Nagasu delights on national stage

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Now this is what figure skating has been looking for.

Mirai Nagasu delighted the crowd -- and herself -- with a refreshing and entertaining show at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Saturday night. Oh yeah, the 14-year-old became the second-youngest woman to win the U.S. title, too.

That other mighty mite, Olympic gold medalist Tara Lipinski, ended up doing pretty well for herself.

When her scores flashed, Nagasu looked at the screen with curiosity. When she heard she'd won, she said, "What?" then clapped her hands to her face and broke into a grin. "I am very excited and speechless for words," Nagasu said.

Figure skating has been in the doldrums the last few years, searching for a new star ever since Michelle Kwan and Sasha Cohen decided to try new things. Well, Nagasu appears to fill that bill.

She's a breath of fresh air, playing on her youth and size -- she's 4-foot-11 -- instead of trying to be something she's not. Skating to "Coppelia," the story of a doll that comes to life, she was absolutely charming.

Perhaps most impressive is that this is the first time Nagasu has competed a 4-minute program. She spent the fall on the junior international circuit, where she only had to do a 3½-minute routine.

Earlier Saturday, Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubacker got the pairs title, and Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto extended their dominance by winning ice dance.