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Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker of Los Angeles and Algonoquin, Ill., are the U.S. Junior Pairs Champions, World Junior Champions and two-time Grand Prix silver medalists |
Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker
Birth Date September 25, 1992 and June 21, 1986 |
| Hometown Los Angeles, California and Algonoquin, Illinois |
| Training Town Colorado Springs, Colorado |
| Home Club Los Angeles FSC and Broadmoor SC |
| Coaches Dalilah Sappenfeld and Lei'Ina McLaughlin |
| Choreographer Dalilah Sappenfield |
Looking at Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker's long list of accomplishments, it would be hard to guess that they have been skating together for less than two years. They have yet to place any lower than second in any event, and coming in to their first U.S. Championships at the senior level, they have their eyes set on gold.
Teaming up in 2006, McLaughlin and Brubaker won every event they entered in their first year together, including the junior pairs title at nationals and the World Junior Championships.
McLaughlin and Brubaker competed as seniors on the Grand Prix this fall, placing second at Cup of China and NHK Trophy, which qualified them for the Grand Prix Final. They sat in fifth after the short program there, but were forced to withdraw before the free skate because of cellulitis in Brubaker's left foot.
Because to their ages, the couple will not able to compete at either junior or senior Worlds this season. Brubaker, 21, is too old for the junior event while McLaughlin, 15, is too young for the senior Worlds and the Four Continents Championship.
McLaughlin and Brubaker hope to end their season on a good note at nationals. They will rely on their strengths in lifts and twists to hopefully carry them to the top of the podium. "We do a lot of special lifts with speed that kind of stand out for us," Brubaker said.
Off the ice, McLaughlin has a passion for fashion and music, including Fall Out Boy, Dashboard Confessional and Mariah Carey. She hopes to be a broadcaster for figure skating when her on-ice career is over.
Brubaker, who works at Home Depot part-time, is studying business and criminal justice at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. He would like to eventually be a firefighter or federal agent.
He is the older brother of Colin Brubaker, who will compete at nationals in junior ice dancing.
For more information on McLaughlin and Brubaker, visit figureskatersonline.com/mclaughlin-brubaker/.
Figure Skaters Online's Guide to the 2008 U.S. Championships is
written and produced by Figure Skaters Online in cooperation with the athletes and staff.
Photographs are courtesy of Leah Adams unless otherwise noted.