Jessica Calalang

Jessica Noelle Calalang (born February 24, 1995) is an American pair skater. With her current partner Brian Johnson, she is the 2020 U.S. national silver medalist and a two-time Challenger series medalist, including gold at the 2019 CS Warsaw Cup. Earlier in her career, she skated with Zack Sidhu, winning three medals on the ISU Challenger Series.

Jessica Calalang
Calalang / Johnson at 2019 Skate America
Personal information
Full nameJessica Noelle Calalang
Country represented United States
Born (1995-02-24) February 24, 1995
Elk Grove Village, Illinois
Height1.55 m (5 ft 1 in)
PartnerBrian Johnson
Former partnerZack Sidhu, Daniel O'Shea
CoachTodd Sand, Jenni Meno, Christine Binder, John Nicks
ChoreographerPasquale Camerlengo
Skating clubDuPage FSC Buffalo Grove
Training locationsAliso Viejo, California
Began skating2000
ISU personal best scores
Combined total196.15
2020 Four Continents
Short program68.20
2019 CS Warsaw Cup
Free skate128.39
2020 Four Continents

Personal life

Jessica Noelle Calalang[1] was born on February 24, 1995 in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.[2] After graduating in 2013 from Glenbrook South High School in Glenview, Illinois, she enrolled at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California.[1]

Career

In the 2009–10 season, Calalang competed with Daniel O'Shea on the novice level.[1]

Partnership with Sidhu

Calalang teamed up with Zack Sidhu in August 2010.[1] They made their ISU Junior Grand Prix debut at the 2010 JGP event in Ostrava, Czech Republic. The following season, they won a bronze medal at the 2011 JGP competition in Tallinn, Estonia. After winning the junior silver medal at the 2013 U.S. Championships, they were assigned to the 2013 World Junior Championships in Milan, Italy, where they finished ninth.

Calalang/Sidhu moved up to the senior level in the 2013–14 season. They won silver at the 2013 International Cup of Nice but finished 11th at the 2014 U.S. Championships. The pair began the following season on the ISU Challenger Series, winning silver at the 2014 U.S. International Classic and bronze at the 2014 Skate Canada Autumn Classic, before making their Grand Prix debut at the 2014 Cup of China.

2018–19 season

Calalang partnered with Brian Johnson in early April 2018.[3] They debuted internationally on the Challenger series at the 2018 CS Autumn Classic International, where they placed fourth. In November, they won bronze at the 2018 CS Tallinn Trophy.

Debuting at senior Nationals at the 2019 U.S. Championships, they placed fifth.

2019–20 season

After placing sixth at the 2019 CS U.S. Classic, Calalang/Johnson were selected to make their Grand Prix debut, placing fourth at the 2019 Skate America and sixth at 2019 Skate Canada International. At Skate America, they placed ahead of reigning U.S. national champions Cain/LeDuc.[4][5]

After competing at a second Challenger event, the 2019 CS Warsaw Cup, where they won the gold medal, Calalang/Johnson competed at the 2020 U.S. Championships. They were fourth in the short program after Johnson fell on a downgraded triple Salchow attempt.[6] Skating cleanly in the free skate, they won that segment, receiving an ovation from the audience, and rose to the silver medal place. Johnson remarked that "the amount of audience support at the end of that program was overwhelming. It’s the most amazing thing I have felt on the ice."[7]

Despite being national silver medalists, Calalang/Johnson were not assigned to one of the United States' two pairs berths at the 2020 World Championships in Montreal. Instead, they were sent to the 2020 Four Continents Championships in Seoul, where they placed fourth in the short program after Calalang stepped out of their side-by-side jump attempt.[8] In the free skate, their sole error was Johnson singling a planned triple Salchow, and they placed third in the segment, winning a small bronze medal to finish in fourth place overall. Johnson commented afterward that they had "been together less than two years, but already we are in the last group at the Four Continents with Olympians. I have nothing but hope for the future."[9]

After the sudden split of national champions Knierim and Knierim, Calalang and Johnson were added to the world team.[10] The event was later canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11]

2020–21 season

Calalang/Johnson were assigned to compete at the 2020 Skate America, with the Grand Prix operating largely based on training location due to pandemic travel restrictions.[12] They placed second in the short program despite both making errors on their jumps.[13] Second in the free skate as well with more jump errors, they won the silver medal behind the new team of Knierim/Frazier.[14]

Competing at the 2021 U.S. Championships, Calalang/Johnson placed second in the short program after Calalang fell on her attempted triple Salchow jump, ending up 6.16 points behind Knerim/Frazier.[15] The team struggled in the free skate, with Calalang again falling on what was intended as a jump combination and both making errors on their other triple jump, as well as receiving on a level 1 on their final lift. Despite this, they remained in second place, winning their second consecutive silver medal.[16] They were named to the American team for the 2021 World Championships in Stockholm.[17]

Programs

With Johnson
Season Short program Free skating
2020–2021
[18]
2019–2020
[19]
2018–2019
[20]

With Sidhu
Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2017–2018
[21]
2016–2017
[22]
2015–2016
[23]
2014–2015
[2]
  • Romeo and Juliet
    by Nino Rota
2013–2014
[1]
2012–2013
[24]
2011–2012
[25]
  • Elite Syncopations
    by Scott Joplin
2010–2011
[1]

Competitive highlights

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

With Johnson
International[26]
Event 18–19 19–20 20–21
World ChampsCTBD
Four Continents4th
GP Skate America4th2nd
GP Skate Canada6th
CS Autumn Classic4th
CS Tallinn Trophy3rd
CS U.S. Classic6th
CS Warsaw Cup1st
National[20]
U.S. Championships5th2nd2nd
ISP Points Challenge1st
TBD = Assigned; C = Event Cancelled

With Sidhu
International[27]
Event 10–11 11–12 12–13 13–14 14–15 15–16 16–17 17–18
GP Cup of China7th
GP Rostelecom5th
GP NHK Trophy7th
CS Autumn Classic3rd6th
CS Finlandia7th
CS Ice Challenge4th
CS U.S. Classic2nd2nd
Cup of Nice2nd
International: Junior[27]
Junior Worlds9th
JGP Austria6th
JGP Croatia8th
JGP Czech Rep.10th
JGP Estonia3rd
JGP Poland4th
National[1]
U.S. Champ.8th J4th J2nd J11th5th5thWD9th
Pacific Coast Sect.2nd J1st J1st
J = Junior level; WD = Withdrew

With O'Shea
National[28]
Event 2009–10
U.S. Championships5th N
Midwestern Sectionals4th N
N = Novice level

References
  1. "Jessica Noelle Calalang / Zack Sidhu". IceNetwork.com. Archived from the original on June 9, 2018.
    "Earlier versions: 2011–2013". Archived from the original on January 28, 2013.
  2. "Jessica CALALANG / Zack SIDHU: 2014/2015". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 20, 2015.
  3. Rutherford, Lynn (28 November 2018). "Jessica Calalang and Brian Johnson: California Pair Dreamin' – and Trainin' Their Butts Off". U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone. U.S. Figure Skating.
  4. Slater, Paula (October 20, 2019). "China's Peng and Jin win first Grand Prix gold at 2019 Skate America". Golden Skate.
  5. Slater, Paula (October 27, 2019). "Boikova and Kozlovskii maintain overnight lead for Skate Canada gold". Golden Skate.
  6. Slater, Paula (January 23, 2020). "Knierim and Knierim lead Pairs at U.S. Nationals". Golden Skate.
  7. Slater, Paula (January 25, 2020). "Knierim and Knierim reclaim U.S. National title in Pairs". Golden Skate.
  8. Slater, Paula (February 6, 2020). "Moore-Towers and Marinaro edge out Chinese in Pairs Short". Golden Skate.
  9. Slater, Paula (February 8, 2020). "Sui and Han bounce back for sixth Four Continents title". Golden Skate.
  10. "Jessica Calalang and Brian Johnson added to US World Team". U.S. Figure Skating. February 26, 2020.
  11. Ewing, Lori (March 11, 2020). "World figure skating championships cancelled in Montreal". CBC Sports.
  12. "2020 Skate America". International Figure Skating. October 20, 2020.
  13. Slater, Paula (October 24, 2020). "Scimeca Knierim and Frazier take lead in pairs at 2020 Skate America". Golden Skate.
  14. Slater, Paula (October 26, 2020). "Golden debut for Scimeca Knierim and Frazier at 2020 Skate America". Golden Skate.
  15. Slater, Paula (January 14, 2021). "Scimeca Knierim and Frazier lead Pairs in debut at U.S. Nationals". Golden Skate.
  16. Slater, Paula (January 17, 2021). "Knierim and Frazier take title in US Nationals debut". Golden Skate.
  17. "U.S. Figure Skating Announces Men's, Pairs and Ice Dance Selections for World Team". U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone. U.S. Figure Skating. January 17, 2021.
  18. "Jessica CALALANG / Brian JOHNSON: 2020/2021". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020.
  19. "Jessica CALALANG / Brian JOHNSON: 2019/2020". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on October 19, 2019.
  20. "Jessica Calalang and Brian Johnson". usfigureskatingfanzone.com. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018.
  21. "Jessica CALALANG / Zack SIDHU: 2017/2018". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 25, 2018.
  22. "Jessica CALALANG / Zack SIDHU: 2016/2017". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 30, 2017.
  23. "Jessica CALALANG / Zack SIDHU: 2015/2016". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 27, 2016.
  24. "Jessica CALALANG / Zack SIDHU: 2012/2013". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on February 26, 2013.
  25. "Jessica CALALANG / Zack SIDHU: 2011/2012". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on April 19, 2012.
  26. "Jessica CALALANG / Brian JOHNSON". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018.
  27. "Competition Results: Jessica CALALANG / Zack SIDHU". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on November 29, 2018.
  28. "Jessica Calalang / Daniel O'Shea". Tracings.net. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
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