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Radionova wins Skate America women’s competition

By WTOP Staff

ANDREW SELIGMAN
AP Sports Writer

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. (AP) — Gracie Gold is convinced the day will come when she wins a major international competition.

For now, the U.S. champion is looking up at the Russians.

Gold finished third in the Skate America women’s competition on Sunday behind two-time world junior champion Elena Radionova and Elizaveta Tuktamysheva of Russia.

“I just feel I’m on the brink of breaking into that gold and silver medal,” said Gold, who took fourth at the Sochi Olympics in February and fifth at the world championships. “I’ve had a string of bronze medals and obviously being (among) the top ladies in the various competitions, everybody’s so good and everybody’s doing all the tricks. As soon as I can get back that confidence and just really go out there and attack it, I know I can break into the gold medal, silver medal, at the other competitions.”

The 15-year-old Radionova, who was too young to compete at Sochi, overtook countrywoman Tuktamysheva in the free skate to capture the gold medal with 195.47 points. She had a slight stumble on her first jump, a triple lutz, but settled in after that.

Tuktamysheva, the leader after the short program, finished with 189.62 points and Gold took the bronze with 179.38.

Yuka Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov of Russia won the pairs competition in convincing fashion earlier in the day.

Radionova would have been in the mix for the Olympic team had she been old enough. Instead, she was invited to participate in the gala at Sochi.

Her country, meanwhile, had enough depth to take the team title and Adelina Sotnikova became the first Russian or Soviet to win Olympic gold in women’s figure skating.

“The fact that I was invited to skate at the exhibition at the Olympic Games in Sochi was a very big experience for me and I felt really special,” Radionova said. “I really felt the Olympic atmosphere and I was nervous. I wasn’t competing, but I still was nervous because I wanted to go out and skate my best and represent my country very well.”

This weekend, Radionova put on a good enough show to come away with her first victory at a Grand Prix series event and beat out her countrywoman.

Gold, who used to train in the Chicago suburbs before moving to Los Angeles to work with coach Frank Carroll, committed mistakes in both the short and long programs. She was happy with her performance overall, but couldn’t beat the Russians.

“I’m much older than they are at 19,” she said. “I remember when you’re younger, consistency is much easier. When I was 14 or 15, I thought doing all my triples like that was consistent, but it does get harder as you get older. But it just motivates me to be more consistent, and I just need to get into the season and get going again. As previous seasons show, I get more consistent and more confident as the as season continues.”

In the pairs, Kavaguti and Smirnov outclassed the field and came through with another solid performance in the free skate after taking the lead in the short program. The 2010 Olympians finished with 209.16 points to win by a wide margin.

Haven Denney and Brandon Frazier (183.84) took second, the highest finish for a U.S. pair at Skate America since 2008, and China’s Peng Cheng and Zhang Hao were third at 182.43.

Kavaguti and Smirnov are re-establishing themselves after Smirnov injured his knee in a fall at a competition in St. Petersburg, Russia, a year ago. He had surgery and went through more than six months of recovery, and the duo missed the Sochi Games.

They were clearly the class of this event, but Denney and Frazier were thrilled with their performance Sunday. Skating to the “Lion King” soundtrack, they moved up a spot to second after taking third in the short program, and left the ice to a rousing ovation.

“I would have to say that when I first got out there to skate for warmups I was a little shaky in the knees and I was a little nervous,” Frazier said. “I told myself when they called our names out, ‘Don’t think too much; just give everything you have and let your training take over.’

“When we got done, the feeling of, ‘Wow, I can’t believe that happened.’ That was probably the best long we’ve ran and to do that at a competition I always wanted to compete at was just an astounding feeling.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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