Eldredge, Wood Lead in Figure Skating

Todd Eldredge and Katie Wood posted the best scores in compulsory figures Tuesday to open competition in the novice division of the U.S. figure-skating championships.

In junior pairs competition, the Michigan team of Deveny Deck and Luke Hohmann breezed into the lead following the prescribed short programs.

The five-day national competition, which ends Saturday, has drawn 202 contestants in three divisions.

Eldredge, 13, who skates for the Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society, finished the compulsories with 68.50 points. Cameron Birky of St. Moritz Ice Skating Club at Berkeley, Calif., finished second with 65.30, and Alex Chang of the Arctic Blades Figure Skating Club at Paramount, Calif., was third with 63.70.

In the novice ladies competition, Wood, a 13-year-old junior high student from Winnetka, Ill., accounted for 65.30 points and a slim lead over Kenna Bailey of the Utah Skating Club, with 65.20 points. Jill Weisenstein of the Academy Figure Skating Club had 65.00 for third.

In junior pairs, Deck, a 16-year-old high school student from Plymouth, Mich., and Hohmann, a 20-year-old computer enthusiast from Northville, Mich., easily skated past the second-ranked Detroit team of Shelly Propson and Jerod Swallow, 86.90 to 85.60. Lori Blasko of the Conejo Valley Figure Skating Club and Todd Sand of the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club had 83.20 points and a strong third place.