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Han, the Australian national figure skating champion and a Sochi Olympian, broke 100 points for her long program for the first time in the elite event.
In skating her long program to the "Secret" soundtrack by Jay Chou, Han totaled 102.99 points for her jumps, spins, footwork and program components. The points for just the technical aspects of her program were the fifth highest among the skaters, as she landed a triple-loop double-toe combo, a triple lutz, a triple toe, a triple Salchow double two single loop combo, a triple loop and a double Axel.
Han's scores were good enough for eighth place in the long program and 10th place overall. Her overall total of the short program and long program combined of 150.37 points was also a new personal best for Han.
Elena Radionova of Russia won Skate America, one of six elite figure skating events held around the world each fall.
Not one to rest on her laurels, Han heads this week to compete in Skate Canada in Kelowna, British Columbia.
Han, 19, is a 2013 graduate of Joel Barlow High School in Redding and is a freshman at Wesleyan University, near her training rink of Newington Arena. She also trains at the Winter Garden Ice Arena in Ridgefield.
After competing this past weekend at Skate America, she returned to Connecticut briefly on Monday, Oct. 27, to go to class, take an exam and train before heading north for her next event.
Han has had a busy skating season. She also competed in two warm-up events this fall -- the U.S. International Figure Skating Classic in Salt Lake City, where she came in sixth, and the Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf, Germany, where she just missed the podium by coming fourth.
Han finished 20th at the Sochi Olympics in February and 19th at the 2014 World Championships. She has said she hopes to compete at the next Winter Olympics in Korea in 2018.
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