3:15 p.m., Dec. 6, 2002--Just in time for holiday gift-giving, tickets to the U.S. National Ice Skating Send-Off Exhibition are now on sale at UD. The exhibition is scheduled for 6 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 4, at the Rust Ice Arena.

Skaters who train at UD and have qualified to compete in national competition will be featured.

Tickets are $12 for the general public and $10 for senior citizens, children 12 and under, UD faculty and staff and groups of 10 or more and may be purchased at the box office at the Bob Carpenter Center or through Ticketmaster. Tickets also will be sold at the arena the day of the show.

All skaters who qualified for Nationals competed recently at the Eastern Sectional Championships in Aston, Pa. Skaters who ranked fourth or higher go on to compete at Nationals. All skaters who qualified for Junior Nationals (juvenile and intermediate levels only) placed fourth or better at the South Atlantic regional competition Oct 8-12 in York, Pa.

The following skaters who train at UD qualified for Nationals and may appear in the show.

2003 UD National Team

Senior ladies

• Jennifer Don (second place at Sectionals)
  
  
• Krissa Miller (fourth place at Sectionals)

Senior men

• Shaun Rogers (second place at Sectionals)
  
  
• Johnny Weir (currently at Cup of Russia Grand Prix event)

Senior pairs

• Tiffany Scott and Philip Dulebohn (2002 Olympic Team, reigning Silver medalists)
  
  
• Jennifer Don and Jonathon Hunt (first place at Sectionals, Junior Grand Prix finalists)
  
  
• Laura Handy and Jeremy Allen (second place at Sectionals)
  
  
• Emma Phibbs and Devin Patrick (second place at Pacific Coast Sectionals)

Senior dance

• Christie Moxley and Alexandre Kirsanov (third place at Sectionals)
  
  
• Kendra Goodwin and Chris Obzansky (second place, Junior Grand Prix Croatia)

Junior ladies

• Megan Williams-Stewart (fourth place at Sectionals)

Junior pairs

• Andrea Varraux and David Pelletier (second place at Sectionals)

Junior dance

• Stephanie Ellis and Patrick Connelly (third place at Pacific Coast Sectionals)

Novice ladies

• Kimberly Meissner (first place at Sectionals)

Novice dance

• Katie Copely and Duke Wensel (third place at Sectionals)

2003 UD Junior National Team

Intermediate

• Nicole Tahtouh
  
  
• Alexandra Gengler
  
  
• Michelle Pennington and Stephen Quinn (pairs)
  
  
• Michelle Pennington and Zachary Varraux (dance)
  
  
• Lindsay Cohen & Evan Roberts (dance)

Juvenile

• Lindsey Hoeg
  
  
• Meghan Byrne
  
  
• Megan Marschall and Peter Briccotto (pairs)
  
  
• Lauren Wlazelek and Kyle Herring (dance)
  
  
• Meredith Pipkin and Geoffrey Varraux (dance)

Reigning World Champions, Russian skaters Ilia Averbukh and Irina Lobacheva, also may skate at the send off. For more information, call 831-2868.

Article by Beth Thomas

Graphic by Keith Heckert