997 | Nashville | Cammi Bruns | Emily Best | Jessica Vieth | Heather Lee | [151] |
| 1998 | Philadelphia | Kharen Kloeffer & Brooke Pitman (tied) | No silver medals awarded | Josselyn Baumgartner | Alecia Moore | [152] |
| 1999 | Salt Lake City | Jessica Koslow & Erin White (tied) | Lindsey Westbrook | Kristin Griffitts | [149] |