Photo credit Danielle Earl/U.S. Figure Skating
By Kristen Henneman
Eleven U.S. junior skaters will represent U.S. Figure Skating at the first stop of the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series, set for Aug. 20-23 in Riga, Latvia.
Of the 11 athletes, seven have stood on a podium internationally. Five will make their Junior Grand Prix debut.
Despite a strong international resume, one of the teams skating on Junior Grand Prix ice for the first time is Naomi Williams and Lachlan Lewer. The 2024 World Junior bronze medalists in pairs, Williams and Lewer participated in the senior Grand Prix Series last season but are still age-eligible at the junior level.
In their second season together, Addyson McDanold and Aaron Felberbaum finished seventh at their first JGP last season. They followed up that performance with a silver in the junior event at 2024 Tayside Trophy before placing fifth in junior at the 2025 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
Lorenzo Elano will be the sole entry for the U.S. Junior National Team in the men’s event. Making his Junior Grand Prix debut, Elano looks to continue his momentum from last season. He won the junior competition at the U.S. Championships and claimed two international medals at the junior level, earning silver at 2024 Trophy Metropole Nice Cote d'Azur and bronze at 2025 Challenge Cup.
Representing the United States in the women’s event are Sherry Zhang and Angela Shao.
In her last appearance in the Junior Grand Prix Series in 2023, Zhang took home bronze in Armenia. Since then, she clinched silver in the team event at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games and gold in the junior event at 2025 Challenge Cup. She also secured a top-five finish in the senior event at the 2025 U.S. Championships.
Right behind Zhang at Challenge Cup with the silver was Shao, who will participate in her first Junior Grand Prix.
Ice dancers Michelle Deych and Ryan Hu head to the JGP in Latvia for the second straight year. The 2025 U.S. junior pewter medalists, Deych and Hu kicked off their season with fourth in the junior event at the 2025 Lake Placid Ice Dance International.
A new partnership, Jasmine Robertson and Chase Rohner make their international debut after teaming up in January of this year.
Competition begins Thursday with the women’s, pairs and men’s short programs. Following the rhythm dance Friday, the first medals of the event will be awarded after the pairs and women’s free skates. The competition concludes Saturday with the men’s free skate and free dance.
Fans can watch all the action from JGP Latvia, as well as the entire Junior Grand Prix Series, live on the ISU YouTube channel.
The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series, which started in 1997, consists of seven international events in a cumulative point-scoring format. Each athlete is eligible to score points in two of the seven scheduled events (pairs can compete in two of four designated events). The top six point-earners in each discipline qualify for the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2025, taking place Dec. 4-7 in Nagoya, Japan.
For more information on the Junior Grand Prix Series, including full results, news and more, visit the Junior Grand Prix Competition Central on the U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone.
U.S. ENTRIES AT JGP LATVIA
Athlete | Hometown | Training Town
Women
Angela Shao | Colorado Springs, Colo. | Colorado Springs, Colo.
Sherry Zhang | San Jose, Calif. | Anaheim, Calif.
Men
Lorenzo Elano | Chicago, Ill. | Buffalo Grove, Ill.
Pairs
Addyson McDanold and Aaron Felberbaum | Woodbury Minn.; Selkirk, N.Y. | Park Ridge, Ill.
Naomi Williams and Lachlan Lewer | Boston, Mass.; Brisbane, Australia | Colorado Springs, Colo.
Ice Dance
Michelle Deych and Ryan Hu | Clarkston, Mich.; Berwyn, Penn. | Novi, Mich.
Jasmine Robertson and Chase Rohner | Nashville, Tenn.; Park City, Utah | Novi, Mich.
