Amber Glenn was disappointed but not defeated after her short program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the reigning champion defiantly vowing to "go on the attack" when she returned to the ice for the free skate on Friday night.

Amber Glenn repeated as U.S. figure skating champion, overtaking Alysa Liu by the second-closest margin under a two-decade-old scoring system. Glenn totaled 216.79 points between Thursday's short program and Friday's free skate in Wichita,

Liu, a 19-year-old Californian who led after the short program, had a chance to overtake Glenn's total, but she slipped on her final spin of the free skate. She received a 138.97 score on Friday, second best in the free skate, and wound up as runner-up at 215.33.

Amber Glenn has fought through mental roadblocks, injuries and finally reached a certain level of internal peace.

Glenn’s win marks the first time an American woman has taken the gold since Alissa Czisny’s victory in 2010. This achievement is not only a personal milestone for Glenn but also a hopeful sign of a new era for U.S. women’s figure skating, a field that has struggled in recent years to produce world and Olympic champions.

A strong free skate gave Glenn a winning score of 216.79, edging Alysa Liu (215.33) and 18-year-old Sarah Everhardt, from Haymarket, Virginia.

Amber Glenn defended her title as the U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Friday night, landing a massive triple axel early in the program and then watching in stressful anticipation as Alysa Liu came up just short of surpassing her.