Algonquin skater, partner have lofty goals

Doing what no U.S. figure skating pairs team has done in more than a half-century only left Rockne Brubaker wanting more.

Brubaker, a 21-year-old Algonquin native, and 15-year-old partner Keauna McLaughlin became the first pairs team in 51 years to go from winning a U.S. junior championship to winning a senior title in one year.

Now they have quickly turned their sights on a stage that's much more grand.

"It's still exciting," Brubaker said of winning the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. "But there are so many things we want to do and accomplish. It's motivating for everything else we want to accomplish."

Ultimately, he and McLaughlin want to win the world championships next year and bring home Olympic gold to the United States in 2010.

History, though, isn't on their side. The United States has won only 2 world championship golds (1950, 1979) in pairs skating and never in the Olympics.

"The U.S. pairs hasn't been a major force internationally in awhile," said Brubaker from his Colorado home on Monday. "We know we're on the up and coming and doing the right thing. We're turning the right heads and people are noticing.

"We've been told by our officials and judges as well as ones internationally that they're looking forward to us pushing it and being the strength at the next Olympics.

"We like the challenge that the world doesn't respect pairs competing from the U.S. We want to show the world we can."

Last week in St. Paul, Minn., the pair won the short program with a near-perfect routine and followed it up Saturday with just as impressive free-skate performance.

Their overall score of 190.74 was more than 7 points ahead of two-time U.S. champions John Baldwin Jr. and Rena Inoue. Last year's champions, Brooke Castile and Ben Okolsk, finished third.

"We knew going into it if we skated good programs we could win," Brubaker said. He is named after his father, who was named after legendary Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne.

"It was a matter of putting out the performances. We were trained; we were ready. To us, it was an easier competition, more exciting.

"It's in the U.S. You have family and friends there. It's motivating to go out. You know everyone's cheering for you."

Brubaker's crowd included his mother, father, sister, grandmother and uncle from Algonquin. Brubaker's younger brother Colin, 18, also competed in the championships.

"(His mom, Monica) was crying," Brubaker said. "She usually cries when I skate. There's a sense of being proud. She's been the most influential person in my skating. She has been basically the driving force."

The championships marked the end of Brubaker's season. He is too old for the junior world championships and McLaughlin is too young for the senior worlds. Their next season begins in the summer.

"It's kind of the beginning of a long road ahead," Brubaker said. "We think it's kind of opening a lot of doors for us. We're excited to see what comes along. Now we're improving. I think it was a big step for us in building our confidence for the next season."