1961 United States Figure Skating Championships
Encyclopedia
The 1961 United States Figure Skating Championships were held at the World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado
, from January 25 to January 29, 1961. The competition was dedicated to the memory of Howard D. Herbert, president of the United States Figure Skating Association
, who had died suddenly just a few days before the competition opened.
The event is noted especially for its catastrophic aftermath, in which most of the U.S. team died in the crash of Sabena Flight 548
on their way to the World's Championships in Prague
.
Because many of the top American figure skaters (including Carol Heiss
and David Jenkins) had retired from the sport after the 1960 Winter Olympics
, new champions were crowned in all four disciplines.
In the ladies' event, Stephanie Westerfeld
had a narrow lead over Laurence Owen
after the compulsory figures
and performed well enough in the free skating that she might have won the competition. But Owen followed with superior effort in the free skate and won the title on a 4-1 split of the first-place ordinals.
The men's competition was won by Bradley Lord
, likewise in a come-from-behind victory in the free skating after having been second to Gregory Kelley
in the compulsory figures.
Maribel Owen
and Dudley Richards
, the silver medalists from the previous year, were the clear winners of the pairs event, while Diane Sherbloom
and Larry Pierce -- skating in their first season together—took the ice dance championship.
A notable feature of this event is that it was the first time the United States Figure Skating Championships
were covered on national television, with a modest rights fee being paid by CBS
. Sportscaster Bud Palmer
provided the "play-by-play", and Dick Button
provided the commentary for the event, a role Button continued to perform for decades after the Championships broadcasts were picked up by ABC Sports in subsequent years.
* Eliminated before Final Round
in Philadelphia, where Owen captured the ladies title. The team then immediately departed for the World Figure Skating Championships
in Prague
on February 14, 1961 on board Sabena Flight 548
. However, they never arrived; their flight crashed near Brussels, Belgium the next morning, killing all on board (including coaches, officials, and family members). The few team members who had not made the trip included skater Brown, and coach Ronald Ludington
(who was unable to afford the travel expenses).
The U.S. Figure Skating Memorial Fund was established eight days after the crash by F. Ritter Shumway
, then-president of the USFSA, and the fund has continued to this day. Its purpose is to provide help to promising skaters who lack funding for equipment. Peggy Fleming
and Scott Hamilton
are among future champions who have credited the memorial fund with being vital to their careers. RISE, a documentary film about the 1961 team, was released on February 17, 2011, two days after the 50th anniversary of the crash.
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
, from January 25 to January 29, 1961. The competition was dedicated to the memory of Howard D. Herbert, president of the United States Figure Skating Association
United States Figure Skating Association
U.S. Figure Skating is the national governing body for the sport of figure skating on ice in the United States. It is recognized as such by the United States Olympic Committee "USOC" under the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act and is the United States member of the International Skating...
, who had died suddenly just a few days before the competition opened.
The event is noted especially for its catastrophic aftermath, in which most of the U.S. team died in the crash of Sabena Flight 548
Sabena Flight 548
Sabena Flight 548, registration OO-SJB, was a Boeing 707 aircraft that crashed en route to Brussels, Belgium, from New York City on February 15, 1961, killing the entire United States Figure Skating team on its way to the 1961 World Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia.The flight, which...
on their way to the World's Championships in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
Because many of the top American figure skaters (including Carol Heiss
Carol Heiss
Carol Elizabeth Heiss Jenkins is an American figure skater. She is the 1960 Olympic Champion in Ladies Singles, 1956 Olympic silver medalist and five-time World Champion .-Biography:...
and David Jenkins) had retired from the sport after the 1960 Winter Olympics
Figure skating at the 1960 Winter Olympics
The figure skating 1960 Winter Olympics results in Squaw Valley, California, United States.-Men's Singles:-Ladies Singles:-Pairs:-Medal table:-Men:Referee:* Rudolf MarxAssistant Referee:* Harold G. Storke...
, new champions were crowned in all four disciplines.
In the ladies' event, Stephanie Westerfeld
Stephanie Westerfeld
Stephanie "Steffi" Westerfeld was an American figure skater.She earned a place on the United States' world team for the 1961 World Figure Skating Championships after she finished second at 1961 U.S National Championships....
had a narrow lead over Laurence Owen
Laurence Owen
Laurence Rochon "Laurie" Owen was a Hall of Fame American figure skater. She was the 1961 U.S. National Champion and represented the United States at the 1960 Winter Olympics, where she placed 6th. She was the daughter of Maribel Vinson and Guy Owen and the sister of Maribel Owen...
after the compulsory figures
Compulsory figures
Compulsory figures or school figures were formerly an aspect of the sport of figure skating, from which the sport derives its name. Carving specific patterns or figures into the ice was the original focus of the sport. The patterns of compulsory figures all derive from the basic figure eight...
and performed well enough in the free skating that she might have won the competition. But Owen followed with superior effort in the free skate and won the title on a 4-1 split of the first-place ordinals.
The men's competition was won by Bradley Lord
Bradley Lord
Bradley Lord was an American figure skater who competed in men's singles. He finished fourth at the 1960 United States Figure Skating Championships and then placed sixth at that year's World Figure Skating Championships after the top three U.S. skaters skipped the event...
, likewise in a come-from-behind victory in the free skating after having been second to Gregory Kelley
Gregory Kelley
Gregory Kelley was an American figure skater who competed in men's singles. He won the junior title at the United States Figure Skating Championships in 1959 and finished ninth at the 1960 World Figure Skating Championships after the top three U.S. skaters skipped the event. In 1961 he won the...
in the compulsory figures.
Maribel Owen
Maribel Owen
Maribel Yerxa Owen was an American pair skater. With partner Dudley Richards, she was the 1961 U.S. national champion and represented the United States at the 1960 Winter Olympics, where they placed 10th. She was the daughter of Maribel Vinson and Guy Owen and the sister of Laurence Owen...
and Dudley Richards
Dudley Richards
Dudley "Dud" Shaw Richards was an American figure skater who competed in men's singles and pairs. In singles, he won the bronze medal at the 1953 United States Figure Skating Championships and finished sixth at that year's World Figure Skating Championships...
, the silver medalists from the previous year, were the clear winners of the pairs event, while Diane Sherbloom
Diane Sherbloom
Diane Carol "Dee Dee" Sherbloom was an American figure skater who competed in ice dance. Previously paired with Roger Campbell, she had no intentions of competing at the 1961 United States Figure Skating Championships until a twist of fate brought partner Larry Pierce her way...
and Larry Pierce -- skating in their first season together—took the ice dance championship.
A notable feature of this event is that it was the first time the United States Figure Skating Championships
United States Figure Skating Championships
The United States Figure Skating Championships is figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of the United States. The competition is sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating. In the U.S. skating community, the event is often referred to informally as "Nationals".Skaters...
were covered on national television, with a modest rights fee being paid by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. Sportscaster Bud Palmer
Bud Palmer
John S. "Bud" Palmer is a former pro basketball player. He was a member of the original New York Knickerbockers, and was their leading scorer in their inaugural season 1946/47...
provided the "play-by-play", and Dick Button
Dick Button
Richard Totten "Dick" Button is an American former figure skater and a well-known long-time skating television analyst. He is a two-time Olympic Champion and five-time World Champion...
provided the commentary for the event, a role Button continued to perform for decades after the Championships broadcasts were picked up by ABC Sports in subsequent years.
Men
| Rank | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Bradley Lord Bradley Lord Bradley Lord was an American figure skater who competed in men's singles. He finished fourth at the 1960 United States Figure Skating Championships and then placed sixth at that year's World Figure Skating Championships after the top three U.S. skaters skipped the event... |
| 2 | Gregory Kelley Gregory Kelley Gregory Kelley was an American figure skater who competed in men's singles. He won the junior title at the United States Figure Skating Championships in 1959 and finished ninth at the 1960 World Figure Skating Championships after the top three U.S. skaters skipped the event. In 1961 he won the... |
| 3 | Tim Brown |
| 4 | Douglas Ramsay Douglas Ramsay Douglas Ramsay was an American figure skater who competed in men's singles.Known as "Dick Button Jr.", he early won the reputation of being a particularly charismatic free skater and an audience favorite.... |
| 5 | Bruce Heiss |
Ladies
| Rank | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Laurence Owen Laurence Owen Laurence Rochon "Laurie" Owen was a Hall of Fame American figure skater. She was the 1961 U.S. National Champion and represented the United States at the 1960 Winter Olympics, where she placed 6th. She was the daughter of Maribel Vinson and Guy Owen and the sister of Maribel Owen... |
| 2 | Stephanie Westerfeld Stephanie Westerfeld Stephanie "Steffi" Westerfeld was an American figure skater.She earned a place on the United States' world team for the 1961 World Figure Skating Championships after she finished second at 1961 U.S National Championships.... |
| 3 | Rhode Lee Michelson Rhode Lee Michelson Rhode Lee Michelson was an American figure skater. She placed third at the 1961 U.S. Championships, earning her the right to compete a month later at the World Championships. A hip injury forced Rhode to withdraw from the North American Championships in early February 1961... |
| 4 | Karen Howland |
| 5 | Vicky Fisher |
Pairs
| Rank | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Maribel Owen Maribel Owen Maribel Yerxa Owen was an American pair skater. With partner Dudley Richards, she was the 1961 U.S. national champion and represented the United States at the 1960 Winter Olympics, where they placed 10th. She was the daughter of Maribel Vinson and Guy Owen and the sister of Laurence Owen... / Dudley Richards Dudley Richards Dudley "Dud" Shaw Richards was an American figure skater who competed in men's singles and pairs. In singles, he won the bronze medal at the 1953 United States Figure Skating Championships and finished sixth at that year's World Figure Skating Championships... |
| 2 | Ila Ray Hadley Ila Ray Hadley Ila Ray Hadley , was an American figure skater who competed in pairs and ice dance with her brother Ray Hadley, Jr..Hadley was born in Renton, Washington... / Ray Hadley, Jr. Ray Hadley, Jr. Ray Ellis Hadley, Jr. was an American figure skater who competed in pairs and ice dance with his sister Ila Ray Hadley.Hadley was born in Seattle, Washington... |
| 3 | Laurie Hickox Laurie Hickox Laurie Jean Hickox December 6, 1945 – February 15, 1961) was an American pair skater who competed with her brother William Hickox. They won the bronze medal at the U.S. Championships, earning them the right to compete a month later at the World Championships in Prague. They also finished... / William Hickox William Hickox William Holmes Hickox was an American pair skater who competed with his sister Laurie Hickox. They won the bronze medal at the U.S. Championships, earning them the right to compete a month later at the World Championships in Prague. They also finished sixth at the North American Figure Skating... |
| 4 | Janet Browning / Jim Browning |
Ice Dancing (Gold Dance)
| Rank | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Diane Sherbloom Diane Sherbloom Diane Carol "Dee Dee" Sherbloom was an American figure skater who competed in ice dance. Previously paired with Roger Campbell, she had no intentions of competing at the 1961 United States Figure Skating Championships until a twist of fate brought partner Larry Pierce her way... / Larry Pierce |
| 2 | Dona Lee Carrier Dona Lee Carrier Dona Lee Carrier was an American figure skater who competed in ice dancing with Roger Campbell. The pair won the silver medal at the 1961 United States Figure Skating Championships, earning them the right to compete a month later at the World Championships in Prague... / Roger Campbell Roger Campbell Roger Campbell was an American figure skater who competed in ice dancing. After partnering Diane Sherbloom in 1959, he won the bronze medal at the 1960 United States Figure Skating Championships with Yvonne Littlefield and went on to finish eight at that year's World Figure Skating Championships... |
| 3 | Patricia Dineen Patricia Dineen Patricia Major Dineen was an American ice dancer who competed with her husband Robert Dineen. The duo won the Silver dance title at the 1960 United States Figure Skating Championships and then the bronze at the senior level at the 1961 United States Figure Skating Championships, earning them the... / Robert Dineen Robert Dineen Robert Dineen was an American ice dancer who competed with his wife Patricia Dineen. The duo won Silver dance title at the 1960 United States Figure Skating Championships and then the bronze in the senior division at the 1961 United States Figure Skating Championships, earning them the right to... |
| 4 | Jan Jacobsen / Marshall Campbell |
| 5 | Thomasine Pierce / Roy Speeg |
| 6 | Katrine Neil / Peter Betts Peter Betts Peter Betts is an American former figure skater. Skating with Yvonne Littlefield, he won the ice dance title at the 1962 United States Figure Skating Championships.... |
Men
| Rank | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Monty Hoyt Monty Hoyt Monty Hoyt was an American figure skater. He was the 1962 U.S. national champion, the 1961 Junior national champion, and the 1959 Novice national champion. He represented the United States at the 1964 Winter Olympics, where he placed 10th.After winning the U.S... |
| 2 | Scott Ethan Allen |
| 3 | David Edwards |
| 4 | Buddy Zack |
| 5 | Gary Visconti Gary Visconti Gary Visconti was an American figure skater. He won the gold medal at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships twice and captured the bronze medal at the World Figure Skating Championships two times. He currently works as a coach.-Results:... |
| 6 | Tommy Litz Thomas Litz Thomas Litz is a former American figure skater. He won the gold medal at the 1963 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and competed at the 1964 Winter Olympics... |
| 7 | Ronnie Frank |
| 8 | Walter Hypes |
| 9 | Bobby McKay |
Ladies
| Rank | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Lorraine Hanlon Lorraine Hanlon Lorraine Hanlon is an American figure skater who competed in ladies singles. She is the 1963 U.S. national champion.-Career:She won the junior title at the 1961 United States Figure Skating Championships... |
| 2 | Carol Noir |
| 3 | Lynn Thomas |
| 4 | Yvonne Drummond |
| 5 | Pamela Zekman Pam Zekman Pam Zekman has been an investigative reporter at WBBM-TV in Chicago since 1981. A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Zekman spent over a decade as a newspaper reporter before working in television. Zekman is known for her aggressive investigative work, including the purchase of... |
| 6 | Michelle Monnier |
| 7 | Donna Abbott |
| 8 | Wanda Mae Guntert |
| 9 | Linda Galbraith |
Pairs
| Rank | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Vivian Joseph Vivian Joseph Vivian Joseph is a female American figure skater.-Skating career:Vivian and her older brother Ronald Joseph began skating together as children, attended Highland Park High School, and competed for the Broadmoor Skating Club of Colorado.The two siblings entered their first regional competition, the... / Ronald Joseph Ronald Joseph Ronald Joseph was an American figure skater.-Skating career:Ronald and his younger sister Vivian Joseph began skating together as children, attended Highland Park High School, and competed for the Broadmoor Skating Club of Colorado.He was an excellent all-around athlete... |
| 2 | Dorothyann Nelson Dorothyann Nelson Dorothyann Nelson is a former American figure skater. She skated with partner Pieter Kollen. Together they were the champions in pair skating at the 1962 United States Figure Skating Championships and also won the silver medal in ice dance at the same event... / Pieter Kollen Pieter Kollen Pieter Kollen was an American figure skater and coach. In 1962 he won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in pair skating with partner Dorothyann Nelson, and also placed second in the ice dance competition at the same event... |
| 3 | Irma Staro / Richard Callaghan Richard Callaghan Richard Callaghan is an American figure skating coach. He is best known as the long-time coach of Todd Eldredge, 6-time U.S. Champion and 1996 World Champion. He also coached Nicole Bobek to her national title, and Tara Lipinski to U.S., World, and Olympic titles.As a competitive skater,... |
| 4 | Cynthia Kauffman Cynthia Kauffman Cynthia Diane Kauffman is an American pair skater. With brother Ronald Kauffman, she a four-time U.S. national champion and a three-time World bronze medalist... / Ronald Kauffman Ronald Kauffman Ronald Lee "Ronnie" Kauffman is an American pair skater. With sister Cynthia Kauffman, he a four-time U.S. national champion and a three-time World bronze medalist... |
| 5 | Elizabeth George / Paul George |
| 6 | Nancy Streff / James Kelleher |
| 7 | Elizabeth Hickman / William Rider |
Ice Dancing (Silver Dance)
| Rank | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Rosemary McEvoy / Ralph Owen |
| 2 | Ila Ray Hadley Ila Ray Hadley Ila Ray Hadley , was an American figure skater who competed in pairs and ice dance with her brother Ray Hadley, Jr..Hadley was born in Renton, Washington... / Ray Hadley, Jr. Ray Hadley, Jr. Ray Ellis Hadley, Jr. was an American figure skater who competed in pairs and ice dance with his sister Ila Ray Hadley.Hadley was born in Seattle, Washington... |
| 3 | Dorothyann Nelson Dorothyann Nelson Dorothyann Nelson is a former American figure skater. She skated with partner Pieter Kollen. Together they were the champions in pair skating at the 1962 United States Figure Skating Championships and also won the silver medal in ice dance at the same event... / Pieter Kollen Pieter Kollen Pieter Kollen was an American figure skater and coach. In 1962 he won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in pair skating with partner Dorothyann Nelson, and also placed second in the ice dance competition at the same event... |
| 4 | Wilma Piper / Stanley Urban Stanley Urban Stanley Urban is an American former ice dancer. With Sally Schantz, he won the 1963 U.S. Championships, and later won a further two medals at the U.S. Championships competing with his sister Susan Urban.... |
| 5* | Susan Bright / Robert Munz Robert Munz Robert Munz was an American ice dancer. He competed with Carole MacSween. Their best results were in the 1964 season, when they won the silver medal at the United States Figure Skating Championships and placed 6th at the World Championships. They placed 4th at the 1965 U.S... |
| 6* | Linda Rae Anderson / King Cole |
| 7* | Anne Leyden / Monroe Meier |
| 8* | Constance Caracciola / Donald Parent |
| 9* | Georgia Taylor / Howard Taylor |
| 10* | Linda Robinson / John Bickel |
| 11* | Sally Wells / William Lincoln |
| 12* | Margaret Mosford / Ben Wade |
Men
| Rank | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Peter Joseph Meyer |
| 2 | King Cole |
| 3 | Skipper Mullins |
| 4 | Loren Carlson |
| 5 | Richard Callaghan Richard Callaghan Richard Callaghan is an American figure skating coach. He is best known as the long-time coach of Todd Eldredge, 6-time U.S. Champion and 1996 World Champion. He also coached Nicole Bobek to her national title, and Tara Lipinski to U.S., World, and Olympic titles.As a competitive skater,... |
| 6 | Alexader Burnett |
| 7 | Gary Clark |
| 8 | Douglas Norwick |
| 9 | William Chapel |
| 10 | Roger Berry Roger Berry (figure skater) Roger Berry is a former American figure skater. He competed in ice dancing with a number of different partners. He had his greatest success in 1967, when he finished second at the United States Figure Skating Championships with Alma Davenport. They went on to place 9th at the 1967 World Figure... |
Ladies
| Rank | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Albertina Noyes Albertina Noyes Albertina Natalie "Tina" Noyes is an American former figure skater. She won the silver medal at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships four times and is the 1967 North American bronze medalist. She represented the United States at the 1964 Winter Olympics, where she placed 8th, and at the 1968... |
| 2 | Joya Untermohlen |
| 3 | Sondra Lee Holmes |
| 4 | Christine Haigler |
| 5 | Anita Entrikin |
| 6 | Pamela Schneider |
| 7 | Louise Wakefield |
| 8 | Neysa Higgens |
| 9 | Susan Prange |
| 10 | Janet Smith |
Aftermath
Following the U.S. Championships, all the top skaters with the exception of Brown (who was ill; his place was taken by fourth-place finisher Ramsay) took part in the North American Figure Skating ChampionshipsNorth American Figure Skating Championships
The North American Figure Skating Championships were a former elite figure skating competition for skaters from the United States and Canada. It was a biennial competition held between 1923 and 1971, with locations alternating between the two countries.Although the event was classified as an...
in Philadelphia, where Owen captured the ladies title. The team then immediately departed for the World Figure Skating Championships
World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...
in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
on February 14, 1961 on board Sabena Flight 548
Sabena Flight 548
Sabena Flight 548, registration OO-SJB, was a Boeing 707 aircraft that crashed en route to Brussels, Belgium, from New York City on February 15, 1961, killing the entire United States Figure Skating team on its way to the 1961 World Championships in Prague, Czechoslovakia.The flight, which...
. However, they never arrived; their flight crashed near Brussels, Belgium the next morning, killing all on board (including coaches, officials, and family members). The few team members who had not made the trip included skater Brown, and coach Ronald Ludington
Ronald Ludington
Ronald Ludington is an American figure skater and coach. He was born in Boston.-Biography:With his then-wife, Nancy Rouillard Ludington, he won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in pair skating four times, between 1957 and 1960, after having been the junior national champions in 1956...
(who was unable to afford the travel expenses).
The U.S. Figure Skating Memorial Fund was established eight days after the crash by F. Ritter Shumway
F. Ritter Shumway
Frank Ritter Shumway was a major figure in figure skating in the United States.From 1951 to 1965, he was president of the Ritter Company, a dental chair manufacturer founded by his grandfather Frank Ritter, and later led the company's successor, the Sybron Corporation...
, then-president of the USFSA, and the fund has continued to this day. Its purpose is to provide help to promising skaters who lack funding for equipment. Peggy Fleming
Peggy Fleming
Peggy Gail Fleming is an American figure skater. She is the 1968 Olympic Champion in Ladies' singles and a three-time World Champion...
and Scott Hamilton
Scott Hamilton (figure skater)
Scott Scovell Hamilton is an American figure skater and Olympic gold medalist. He won four consecutive U.S. championships , four consecutive World Championships and a gold medal in the 1984 Olympics....
are among future champions who have credited the memorial fund with being vital to their careers. RISE, a documentary film about the 1961 team, was released on February 17, 2011, two days after the 50th anniversary of the crash.