Mirai Nagasu wins U.S. junior title; Zhang settles for silver, Wagner in third

I think this may be the rivalry everyone has been waiting for in the U.S. for a long, long time.

Senior Nationals next year will be very, very interesting with such a great group of girls coming up.

Scores and ordinals

FPl.	Name	Club	Points	SP	FS
1	Mirai Nagasu		155.46	1	1
2	Caroline Zhang		151.88	2	2
3	Ashley Wagner		145.86	4	3
4	Blake Rosenthal		130.99	3	8
5	Alexe Gilles		129.37	6	5
6	Chrissy Hughes		129.21	8	4
7	Sherry Barnes		124.37	9	7
8	Victoria Rackohn		122.79	7	9
9	Kirsten Olson		120.96	14	6
10	Michaelee Scarincio		118.53	5	11
11	Chaochih Liu		114.00	13	10
12	Brittney Rizo		111.54	11	12
13	Brittney Westdorp		103.67	10	13
14	Kelcie Lee		97.50	12	14

This has really shocked everyone in the skating world. Caroline Zhang was the undisputed top skater in junior ladies, internationally. I really don't think anyone thought any other American skater could beat her (given no other skater on her level in the world has) - and strangely enough - it seems like the only skater in the world capable of beating Caroline was in fact, another American.

As the common skating mantra goes, "The ice is slippery - anything can happen".

I have a feeling the U.S. junior ladies team will have a chance at sweeping the podium at Worlds.

However, as ironic as this is, Caroline may not go to Junior Worlds. If Rachel Flatt or Melissa Bulanhagui do well enough in seniors (top 10 finish) they may be sent to Junior Worlds along with Mirai Nagasu, as they aren't age-eligible for senior worlds (15 by previous July) and are technically internationally junior. Confused?

So much talk has been going on about the Japanese ladies. Their senior ladies team is ridiculously deep. The reigning World silver medalist - Fumie Suguri, finished fourth at the Japanese Nationals. That's how good the field is. Still, their junior girls haven't been making a big splash except for Nana Takeda, when she one a Junior Grand Prix event earlier. The U.S. junior team, really in every discipline, has the capability of winning Junior Worlds given their incredible showing on the Junior Grand Prix circuit. Still, you may be hot on the junior level, but you have to develop and keep progressing if you want to do well in seniors. Its a whole 'nother ball game.

Junior men's short takes place later this week along with the senior events. I'm rooting for Brandon Mroz at the moment. He had a great season internationally.

Today the senior ice dance compulsory dance took place - Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto are in first as expected, followed by (surprisingly) Meryl Davis and Charlie White (my favorites) with Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov in third. That would be a great podium finish right there, but there's still two more rounds to go. Belbin and Agosto have a new free dance, and hopefully it will be better than the "traditional/boring" one they had earlier in the season.