Evan hits national stage at age 10

On April 13, 1996, then-correspondent Marge Reynolds gave many of our readers their first inkling about a 10-year-old figure skater from Naperville who already was dreaming about the Olympics.

Evan Lysacek will be on a national stage today, even though he'll still be competing in the Chicago area.

The 10-year-old Naperville ice skater will take part in the 1996 United States Figure Skating Association Junior Olympics to be held at Northbrook Sports Center in Northbrook.

Lysacek will face the 17 other top juvenile male skaters from around the country. This division is where future senior champions get their competitive start on the national level.

"Evan's goal is to be an elite skater, and Junior Olympics is a wonderful opportunity for him," said his coach, Candy Brown Burek. "He will have exposure to national-level judges from all over the U.S. and will have the chance to see how he rates in comparison to other skaters at his level from across the country."

Lysacek has only been skating since age 8, when he started lessons at Center Ice of DuPage in Glen Ellyn. He has risen quickly through the beginner, pre-preliminary, preliminary and pre-juvenile levels. He will move to the intermediate level after the competition.

Lysacek qualified for the nationals by finishing second at the USFSA Upper Great Lakes Juvenile Men's Regional competition in November in Fargo, N.D. He will represent the DuPage Figure Skating Club.

His skating program has undergone many changes since the regional. Lysacek and Burek have added a double axel and several jump combinations. They attached a double toe to his double flip jump and they added a double loop to his double lutz. They also increased the number of position changes in his combination spin and added Russian splits as an entry into a double lutz jump.

"It is very unusual for a skater to be landing a double axel after only two years in this sport," Burek said.

Lysacek said, "My favorite jump is the double flip. I love the turning in the air when I do jumps and skating fast."

Burek developed Lysacek's program by working with choreographer Ricky Harris. His music includes parts from three soundtracks, "Top Gun," "Dick Tracy" and "Sleuth." Lysacek tried out this new program at a competition in Milwaukee last month that he won.

Skaters must be under the age of 13 as of October 1, 1995, to be eligible to compete at the USFSA juvenile singles level. At only 10, Lysacek will be one of the younger skaters entered today.

Lysacek now trains at two rinks in DuPage County six days a week and has been Burek's student since June 1994. He skates before school at Seven Bridges Ice Arena in Woodridge and after school at All Seasons Ice Arena in Aurora.

Lysacek also takes strength classes at the Wheaton Sports Core and dance lessons at Von Heidecke's School in Naperville.

Also, since the regional, Lysacek had been skating at the Northbrook Rink on Saturday mornings.

"It was a nice opportunity to have this competition rink so near," Burek said. "It gives Evan the opportunity to gain familiarity with this ice and the surroundings and that is helpful, especially as he comes out of his jumps."

Burek said Lysacek's greatest strength is his strong work ethic.

"When I give Evan a specific assignment, I know he will go after it in a dedicated fashion and he won't stop until he accomplishes what I have asked him to do," she said. "His joy and enthusiasm for skating bring out the best of his talents."

Lysacek also is an honor student at Springbrook Elementary School in Naperville, where he takes enrichment classes.

-- Marge Reynolds