EAST LANSING, Mich. —

To the sounds of music and laughter, about a dozen kids spin, spiral and glide across the ice during an after school skating practice at Suburban Ice in East Lansing.

A tiny figure with a blond ponytail and fat pink mittens that match the pink wires in her braces skates fast around the arena, building speed.

Suddenly, smoothly, she's in the air. One. Two. Three revolutions. A fluid landing. A triple toe loop.

Meet Hannah Miller, 14. Eighth-grader at Williamston Middle School.

A-student, hard worker. Fun kid.

Contender.

"I like performing," Hannah said. "After I do a good program, I feel so accomplished."

Hannah is headed for U.S. Figure Skating's national championships Jan. 22-23 in Greensboro, N.C., where she'll compete at the novice level. Competition continues through Jan. 30 for junior- and senior-level skaters. The Lansing Skating Club hasn't sent an individual competitor to nationals for years.

"She's captivating," said Barbara Lezotte, public relations chair for the Lansing Figure Skating Club. "We are all so excited that she's heading to nationals."

Hannah started skating when she was about 5 years old. She's not the only Miller kid on the ice -- not by a long shot.

She often trains with her cousin, Ashton Miller, 15, who recently ranked seventh in the junior ladies' competition at midwestern sectionals. Their aunt, Kirsten Miller-Zisholz, coaches them both.

Sister Neysa, 12, plays hockey, with a coaching assist from their dad, Kevin, former MSU and pro hockey player. Twin sisters Braedyn and Giselle, 9, figure skate, too.

Mom Cheryl is the only one who's not on the ice, but that doesn't mean she's not heavily involved.

"I drive," she said with a laugh.

"I do hair and makeup."

The family is on the road often between their Williamston home and the East Lansing arena. On Tuesday nights, when hockey and figure skating practices are back to back, the family often shares dinner at the rink.

Hannah, who's 4 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs about 78 pounds, trains six days a week, including 6 a.m. sessions on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Saturday morning workouts and practice every day after school.

Her schedule also includes ballet and jazz dance and workouts with a personal trainer.

She takes Sundays off, but that doesn't mean she stays away from the ice:

GREENSBORO  — WXII12.com

Olympic champion Evan Lysacek will perform at the 2011 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships at the Greensboro Coliseum on Jan. 30, event organizers announced Thursday.

Lysacek will be performing as part of the Smucker's Skating Spectacular, which will be broadcast on WXII on Feb. 5 at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets for the event are still available, organizers said.

Organizers said the event is considered the most prestigious figure skating event in the country.

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