VIDEO: Jean-Luc Baker and Kaitlin Hawayek at nationals

Published 4:28 pm Monday, January 29, 2018

Edmonds native Jean-Luc Baker and his partner Kaitlin Hawayek finished fourth in the ice dancing competition at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships earlier this month in San Jose, California.

The highlight of Baker’s and Hawayek’s championships was their free dance, which was nearly flawless, earning the pair its highest ever score for a free dance. What made the moment extra sweet was that it was the same program they struggled with at the previous year’s nationals.

First, let’s take a look at this year’s performance, which received a standing ovation from the crowd:

Now compare it to 2017’s performance, which had two falls:

And to end this on a positive note, here’s their short program from this year’s nationals, which also received a career-best score: