2015 U.S. Collegiate Championships

The 2015 U.S. Collegiate Figure Skating Championships, hosted by the Pittsburgh Figure Skating Club, was held this weekend in Pittsburgh. More than 60 athletes competed for titles in junior and senior ladies and men's.

University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill student Jessica Hu will look to defend her 2014 U.S. Collegiate title and will face off against two members of Team USA. Mirai Nagasu, a 2010 Olympian, and Angela Wang both attend the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (UCCS) and train at the Broadmoor World Arena Ice Hall in Colorado Springs.

Headlining the senior men's event is 2011 U.S. silver medalist and reigning U.S. Collegiate champion Richard Dornbush (University of California San Diego). Dornbush is an eight-time ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series competitor and placed 10th at the 2015 U.S. Championships. Challenging Dornbush will be 2013 U.S. champion Max Aaron (UCCS), who placed fourth at the 2015 U.S. Championships, and Alexander Johnson (UCCS), who is also a member of Team USA.

Kathleen Criss (University of Delaware) and Amber Guizzotti (John Carroll University) finished first and second, respectively, in the junior ladies event a year ago and will be back for their second straight U.S. Collegiate Championships.

Kevin Wu (Texas A&M University) and Scott Brody (University of Michigan) are the holdovers from the 2014 junior men's event. They finished second and third, respectively. Andrew Civiello (Scottsdale Community College) is the 2014 intermediate pairs champion with partner Megan Griffin. The duo finished sixth in the novice pairs event at the most recent U.S. Championships in January.

The U.S. Collegiate Championships are held every summer and are the only figure skating event in the country open solely to high-level, full-time college students. To qualify, a skater must be a current U.S. Figure Skating member and 1.) a high school graduate who is enrolled full time in a college or university degree program, 2.) a recent graduate of an accredited institution or 3.) Entering a college or university as a first-year student for the upcoming semester.

Past champions include U.S. champions Alissa Czisny and Ryan Bradley.