Meet U.S. Junior Men's Champion Ross Miner

Ross Miner started skating in 1995, at age 3. Just one day short of celebrating his 18th birthday, Miner established himself as one of the rising stars of skating, using solid jumps and spins to win the 2009 U.S. Championship in the junior men's event in Cleveland and finish 10th at the World Junior Championships.

"I started skating with hockey but was intrigued by the figure skating sessions that took place after my hockey practice, so my mom bought me a pair of figure skates," said Miner, who played hockey for seven years. "They were white because my feet were so small and we had them dyed black."

After failing to qualify for the 2007 U.S. Championships with a fifth place finish at the Eastern Sectional Championships, Miner channeled his disappointment into his training. His hard work showed as he won Easterns in November 2007 and then second as a novice at the 2008 U.S. Championships. Following the nationals, he made the successful transition to juniors, winning the silver medal at the international Gardena Spring Trophy.

With the junior national title already on growing resume, and his eyes set on future gold medals, Miner plans to compete as a senior in qualifying competitions and at the 2010 U.S. Championships. He will compete as a junior internationally, making his career debut on the Junior Grand Prix circuit. [More]