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Show Holly returns from Nationals ? with fine fourth place finish "By TOM H ARALDSEN - Sports Editor Bountiful's Holly Cook did herself her-self and her hometown proud Sat-" . urday afternoon, skating a near-flawless near-flawless performance to finish - fourth among senior Jadies at Jhe x U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Baltimore. -. Holly's performance was the : final one of the four young ladies competing for the national crown, and berths on the U.S. team that "will Compete in the World Championships Cham-pionships in Paris next month. -She ' landed each of her jumps, and narrowly nar-rowly missed a medal for her efforts." She received a standing , ovation from the nearly 13,000 fans in the arena. " It marked a great weekend for four skaters who are members of . the Utah Figure Skating Club that trains at the Bountiful Recreation Center Ice Arena. Earlier, Clay Snitcman of Farmington finished fourth in the men's novice division, his highest finish ever at that level nationally. Centerville's Kenna Bailey and her partner John Denton of California, competing for the first time in nationals at the senior, level, finished sixth in pairs. And Shannon Smith of Salt Lake City was seventh in ladies' novice. Holly was third entering the long program, perhaps the toughest part of the competition that counted for SO percent of her score. She was the final skater of the four finalists, ; each of whom performed a five minute routine in front of a national television audience watching the competition live on ABC. ; . : When her marks were announ ced, some of the crowd booed loudly, lou-dly, feeling they were loo low (see accompanying Foul Lines column). Still, the Viewmont High senior left the ice feeling good and knowing t " she'd done her best. .'. Next year's nationals will give Holly and her teammates a "home-' court" advantage, as they will be held in Salt Lake City for the second se-cond lime in six years. |