U.S. Figure Skating Championships : Campbell Is Runner-Up to Trenary

Jill Trenary is presumed to be so far above the other women in the U.S. figure skating championships that they don’t even think about competing against her. They are, however, competing among themselves for second place and a trip to Paris next month for the world championships.

Jeri Campbell, a former national junior champion from Garden City, Mich., who trains in Burbank, was the best of the rest Wednesday at the Mount Pleasant Arena in the compulsory figures. Holly Cook of Bountiful, Utah, was third.

“I don’t think any of the girls see themselves on Jill’s level,” said Cook’s coach, Kris Sherard. “If she loses, it will be because she beat herself.”

But not even Trenary, 20, fourth in the 1988 Winter Olympics, expected to be so dominant in the compulsory figures, which count toward 20% of the final score. All nine judges ranked her first.

In the pairs’ original program Wednesday night at the Baltimore Arena, Olympians Natalie and Wayne Seybold of Marion, Ind., were first; Kristi Yamaguchi of Fremont, Calif., and Rudi Galindo of San Jose were second, and Katy Keeley and Joseph Mero of Costa Mesa were third. The pairs’ long program is scheduled for Friday night.

Yamaguchi, 17, the world junior champion last year in singles and pairs, was considerably happier after her performance with Galindo than earlier in the day, when she broke into tears after finishing eighth in the individual compulsory figures.

Because of her remarkable jumping ability, Yamaguchi was favored to finish second in the final standings. But that was before Wednesday.

Although she is not strong in figures, she was expected to rank higher than eighth entering tonight’s original program, which counts toward 30% of the final score. The long program is scheduled for Saturday.

Campbell, 18, didn’t seem to mind that Yamaguchi has received more attention than she has, even though their credentials are similar. Campbell finished fourth in the national championships last year, just missing a place on the Olympic team.

“I think she’s even overshadowed Jill this year,” Campbell said. “Kristi’s a great jumper, and people notice that. The jumps are the really intriguing part of the sport. I understand that.”

Campbell is more of a stylist, but she warned that her freestyle performances this week may not be very artistic. She suffered ligament damage in her right foot a month ago during a workout and has been back on the ice for only two weeks. Her doctor told her to take off two months, but she wanted to compete here.

Campbell trained for 2 1/2 years with Barbara Roles in Harbor City, went home to Michigan last October when she felt that she was not progressing and then returned to Southern California in January to work with Frank Carroll.

“My family wasn’t that happy about me leaving home again,” she said. “But they realize that as long as I’m skating, I should be going to the best coach.”

Her father is an executive for Ford. So that’s what she drives.

When she retires from the sport, however, she said that she’s going to buy a Lamborghini.

“But I’m not going to ask him to pay for it,” she said.

Notes

Fourth place in the pairs Wednesday night were Sharon Carz of Addison Ill., and Doug Williams of Playa del Rey. Kellie Creel of Orange and Bob Pellaton of San Diego were seventh. . . . Katy Keeley and Joseph Mero of Costa Mesa had to alter their program because she’s been ill since Sunday. She has a viral infection. . . . Tarzana’s Cindy Bortz, world junior champion in 1987, was sixth after the women’s compulsory figures. . . . After the junior men’s original program, John Baldwin Jr. of San Diego was fourth, Alex Chang of Seal Beach sixth and Richard Alexander of Simi Valley 10th. . . . Jessica Mills, who trains in Harbor City, was second in the junior girls’ compulsories. Tisha Walker of Thousand Oaks was sixth and Natasha Kuchiki of Canago Park 11th. . . . ..The men’s compulsory figures are scheduled for today.