Novice Free Skate notes: Men & Ladies (Monday)

NOVICE MEN FS (notes listed in order of final standings; these are mainly jump notes for now - more later if/when I can find the time):

1. Armin Mahbanoozadeh (2nd in FS) - 3z-2t, footwork into 3f, OSE to 3s-2t, 3r (right on music!), 2a, 3z (hung on with determination), walley to 3t fall. Great crowd response, and he was thrilled in the kiss and cry when he found out he had won.

2. Alexander Johnson (3rd in FS) - 3f hands down, 2a, 3z-2t, 3turns to 3r, 3s, 3t (light hand down)-2t-2r, 2s-2t. Not his best performance today, but good enough for the silver medal.

3. Keegan Messing (1st in FS) - 3z-2t, 3Axel! (one or both hands down, but it was credited as a triple in the protocol), 3f, 3t-2t, 3r, 3s to 2f sequence, 3z turnout. HUGE crowd response when he finished -- he was one happy small fella!
BTW, Messing landed a beaut of a triple axel in the 5?-minute warmup -- straight in the air with fast, tight rotations in the air.

4. Scott Dyer (4th in FS) - 2a to 3t, 3z fall (downgraded to a double), walley-reverse walley-3s, 3r (fell out/2-fted, downgraded to a double), falling leaf to 2f, 3t-2t, 3s-2t-2r. Highest PCS score today and it was deserved, IMO, based on the quality of his choreography and performance/execution.

5. Max Aaron (5th in FS) - 3z (off-balance in air but flowed out on the landing), 3r (both hands down), 3f (fell out then fell after touching the rink barrier at the end), 2a(leaning forward on landing)-2t, 3f(leaning forward)-2t, 3s, 3t (both hands down).

6. Alexander Zahradnicek (6th in FS) - 3s with nice flow out, 3z (hung on!), 3f (downgraded to a double), 3t-2t, 2a, 3z (2.5 revs/downgraded to a double), 3s-2t.

7. Alexander Aiken (7th in FS) - 3z fall, 3f (overrotated but hung on), 3f-2t (hung on), 3t-2t, 3s fall, 3z hand down, 2a (not as good as usual).

8. Daniel O'Shea (8th in FS) - 2a (nice landing position, held), 3t-2t light & easy, 2z high & open, OSE to 2r, 3s flip out to 2t, walley?-half loop? sequence to 3t, 3s-2t-2r.

9. Victor Travis (10th in FS) - 3t-2t, 3z step out, 2a, 3turns to 3s fall (feet crossed), 3t nice, 2a-2t-1r, 2z (planned 2r as 2nd jump in combo didn't go up).

10. Jon Felder (9th in FS) - 1z pop, 3f nice, 3s, 3r good, 3s-pause-2t fall, 2a high to 2f, 3t-2t-2t (ran out of room and made contact with the rink barrier-near fall? view was blocked). Positive step up with this performance.

11. Will Michael (12th in FS) - 3z fall, 3t, 2z-2t, 3z (downgraded to a double/hard fall on his side and arm), 3s small step out, 2f, 2a step out.

12. Grisha Fournier (11th in FS) - Almost back spiral into high 2a and held out free leg on landing (very nice), 2t, 3s fall, 2r, 2t opened up in air, 2z-2t held on, 2a hand down/leaned forward.
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I don't really have good notes for NOVICE LADIES FS, but here's the quick version (mainly jump notes, listed in order of final standings) that will have to do for the time being.

The top 2 free skates were far above the rest of the field on Monday.

1. Angela Maxwell (2nd in FS) - back spiral to 2a (covering good distance), OSE (yes, OSE = outside spread eagle) to 3s-2t, 3t-2t, catchfoot Y spiral to 3t-2t-2r solid, OSE to 3s, 2z (held landing edge). Enthusiastic crowd reaction.

2. Kristine Musademba (1st in FS) - back 3turns to 3r (flip out), 3t-2t nice, 2a big, 3s-2t, split jump to 3t-2t, 3s. Audience responded loudly and positively.

3. Carolyn-Ann Alba (4th in FS) - 2a, 3t-2t, 3s, catchfoot move to 3t fall, 2a-2t-2r, 2z-2r turnout.

4. Deedee Leng (3rd in FS) - 3z (lean in air/fall out) to 2t, 3r good, 2a-2t-2r, 3s (low knee landing), bracket? turn into 3f, 3s-2t. Ambitious jumping display.

5. Ellie Kawamura (5th in FS) - 2a (landed forward), split falling leaf to 3s, 3t hand down-2t hand down, Ina to 2a-2t-2r fall, 3t fall, big split jump to 2z-2r.

6. Caroline Ferris (6th in FS) - 2a, 3t (low knee/held landing), 3s-2t-2r, waxel pop, 3s, walley to 3t-hop-2t sequence.

7. Ksenia Makarova (7th in FS) - 3r turnout, 3s turnout-2t-2r, 2a, 3t fall, 3s-2t, Ina to 2f-2r (weird, sudden fall). Really sold the program - even blew a kiss to the judges during her spiral sequence.

8. Victoria Hecht (8th in FS) - 2z, 2f, 2a-2t, 2a (underrot.?/fall), 2z-2r, 2f-2t-2r.

9. Danielle Seitz (9th in FS) - OSE to 2a-2t-1r, inside axel [transition move/not counted as a jump], 3s fall (downgraded to a double), 2z, 2f-1r, 2a (free foot scraped the ice behind her after landing), 2z-1r.

10. Emily Young (10th in FS) - Ina to 2a nice, 3s-2t, 3t (fall/downgraded to a double), 2a(hand down)-1t, 2z-2t step out, 3s (downgraded to a double). Raised up her arms after she finished - seemed happy.

11. Molly Aaron (11th in FS) - 2a-2t very nice, 3t (tight landing/hung on), 2r, 3t fall, 3s fall, 2a.

12. Masha Leonov (12th in FS) - 3t-2t-2r(hop), 3f (fall/downgraded to a double), 1a (delayed rotation), 3s(downgraded to double)-2r, 3s (hard fall/downgraded to a double), walley to 3t (off-balance/foot down/downgraded to a double).
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NOVICE PAIRS FS: Notes later if/when I can find the time.