Wearing Sasha Cohen’s dress, Courtney Hicks finished first in the short program in Greensboro, N.C.

Madeline Aaron and Max Settlage are the 2011 U.S. Novice Pairs Champions. On Monday at the U.S. Championship in Greensboro, N.C., Aaron and Settlage (128.21 points) stretched their nearly two point lead to more than 14-points with an outstanding free skate.

Hannah Miller moved up from third place after the short program to claim the novice ladies gold medal at the 2011 U.S. Championships in Greensboro, N.C., while Nathan Chen easily claimed his second consecutive novice men’s title. Chen is the first man to win two novice titles.

Rachel Parsons and Michael Parsons claimed the top spot in the novice ice dance competition at the 2011 U.S. Championships, becoming the first national champions crowned in Greensboro, N.C. They finished with a 112.82 combined for the blues and Paso Doble compulsory dances Sunday and their free dance Monday.

Naomi Nari Nam is missing nationals but Johnny Weir will be in Greensboro, N.C., signing autographs.

Alexander Zahradnicek won the junior men’s short program at the 2011 U.S. Championships in Greensboro, N.C., with a 63.81 point performance to “Libertango” by Astor Piazzolla. He leads Max Aaron (62.95), Alexander Aiken (61.78) and Steven Evans (61.66).

Seventy novice athletes kicked off the competition at the 2011 U.S. Championships kicked off Sunday in Greensboro, N.C. After ice dancers Rachel Parsons and Michael Parsons won the compulsory dance, finishing first in both the blues and Paso Doble, Mariah Bell took the ladies short program, Nathan Chen topped the men’s short program and Madeline Aaron and Max Settlage were victorious in the pairs short program.

The withdraw of Kiri Baga along with other news and notes from Greensboro, N.C.

Becky Bereswill and Trevor Young are one of four pairs making their national debut at the 2011 U.S. Championships, Jan. 22-30, in Greensboro, N.C. While Young is an experienced pairs skater, finishing 12th at the 2010 U.S. Championships with his previous partner Andrea Best, Bereswill is a successful ladies competitor who started pair skating in April.

Seventy seven athletes have qualified to compete in the junior events at the 2011 U.S. Championships, January 22-30, in Greensboro, N.C. Thirteen men, pairs teams and ice dance teams will skate while 12 ladies will also compete for gold, silver, bronze and pewter medals.