Naperville's Evan Lysacek in second after 'DWTS' premiere

Well, of course they weren't giving out any "10s" on opening night.

But Naperville's own Olympic hero Evan Lysacek ended up in second place, grabbing two 8's and a 7 - for a total of 23 out of a maximum of 30 points - from the judges on Monday night's season premiere of ABC's "Dancing With The Stars." Lysacek, who won figure skating gold in Vancouver last month after edging out the graceless Evgeni Plushenko, was ironically paired with a Russian partner, Anna Trebunskaya. The pair scored a fair amount of praise - and some criticism - for their Viennese waltz.

"You are good!" said Judge Carrie Ann Inaba, who cautioned Lysacek to watch his toes and "connect a little more with the audience."

"Just because you can dance on ice doesn't mean you can dance in a ballroom," curmudgeonly judge Len Goodman said, adding Lysacek had "clumsy feet." But judge Bruno Tonioli said Lysacek danced with "the grace of a swan."

It was the beginning of what could be called Evan Lysacek Week. He returns to a hero's welcome in Naperville this week, with a Thursday night reception and a host of events on Friday.

But friends and supporters started the festivities Monday night. About 70 people turned out at Raffi's restaurant in Naperville to watch the 2003 Neuqua Valley High School graduate make his "Dancing With The Stars" debut.

"For being out of his element, he did fabulous," said Nettie Badgley, who organized the event.

None of the 10 couples was booted off the show Monday night. All return to dance next week before viewers begin voting for their favorites, eliminating one couple each week.

It appears Lysacek's stiffest competition might come from Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, who scored a 25 - the highest of any contestant. Despite a best-out-the-gate review from Inaba, Scherzinger said the formal dancing was "a far cry from a chest pump and a booty dip."

At the other end of the spectrum was 80-year-old former astronaut Buzz Aldrin. It clearly pained the judges to give poor marks to the man who walked on the moon, but they did anyway. His score was the lowest of the evening.

Before his performance, Lysacek professed some insecurities about the dancing competition. For one thing, he spins in the opposite direction in formal dancing than in figure skating, which makes him dizzy.

He also acknowledged critics who say he is "too technical of a skater, that I have no danceability whatsoever," quickly adding "This is my chance to prove them wrong."