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Ashley Wagner Announces Coaching Change

Ashley Wagner (photo by Michelle Harvath)

(6/14/11) - Ashley Wagner announced today she will begin training with John Nicks and Phillip Mills at the Aliso Viejo Ice Palace in Aliso Viejo, Calif. Wagner spent the last three years being coached by Priscilla Hill at the Skating Club of Wilmington in Wilmington, Del.

"I am grateful for all Priscilla did for me," Wagner said. "I am looking forward to working with Mr. Nicks and his team to prepare for the new season."

Under Hill's guidance, Wagner earned three medals in the International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series and became the 2010 U.S. bronze medalist and 2009 World Junior bronze medalist.

Before joining forces with Hill, Wagner claimed the bronze medal at both the 2007 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships and the 2008 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. This past season she took the bronze at the Rostelecom Cup, came in fifth at the NHK Trophy and placed sixth at the 2011 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

"We are excited to work with an established elite athlete such as Ashley," Mills said. "She comes from a solid coaching background. We want to help her continue to develop her aggressiveness and consistency as she heads into the upcoming season."

Over the last 43 years, Nicks has coached 40 U.S. champions at the novice, junior and senior levels, including World pairs champions Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner, and 2006 Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen.