Vol. 19, No. 16

Jan. 13, 2000

Paul Binnebose & Laura Handy scheduled to appear at
National Send-Off Show Jan. 23 in Rust Arena

Recuperating figure skater Paul Binnebose and his partner, Laura Handy, are expected to make an appearance on the ice at the University of Delaware's National Championship Send-Off Show scheduled for 5 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 23, in the Fred Rust Ice Arena. The show will feature rising stars in the UD program who are part of the U.S. National Team that will compete next month at the National Championships in Cleveland. They include Sara Wheat, reigning U.S. Junior Ladies Champion, and Jeff Merica, silver medalist in the U.S. men's eastern championships. Pairs skaters Tiffany Scott and Philip Dulebohn also will be featured. The two were alternates to the U.S. World Team and recently filled in for Binnebose and Handy in two world class competitions, where they placed sixth both times. As a special attraction, UD's newest mascot, Baby Blue, and YoUDee the Fightin' Blue Hen mascot, will take a spin on the ice. Binnebose was released from Christiana Care on Nov. 30 and continues to undergo physical therapy as he recuperates from a Sept. 29 fall in which he suffered a severe brain injury. Coach Ron Ludington reports that Binnebose is working out three times a week in the weight room at the UD Rust Arena and that partner Laura Handy has been back on the ice briefly. "Paul's gaining weight and improving every day. He has great courage and determination. He's a stubborn kid and has all the qualities he needs to make a return to the ice someday," Ludington said. Wheat, 15, lives with her mother and two cats in Swedesboro, N.J. At UD, she trains with Jeffrey DiGregorio and Pam Duane Gregory. Her choreographer is Kristan Lowery Waggoner. She began skating competitively at age 9 and also enjoys rollerblading, crafts and biking. Her favorite part of figure skating is jumping. Merica, 23, began skating at the age of nine. His interests include street hockey, swimming and the outdoors. He is coached by Pamela Duane Gregory, who also acts as his choreographer along with Timothy Murphy. Coached by Karl Kurtz and Ludington, Scott and Dulebohn have been skating together since 1997. Scott, 22, attends Delaware Technical and Community College where she maintains a 4.0 grade point average. She has been skating since the age of 4 and enjoys collecting skating stamps and postcards. Dulebohn, 26, has been skating since the age of 5. He has attended the University of Delaware and hopes to eventually earn a degree in engineering. He enjoys jet skiing, biking and snow skiing. His brother, Paul, was a nationally ranked singles skater and now coaches at UD. The pair placed fifth in the 1999 U.S. National Championships, which earned them the alternate spot on the U.S. National Team. Tickets for the Send Off Show are on sale now at the Fred Rust Ice Arena and University of Delaware box offices located at the Trabant University Center and the Bob Carpenter Center. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students and senior citizens and $7 for children age 12 and under. For more information, call UD1-HENS.