Yamaguchi Gets Cheers, Trenary Builds Big Lead

Jill Trenary virtually assured herself of her second U.S. figure skating championship with a victory in the original program Thursday night at the Baltimore Arena. The crowd seemed to like some of the other contenders better. But the judges prevailed.

Skating conservatively, presumably so that the crown that is assumed to be hers wouldn’t fall off, the regal Trenary performed the 2-minute 40-second program without a glitch. Eight of the nine judges ranked her first. She would have to finish lower than third in Saturday’s long program, which counts 50% of the final score, for any of the other women to have a chance to win.

Trenary, 20, of Minnetonka, Minn., won the national championship in 1987, finished second to Debi Thomas last year and was fourth in the 1988 Winter Olympics.

Performing more challenging programs technically, Kristi Yamaguchi, 17, of Fremont, Calif., and Tonya Harding, 18, of Portland, Ore., were second and third, respectively, in the original program. Yamaguchi, a dynamic jumper despite her 4-foot-11, 82-pound frame, received one first-place vote and the largest ovation from a crowd of 7,156.

Holly Cook, 18, of Bountiful, Utah, was fourth with a less difficult but flawless program.

Jeri Campbell, 18, who trains in Burbank, also skated well, despite an injured right foot, until her final jump, which also was supposed to be her easiest. But she fell when the foot gave and finished sixth in the original program. She was second to Trenary after Wednesday’s compulsory figures. In the overall standings entering the long program, Harding is second, Cook third, Yamaguchi fourth and Campbell fifth. Only the champion and the runner-up advance to the world championships next month at Paris.

Considering that it is the year after the Olympics and that two of the top three women from 1988, Thomas and the injured Caryn Kadavy, are not here, the quality of the skating was high.

“It’s a shame we can send just two girls,” said Trenary’s coach, Carlo Fassi. “We have about five women who can compete with anybody in the world.”

Notes

In men’s compulsory figures at the Mount Plesant Arena, Daniel Doran of Denver finished first, James Cygan of Colorado Springs second and Todd Eldridge of San Diego third. Olympians Christopher Bowman of Van Nuys and Paul Wylie of Denver were fourth and sixth, respectively. Chris Mitchell of Rolling Hills was 10th and Troy Goldstein of Culver City 12th. . . . The men’s original program is scheduled for tonight. . . . Tarzana’s Cindy Bortz was 10th in the women’s original program and is eighth going into Saturday’s long program. . . . Goldstein and his sister, Dawn, were ninth after the junior pairs original program. Natasha Kuchiki of Canoga Park and Richard Alexander of Simi Valley were second. . . . Casey Link, coached by Doug Varvais in Newbury Park, won the novice girls championship. Nicole Bobek, who is coached by Frank Carroll in Harbor City, finished second. . . . Olympians Susan Wynne of Camillus, N.Y., and Joseph Druar of Amherst, N.Y., retained their dance lead after the original set pattern.