2017 U.S. Championships Preview: Senior Men

MEN at a glance…

Eastern

Jimmy Ma (SC of New York) age 21, 3^rd time at Seniors, best finish: 16^th (2016)

Oleksiy Melnyk (Washington FSC) age 19, SENIOR DEBUT, 5^th in Juniors last yr

Emmanuel Savary (University of Delaware FSC) age 19, 2^nd time at Seniors, best finish 13^th (2016)

Kevin Shum (SC of Boston) age 19, SENIOR DEBUT, 2^nd in Juniors last yr

Midwestern

Alexander Johnson (Braemar-City of Lakes FSC) age 26, 7^th time at Seniors, best finish: 6^th (2016)

Jordan Moeller (Northern Ice SC) age 21, 2^nd time at Seniors, best finish: 13^th (2015) Withdrew due to injury in 2016 

Sebastian Payannet (Rocky Mountain FSC) age ??, 3^rd time at Seniors, best finish: 14^th (2016) xx

Dennis Phan (Birmingham FSC) age 31, 7^th time at Seniors… best finish: 10^th (2008!).

Pacific Coast

Scott Dyer (All Year FSC) age 25, 5^th time at Seniors, best finish: 10^th (2012)

Daniel Kulenkamp (Sun Valley FSC) age 21, 2^nd time at Seniors, best finish: 10^th (2016)

Shotaro Omori (Los Angeles FSC) age 21, 3^rd time at Seniors, best finish: 12^th (2016)

Sean Rabbitt (Glacier Falls FSC) age 26, 6th time at Seniors, best finish: 9^th (2016) 

Bye

Max Aaron (Broadmoor SC) age 24, 6^th time at Seniors, best finish: 1^st (2013)

Jason Brown (Skokie Valley SC) age 22, 6^th time at Seniors, best finish: 1^st (2015)

Nathan Chen (Salt Lake Figure Skating) age 17, 3^rd time at Seniors, best finish: 3^rd (2016)

Timothy Dolensky (Atlanta FSC) age 24, 4^th time at Seniors, best finish: 7^th (2016) 

Tomoki Hiwatashi (DuPage FSC) age 16, SENIOR DEBUT, 1^st in Juniors last yr 

Grant Hochstein (SC of New York) age 26, 8^th time at Seniors, best finish: 4^th (2016)

Ross Miner (SC of Boston) age 25, 7^th time at Seniors, best finish: 2^nd (2013)

Andrew Torgashev (Panthers FSC) age 15, SENIOR DEBUT, 1^st in Juniors 2015 (out w/injury all last season)

Vincent Zhou (SC of San Francisco) age 16, 2^nd time at Seniors, best finish: 8^th (2016)

Most trips to Seniors: Hochstein… this is Senior Nats #8 for him.

“Most Senior” (aka oldest): Phan (31)

“Least Senior”: Torgashev (15)

Withdrawals: Reigning champ Adam Rippon is the only one I know of. (Had Rippon been competing, this would be Senior Nats #9 for him.)

Rookies: Melnyk, Shum, Hiwatashi, Torgashev

(Don’t Call It A) Comeback: Five whole years before Rippon won Junior Nats, Dennis Phan did the same (in 2003). Then came six years at the senior level. Now—seven years past that last appearance—Phan has qualified to compete yet again. Respect!!