Meryl Davis

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**Meryl Davis**

Davis & White in 2006.
Personal Info
Country:	United States
Date of birth:	January 1, 1987 (1987-01-01) (age 21)
Height:	158 cm (5 ft 2 in)
Partner:	Charlie White
Coach:	Igor Shpilband, Marina Zueva
Former Coach:	Seth Chafetz
Skating Club:	Arctic Edge Skating Club
ISU Personal Best Scores
Ice Dance Total:	199.45	2008 Four Continents
Comp. Dance:	37.36	2008 Four Continents
Original Dance:	61.93	2008 Four Continents
Free Dance:	100.16	2008 Four Continents

Most Recent Results:
Event	Points	Finish	Year
Four Continents	199.45	2nd	2008

Meryl Davis (born January 1, 1987), is an American ice dancer. With partner Charlie White, she is the 2008 U.S. national silver medalist and 2008 Four Continents silver medalist. Davis and White teamed up in 1997 and they are currently the longest lasting dance team in the United States. At the 2006 NHK Trophy, they became the first ice dancing team to win level fours on all their elements.^[1]

1 Personal life
2 Career
3 Programs
4 Competitive highlights
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Personal life

Meryl Davis was born in West Bloomfield, Michigan. She currently lives and attends school in Ann Arbor, Michigan and trains in Canton, Michigan.

In June, 2005, Davis graduated from Wylie E. Groves High School. She was a member of the National Honor Society and, upon graduation, received the Phi Beta Kappa award. She currently attends the University of Michigan, where she is majoring in cultural anthropology.

[edit] Career

Davis began skating at age five so that she would be able to skate on a local lake in the winter. She started out as a single skater, but began doing ice dance at age eight. She got as high as Midwestern sectionals in novice ladies before quitting singles to focus on ice dancing. ^[2]

She was teamed up with Charlie White by her coach, Seth Chafetz^[3] The duo immediately experienced success. In 1997 (their first year as partners) they won the silver medal at the Junior Olympics in the Juvenile division. They qualified for Nationals for the first time in the 2000-2001 season, placing 6th as Novices. The next season they won the silver medal as novices and then moved up to Junior. They did not place at either of their two Junior Grand Prix assignments and placed 7th at Nationals in their junior debut.

In the 2003-2004 season, they won their sectional championship and then won the silver medal at Nationals. This earned them a trip to the World Junior Figure Skating Championships, where they placed 13th.

In the 2004-2005 season, Davis and White did very well internationally on the Junior circuit, winning two bronze medals. However, White broke his ankle before Sectionals and so Davis and White were unable to qualify for Nationals. Their season ended there.

In the 2005-2006 season, they came back strong. They medaled at both their Junior Grand Prix events and placed second at the Junior Grand Prix Final. They won the Junior National Title and then won the bronze medal at the Junior Worlds. Following that season, Davis aged out of Juniors.

In the 2006-2007 season, they made their debut both nationally and internationally as seniors. They placed 4th at both their Grand Prix assignments. At the 2006 NHK Trophy, they became the first team to earn all level fours on their elements. At Nationals, they won the bronze medal at the senior level, qualifying them for the World Team. They are the first team since Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto to go directly from winning the Junior national title to making the World team.

At Worlds, Davis and White placed 7th, the highest debut placement for an American team at Worlds since 1980.^[4]

Davis and White placed 4th at the 2007 Skate America and then went on to win their first Grand Prix medal at the 2007 Trophee Eric Bompard. They completely revamped their Eleanor Rigby free dance before Nationals due to its poor reception. They won the silver medal at Nationals, one spot up from the previous season.

[edit] Programs

Season	Original Dance	Free Dance	Exhibition
2007-2008	Kalinka	Eleanor's Dream/Eleanor Rigby by The Beatles
2006-2007	A Los Amigos by Astor Piazzolla	Prince Igor Polovtsian Dances by Alexander Borodin	Soundtrack to "Beyond the Sea" by Bobby Darin, performed by Kevin Spacey
2005-2006	"Ran Kan Kan - En Los Pasos de mi Padre by Tito Puente (Mambo) "Un Bolero Por Favor"	"Sarabande" by Handel
2004-2005	"Besame Mucho" from Un Bolero Por Favor by Nana Mouskouri	"Sarabande" by Handel
2003-2004	"Pennsylvania 6-5000" "That's All Right" "This Cat's on a Hot Tin Roof"	"Hasta Que te Conoci" "De Mis Manos" "Voy a Conquistarte/Que Viva la Alegria"
2002-2003	Die Fledermause	Music from "Chocolat

[edit] Competitive highlights

(with White)

Event	2000-2001	2001-2002	2002-2003	2003-2004	2004-2005	2005-2006	2006-2007	2007-2008
World Championships							7th	6th
Four Continents Championships							4th	2nd
World Junior Championships				13th		3rd
U.S. Championships	6th N.	2nd N.	7th J.	2nd J.		1st J.	3rd	2nd
Trophee Eric Bompard								3rd
Skate America								4th
Skate Canada International							4th
NHK Trophy							4th
Junior Grand Prix Final						2nd
Junior Grand Prix, Andorra						2nd
Junior Grand Prix, Bulgaria						1st
Junior Grand Prix, Romania					3rd
Junior Grand Prix, Belgrade			6th		3rd
Junior Grand Prix, Japan				4th
Junior Grand Prix, Czech Republic				4th
Junior Grand Prix, Germany			8th
Hellmut Cup Memorial		1st N.
Midwestern Sectionals	2nd N.	1st N.		1st J.