Newlyweds Wrap Up Another Pairs Title Bevan Tenth After Short Program At Figure Skating Championships

Jenni Meno and Todd Sand’s passionate free skate Thursday night gave them their third straight U.S. Figure Skating Championships pairs title.

It also delivered a message to the rest of the skating community: The first U.S. gold medal in pairs since 1979 in the world championships is a longshot no more.

Skating ardently to Puccini’s “Nesun Dorma,” Meno and Sand earned first-place votes from seven of nine judges. Kyoko Ina and Jason Dungjen were runners-up for the third successive year, while Shelby Lyons, 14, and Brian Wells finished third and will make their first trip to worlds.

Todd Eldredge took the lead by scoring .5 in the senior men’s short program. Scott Davis was second with 1.0. Spokane’s Johnnie Bevan was 10th with 5.0.

Meno and Sand, who were married last summer, took a bronze medal in the 1995 world championships. That was only the fourth medal, all bronze, for the United States since Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner won the gold in ‘79.

The third successive U.S. championship was the most for a pair since Kitty and Peter Carruthers won four in a row (1981-84). Sand also won the championship in 1991 with Natsha Kuchika.

Ina and Dungjen skated just before Meno and Sand and except for his slipup late in their routine, they were superb. Their playful program to “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” featured two excellent throws and outstanding lifts.

But Meno and Sand were even better, despite her falling on a throw triple salchow. Their lifts were as good as they’ve ever been, and the final moments of their performance were magical.

There’s was no cooling off Eldredge in the men’s short program, which he won earlier in the day.

A year after Eldredge capped an inspiring comeback with his third national championship, he’s still the hottest male skater around.

Using the same program that catapulted him to the 1995 title after three years of injuries and ennui, Eldredge placed first with all nine judges.

He began with a strong triple axel-double toe loop combination, and Eldredge, 24, of South Chatham, Mass., just built on that, putting him closer to a fourth U.S. crown.

He also nailed a triple lutz and double axel with no problems and his spins were fast and precise.

The men finish Saturday. The top three qualify for the world championships.

Davis touched his hand down on his double axel, giving Eldredge the technical edge, worth one-third of the total score.