TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

New Champs, And A Pair For Life

ADVERTISEMENT

By NANCY ARMOUR, The Associated Press

Published: January 27, 2008

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker got the title, and John Baldwin Jr. got the girl.

McLaughlin and Brubaker, last year's junior world champions, served notice they're going to be a threat on the senior stage as well, winning the pairs title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Saturday. Their overall score of 190.74 was more than seven points ahead of Baldwin and Rena Inoue, two-time U.S. champions. Brooke Castile and Ben Okolski, last year's champions, were third.

"I can't believe we're national champions," McLaughlin said, her eyes wide.
Inoue and Baldwin have plenty to celebrate, too. As they took their bows, Baldwin dropped to his knees and asked his longtime girlfriend to marry him. Stunned, she could only stare at him at first.

"I didn't know. He didn't tell me and I don't think he told anybody," Inoue said. "At first I was just so shocked. I didn't know what was going on here."

Said Baldwin, "I told her she's the person I want to spend the rest of my life with, how much respect I have for her and that everything I've accomplished in my career and on the ice is because of her."

As the crowd cheered, Baldwin asked again. With tears rolling down her face, Inoue said yes.

There were no such surprises in ice dance, just more surpassing excellence from Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto. The Olympic silver medalists won their record-tying fifth title with a technically ambitious and beautifully executed performance to music by Chopin. They scored 216.07 points, easily beating training partners Meryl Davis and Charlie White.

The only thing tarnishing McLaughlin and Brubaker's win is the knowledge that they can't take on the world - yet. She only turned 15 in September, missing the age cutoff for the world championships in March by two months.

Still, you can bet the Germans and Chinese will be keeping an eye on these two.

"We want to be the first American team to win the Olympics, that's our big goal," McLaughlin said. "That's my dream."

The United States has long been mediocre in pairs, but McLaughlin and Brubaker are already defying expectations.

It takes most couples years to develop the harmony and unison of a world-class pairs team, but McLaughlin and Brubaker have had it since they started skating together just two years ago.

They routed the junior ranks last year, winning every competition they entered. They qualified for the senior Grand Prix final and were, without question, the class of the field at nationals.

Their only flaw was McLaughlin falling on their side-by-side triple salchow, but it wasn't enough to keep them from the top of the podium.

When they finished their performance, Brubaker dropped to the ice and pumped his fists while McLaughlin skated away, holding her hands to her face.

"Leaving the ice, as I was gliding backwards, I looked around and saw people clapping and the lights. It's definitely something I'll never forget," Brubaker said. "I look forward to doing that other places, hopefully world competitions, the Olympics maybe."

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT