Report and pictures by Anne Calder
The 2026 Pacific Coast Sectional Singles & U.S. Ice Dance Closing was held on the America First Heart November 02-05, 2025 in Henderson, Nevada. Twelve Juvenile, eleven Intermediate, twelve Novice, 13 Junior and twelve Senior groups competed.
For the third season, the 5 highest scoring Novice groups are invited to compete earlier within the week on the U.S. Championships. Twelve Junior groups will be part of them for the occasion competitors on the Centene Neighborhood Heart within the northwest St. Louis, MO suburb of Maryland Heights.
Every workforce skated two sample dances:
- Juvenile: Fourteenstep / U.S. Willow Waltz
- Intermediate: European Waltz / Rocker Foxtrot
- Novice: Starlight Waltz / Quickstep
2026 Juvenile Medalists:
- Gold: Sophia Zhou & Skyler Kay
- Silver: Sofia Myers & Henry Malaret
- Bronze: Ava Ansari / Cyrus Ansari
- Pewter: Rivkah Chavez Herrera & Nikolai Laptev
Juvenile Fast Quotes:
- Carter Schopf: It’s been totally different experiencing all of the competitions. I used to be a free model skater. Going to a Dance competitors and seeing what that’s like and the environment. It’s simply such a special outlet.
- Julia Robinson: I’ve been eager to go to the Closing for a very long time.
- Coach Marius Driscoll: I grew up on this environment, however I’m new to the teaching facet. It’s their first 12 months collectively. It’s been a very enjoyable time working collectively.
- Sophia Zhou: I’ve been skating since I used to be 4. Skyler and I had been companions after we had been 5. Then we did Solo Dance. We nonetheless do Solo Dance. (In regards to the costumes) We skate to Ghostbusters, in order that they have a backpack (proton pack) on the again to seize ghosts like within the film.
- Coach Mathew Gates: Our workforce Ariel Operating and Gunnar Gates had solely been collectively a few weeks once they competed on the Lake Placid Championships. They skate 3 times every week throughout the college 12 months. We’re actually happy with them. They did wonderful within the sample dance. They had been third place within the Willow Waltz.
- Gunner Gates: (On progress) Each time we compete it’s higher.
Intermediate 2026 Closing Medalists:
- Gold: Lucy Brooks & Jeffrey Li
- Silver: Emily Zhou & Kenneth Operating
- Bronze: Marina Li & Justin Liao
- Pewter: Ava Reinkensmeyer & Aiden Shen
Intermediate Fast Quotes:
- Adam Estandiari: I’m completely happy! It’s an excellent enchancment rating from Problem Cup.
- Ava Dziedzic: I had a lot enjoyable!
- Coach Lenda: I believe they’re doing nice in a short while. They’re enhancing. They’re actually enjoyable to work with.
- Ava Reinkensmeyer: Our skate was not dangerous. We had a mistake with the twizzles.
- Aiden Shen: We practice within the Detroit space. We’ve been companions for 5 years. I began leaping. I nonetheless leap.
- Coach Val Katsman: We’ve been working with the workforce for 2 and a half years. They’re very onerous employees.
- Lucy Brooks: I’m very completely happy.
- Jeffrey Li: We labored actually onerous throughout the 12 months, and it paid off. The ice was good.
- Coach Voyko: I believe they did very nicely. It was skate. (In regards to the ice situation) It’s all psychological.
Novice 2026 Closing Medalists:
- Gold: Rylan Lukanin & Patrick O’Brien
- Silver: Katherine Li & James Zhu
- Bronze: Sophia Kartashov & Nicholas Kartashov
- Pewter: Natalie Leitan & Nathan Leitan
Novice Fast Quotes:
- Campbell City: I used to be a solo dancer earlier than this partnership.
- Daniel Dehart: Our workforce began on the very finish of final season. We had our applications and did the Closing in Texas, however that is our first full season.
- Campbell City: The distinction between solo and companion dance is you will have somebody for help. You’ve gotten one other individual to speak with and share..
- Rylan Lukanin: (After the Free Dance) That was actually good. In comparison with our final Free Dance it was a complete 5 factors larger. It was like a flash. I don’t know what actually occurred. I had enjoyable all through the entire program. I believed final 12 months was the ultimate time to have the Novice skate on the Championships. I used to be bummed. Now that I get to go this 12 months, I’m actually excited.
- Anna Waugh: I’m very grateful that we’re prime 5 and can go to Nationals to skate with the Juniors.
- Matthew Jacoby: It’s similar to hitting me now. I’m very excited. Our plan is numerous practices. Plenty of
- run-throughs. Plenty of compulsories.
- Coach: Plenty of spins and footwork. Enhance! Enhance! Enhance!
- Nathan Leitan: We’re enthusiastic about going to the Championships. We’ve been doing triple and quadruple run-throughs at residence. We do each sample dances and the free dance within the morning earlier than I am going to high school. Then double and triples within the afternoon. We’ll proceed this to arrange for St. Louis.
- Nathan Leitan: (Concerning the up coming project to the Budapest Cup) We’ve been to each continent besides Europe. This will likely be a primary. We’re excited.
- Katherine Li: I’m enthusiastic about going to the Championships. I need to do higher than what I did right this moment. I need to enhance.
- James Zhu: I need to enhance as nicely.
- Katherine Li: We plan to apply what we didn’t do earlier than, and what we didn’t do right this moment. We have to present extra emotion.
ICE CHIPS
- The awarding of a pewter medal for fourth place started at U.S. determine skating championships in 1988. It’s not given at worldwide occasions.
- Skyler Kay & Sophia Zhou saved the Juvenile Ice Dance Closing gold medal within the Kay household for a second straight 12 months. In 2025, Sean Kay & Angela Lang earned gold on the similar occasion in Plano, TX. Sadly, Sean, Angela and each moms had been misplaced within the AA Flight 5342 tragedy.
- Katherine Li / James Zhu (gold) and Rylan Lukanin / Patrick O’Brien (silver) made their Superior Novice worldwide debut on the Bolero Cup in Sheffield, GBR, September 5-6, 2025.
- Rylan Lukanin / Patrick O’Brien and Natalie Leitan / Nathan Leitan (Worldwide debut) will compete in Superior Novice on the Santa Claus Cup in Budapest, HUN, November 28-December 3, 2025.
- 9 ice dance sibling groups competed within the JINs.
- The highest 5 Novice groups who will compete on the
2026 U.S Nationwide Championships occasion:
- Rylan Lukanin & Patrick O’Brien
- Katherine Li & James Zhu
- Sophia Kartashov & Nicholas Kartashov
- Natalie Leitan & Nathan Leitan
- Anna Waugh & Matthew Jacoby
