New and Returning Champions Impress at National Showcase

Above: Mia Rocco skates in the Junior Parade of Champions. Photo credit: Melanie Heaney Photography.

The 2024 National Showcase concluded on Saturday in San Jose, California, with champions named in six categories: senior, junior, adult, founders, duet-trio, and theme event.

Ashlee Pantano successfully defended her titles, capturing her fourth consecutive gold in the adult Parade of Champions and repeating her duet-trio victory with partner Ashlyn Olson. Mia Rocco also shone brightly, winning gold in both the junior and theme event Parades of Champions.

Koko Hirano achieved a significant milestone by winning her first Senior Parade of Champions title, while Carson Kandas marked his debut as a champion with a gold medal in the Founders Parade of Champions.

**Senior Parade of Champions**

Koko Hirano of All Year FSC claimed the Senior Parade of Champions title, etching her name onto the Richard Dwyer Trophy. She was the only skater to earn over nine points in all three program components—artistic appeal, performance, and skating skills—achieving a total score of 59.17 and winning by more than five points.

Remington Bennet earned silver with 54.07 points, highlighted by a top component score of 9.11 in performance. Ashlyn Olson, the defending champion, took bronze with a score of 55.28 points. Alyssa Kormos, just 0.05 points behind Olson, received pewter with a score of 53.33, despite tying Olson in skating skills.

**Junior Parade of Champions**

Mia Rocco from The Skating Club of Boston won gold in the Junior Parade of Champions with an overall score of 43.26, marking her first victory in this event. Weyna Chen narrowly secured silver with 41.55 points, edging out Natallia Anisimava, who finished with bronze at 41.48 points. Brooklyn Harris earned pewter with a score of 40.41.

**Adult Parade of Champions**

For the fourth year running, Ashlee Pantano from Ice House Skating Academy won the Adult Parade of Champions title. Pantano’s artistic appeal contributed 9.11 points to her total score of 52.82. Justin Ly earned silver, just over one point behind Pantano, excelling in performance with a score of 8.96 but falling short in skating skills. Davin Grindstaff and Brian Padgett completed the podium with bronze and pewter, scoring 39.14 and 36.85 points, respectively.

**Founders Parade of Champions**

In its second year at the National Showcase, the Founders Parade of Champions featured top skaters from preliminary, pre-juvenile, and juvenile levels. Carson Kandas from Alaska Association of Figure Skaters won gold with a score of 36.82, the highest in any component. Sierra Pantano, daughter of adult champion Ashlee Pantano, took silver with 34.25 points, achieving her first Parade of Champions medal. Trishia Cerrillo, also from Alaska Association of Figure Skaters, moved up from pewter last year to bronze this year with a score of 33.89. Anaiah Machamer earned pewter with 31.78 points.

**Duet-Trio Parade of Champions**

Olson and Pantano continued their winning streak in the duet-trio category, with a score of 45.30—the highest in all three components. The Ice House Skating Academy team PAR-ty secured silver with 41.80 points, noted for their artistic appeal. Cugno and Rapkine won bronze with 40.63 points, while Falconer 2 took pewter with a score of 36.97.

**Theme Event Parade of Champions**

Mia Rocco claimed gold again in the theme event, achieving a total score of 41.24 with 7.07 points for performance. Sarah Bluberg earned silver with 39.15 points, including the highest artistic appeal score of 6.93. Mylie Shook secured bronze with a score of 38.90, and Justin Ly, earning his second medal of the competition, took pewter with 35.70 points.