Trip To Boston Is Taylor MadeBy Post-Journal StaffBOSTON - A Jamestown Skating Academy student has qualified for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships for the second time in three years. Taylor Firth placed fourth at the Eastern Sectional Championships last week, finishing with 126.38 points, after placing fourth in both her short and long programs. Finishing ahead of her were Joelle Forte of the Skating Club of New York, 150.92; Brittney Rizo of the Skating Club of Boston, 145.15; and Blake Rosenthal of the Skating Club of Wilmington, 136.29. The fourth-place finish earned Firth, a Grand Island resident, one of 12 spots at the nationals, which will be held in Cleveland in January. ''She went out and had two pretty good programs,'' said JSA co-director Lenel van den Berg, who was joined in Boston by co-director Kirk Wyse. ''We were very happy with her preparation and very happy with the way she conducted herself during the competition. There's always room for improvement ... but we feel she's in a perfect spot. Firth, 17, qualified for the 2007 nationals in Spokane, Wash., becoming the first female figure skater from Western New York to qualify for the event in 75 years. ''Last year she failed to qualify after a bad skate in the short program,'' Wyse said. ''This year all went well.'' Firth has been one of the most decorated skaters at the JSA which conducts its classes at the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena.
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