Young Pair Seizes Historic Moment, Title

Baldwin, Inoue Finish 2nd; Then His Surprise Proposal to Her Caps Dramatic Day

ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan. 26 -- As the music stopped and the applause rose at the end of the pairs competition at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Saturday, four people faced a moment of enormous reckoning. There had been drama during the event, and there would be more after. A historic stamp of validation was about to greet one pair. Another would see their lives change course.

Rene Inoue and John Baldwin, the last pair to compete in Saturday's free skate, stood at center ice bowing and enjoying the crowd's applause. They had begun their eighth national championships in second place. Their performance, strong but not superb, hinted at what the judges would shortly confirm: They weren't good enough to top America's young upstarts, Keana McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker, who were about to become the first pairs team in 51 years to jump from U.S. junior to senior pairs champions in one year.

But first, personal history would be made. Suddenly and unexpectedly, Baldwin dropped to one knee. He grabbed both of Inoue's hands and asked "Will you marry me?" as the crowd gasped.

Within minutes, two people were engaged, and two were crowned new champions. Shortly after Inoue had said yes, and she and Baldwin kissed, the judges' scores flashed. McLaughlin and Brubaker had indeed won, adding to their short but extraordinary r¿sum¿ with a convincing title in their first senior championships.

They had received 190.74 points in winning both the short and the long programs, putting them well ahead of the 31-year-old Inoue and Baldwin, 34, who earned 183.17. Last year's champions, Brooke Castile and Benjamin Okolski, claimed third place with 175.07 points.

The surprising finale left emotion spilling in all directions. In meeting with reporters after, McLaughlin and Brubaker grinned and laid out their sky-high career ambitions. Inoue and Baldwin wiped away tears and talked about having children.

"It was a total surprise," Inoue said. "Of course I said yes."

"It just caps off a great career for us," Baldwin said.

"It's definitely something I'll never forget," Brubaker said.

"I can't believe we're national champions!" McLaughlin said.

A year ago, Inoue and Baldwin, who had earned a career-best fourth-place at the 2006 Winter Games, pondered retirement. Inoue said she felt burned out, and so they decided to spend the fall doing shows rather than international competitions. But they missed the competitive rush, so they left a tour in Spain just over two weeks ago and entered this event. Then panic set in. They felt rushed and unprepared.

For three days, Baldwin said, he was in a funk, saying to himself: "This is impossible. This is never going to happen."