The 1962 United States Figure Skating Championships was an event organized by U.S. Figure Skating to determine the U.S. national champions and the U.S. team for the 1961 World Championships. Medals were awarded in three colors: gold (first), silver (second), and bronze (third) in four disciplines – men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing – across three levels: senior, junior, and novice.
The event was held in Boston, Massachusetts from February 1 to 4, 1962. The compulsory figures and initial round dance events were held at the Skating Club of Boston rink, while the finals were held at the McHugh Forum rink at Boston College.
It was the first national championship held following the deaths of the entire 1961 U.S. World Figure Skating team in the crash of Sabena Flight 548 near Brussels, Belgium on February 15, 1961. Not only were all of the 1961 champions dead, but so were the skaters who might have been expected to challenge them for the titles.
Monty Hoyt, the 1961 junior champion, won the senior men's event over 12-year-old Scott Ethan Allen. The junior men's free skating was considered the most exciting event of the entire competition, with Tommy Litz winning a split decision over Gary Visconti. Litz, Allen, and Visconti all went on to win the senior men's title in successive years.
The ladies event was won by 1960 Olympic bronze medalist Barbara Roles Pursley, who had been asked to come out of retirement; she had married and had a baby during the intervening year. She easily won the title with straight first-place ordinals after a poised and confident free skating performance that received an enthusiastic ovation from the crowd.
The new pair champions were Dorothyann Nelson and Pieter Kollen, who pulled double duty and also won the silver in the dance event. The dance event was won by the newly formed team of Yvonne Littlefield and Peter Betts.
Senior-level results
Men
Ladies
Pairs
Ice dancing (Gold Dance)
Junior-level results
Men
Ladies
| Rank |
Name |
| 1 |
Christine Haigler |
| 2 |
Myrna Bodek |
| 3 |
Albertina Noyes |
| 4 |
Yvonne Drummond |
| 5 |
Michelle Monnier |
| 6 |
Ronna Mae Goldblatt |
| 7 |
Kristin Mittun |
| 8 |
Sondra Lee Holmes |
| 9 |
Joya Utermohlen |
| 10 |
Pam Zekman |
Pairs
Ice dancing (Silver Dance)
| Rank |
Name |
| 1 |
Susan Bright / Robert Munz |
| 2 |
Carole MacSween / Raymond Chenson |
| 3 |
Peggy Eastman / Richard Hirsch |
| 4 |
Sally Schantz / Edward H. Smith, Jr. |
| 5* |
Joan Udelf / Monroe Meier |
| 6* |
Barbara Babcock / Stephen H. Smith |
| 7* |
Darlene Streich / Charles Fetter |
| 8* |
Constance Caracciola / Donald Parent |
| 9* |
Suzanne Vieux / Steven Kraemer |
| 10* |
Janet Burhans / Nic Burhans |
| 11* |
Cynthia Kauffman / Ronald Kauffman |
* Eliminated before final round
Novice-level results
Men
| Rank |
Name |
| 1 |
Tim Wood |
| 2 |
Paul McGrath |
| 3 |
William Chapel |
| 4 |
Henry Kirk |
| 5 |
Duane Maki |
| 6 |
W. Patrick Lalor |
| 7 |
John Moore |
| 8 |
Lee Lamprecht |
| 9 |
Roger Berry |
Ladies
| Rank |
Name |
| 1 |
Pamela Schneider |
| 2 |
Peggy Fleming |
| 3 |
Mary Margot LeCour |
| 4 |
Jennie Walsh |
| 5 |
Dorothy Thompson |
| 6 |
Margo Pergament |
| 7 |
Diane Schatz |
| 8 |
Theresa Von Engein |
| 9 |
Janice Serafine |
| 10 |
Linda Kneip |
References
- "U.S. Championship Results", Skating magazine, March 1962
- "The United States Championships", Skating magazine, April 1962