Sophomore Figure Skater Qualifies for Junior Nationals at the U.S. Figure Skating Association Championships

Evan Neuhaus ’27 started taking figure skating lessons when he was seven, and by the time he was 10, he began competing. Now, he is hitting his stride, literally. Think triple Lutz combinations, double axels, and triple Salchow jumps, for starters.

Landing these difficult elements helped Evan earn 2^nd place among novice men at the U.S. Figure Skating Midwest Sectionals last week in Plano, Texas. His second-place finish earned him a berth to Junior Nationals, which will take place in January in Wichita. There, he will be among 20 qualifiers from across the country competing for a chance at gold. Only the top two finishers from each sectional advanced.

The high-stakes competition takes place at INTRUST Bank Arena in Witchita, where U.S. champions will be crowned in the women’s, men’s, pairs and ice dance events at both the junior and championship levels.

Evan trains at the Northbrook Sports Center, where he is coached by Agata Cski and Lera Masarky. He also is on the National Development Team for Team USA.

At Sectionals last week, Evan sat between his coaches, waiting for his scores. Although he had skated a nearly flawless program, he and his coaches were nervous. When the scores finally came in, Evan looked shocked. He was currently in first place. After all the skaters had competed, Evan finished second behind Louis Mallane with the Broadmoor Skating Club in Colorado Springs.

“It feels great to reach my goal of making it to Junior Nationals," Evan said afterward. “I can't wait to see my name on the Jumbotron in January in Wichita.”

Evan’s teachers and administrators were thrilled to hear of his accomplishments at sectionals, especially considering how he balances his academic load with three hours of practice a day, including on-ice and dry-land workouts.

“Qualifying for Junior Nationals is such an exciting milestone,” said Principal Jon Baffico. “It’s wonderful to know he will be representing our community on a national stage in January. We are so proud of Evan and will be cheering him on as he competes for gold.”

Evan follows in the footsteps of his sister Ava ’23. She is also a competitive figure skater and now competes at the collegiate level for Miami University in Ohio.

Coincidentally, another Saint Viator skater competed at this elite level with the U.S. Figure Skating Association. Danny O’Shea ’09 trained and competed in pairs figure skating while he attended Saint Viator, and he is still competing. At the 2024 U.S. National Championships in January in Columbus, O’Shea and his partner, Ellie Kam, won the gold medal. They are still in contention and will be at the national championships in Witchita when Evan also competes at the junior level.