SPOKANE, Wash. — Kimmie Meissner has a busy week ahead of her.
There's a commercial to shoot for Subway. "I get to meet Jared," Meissner said referring to the company's slimmed-down spokesman. A "Today" show appearance is also scheduled.
By Thursday she should back at Fallston High in Maryland, where the 17-year-old senior's duties include making the morning announcements over the school's public address system.
"I'll probably say," Meissner said,'Kimmie Meissner is back in the building after winning nationals, so if you see her make sure you say congratulations.' "
Meissner added her first American title to her 2006 World crown with a narrow victory against Emily Hughes at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Saturday that marked a new era in American skating.
Meissner became the first skater other than Michelle Kwan or Sasha Cohen to win the U.S. women's title since 1997, finishing with an overall score of 181.68. Hughes, the younger sister of 2002 Olympic champion Sarah Hughes, posted a 180.86 mark.
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"I'm really excited that I'm the leader of the new generation," Meissner said.
There were, however, more than a few missteps into the new era. Meissner touched the ice with her hand to save her opening jump. Hughes was unable to capitalize, falling on a triple jump late in her program.
Only Alissa Czisny skated clean, vaulting from fifth to third overall (177.74) and the final World championships spot with her long program victory. The Bowling Green State international studies major arrived at the 2006 U.S. championships a leading contender for a spot on the Olympic team only to slide to seventh.
"Last year I had a lot of issues," Czisny said. "My boot blades were misaligned. That threw off my jumping and that threw off my confidence."
"I tried to go out there and skate my best," Czisny said, "and that's exactly what I did."
Any chance of Meissner doing the same disappeared when she botched a triple lutz just seconds into her routine. "It shocked me a little bit," she said. "But I refocused and got through it."
But the mistake put Hughes, skating immediately after Meissner, on the way to giving herself a golden 18th birthday present a day late, until she fell 2 minutes, 35 seconds into the program. The title was Meissner's.
"I was just getting used to the world champion thing," Meissner said when asked how she liked the sound of "national champion Kimmie Meissner."
Kimmie and Gregory now turn their attention to Meissner's world title defense in Tokyo (March 19-25).
"I'm going to try and get that perfect skate at worlds," Meissner said. She might need just that against a host of Japanese contenders skating on home ice.
