Feb. 14, 1999 3:15 AM Sportsticker

SALT LAKE CITY (Ticker) -- Michelle Kwan won for the third time while Michael Weiss captured his first gold medal tonight at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

Displaying her trademark elegance, speed and fluidity, Kwan earned scores of 5.8s and 5.9s from the judges for her long program tonight to become the first woman to win consecutive titles since Jill Trenary in 1989-90.

The 18-year-old Kwan has claimed six medals in her seven trips to the U.S. Championships. In addition to the gold medals she won in 1996 and 1998-99, she took silver in 1994, 1995 and 1997.

Naomi Nari Nam, who was fourth after the short program, finished second while Angela Nikodinov moved from sixth to take third.

However, Sarah Hughes, who finished in fourth place, will join Kwan and Nikodinov at the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland as the 13-year-old Nam is too young to compete. Although Hughes is also 13, her silver medal at last year's World Junior Championships allows her to qualify for the team.

Weiss, who won the silver medal each of the last two years, grabbed the lead Thursday in the men's short program and continued to impress the judges once again by finishing first in today's free skate.

Trifun Zivanovic, third after the short program, finished second in the free skate and took second overall. Timothy Goebel, who finished second on Thursday, ended up third overall after placing third in the free skate.

Kwan landed six triple jumps, including a difficult triple-toe triple-toe combination, but fell on a triple-lutz. She was not penalized for the glitch as judges only award points for the elements a skater completes. They do not deduct points for mistakes.

Olympic gold is the only major accomplishment left for Kwan, who hails from Torrance, California. She has won 10 of her last 11 competitions, with the only blemish coming at last year's Olympics in Nagano, where she was upstaged by teenage rival Tara Lipinski.

Nicole Bobek, the only other skater with Olympic experience qualifying for the national championship, withdrew earlier this week due to illness and fatigue.

Weiss, a Fairfax, Virginia native, competed for the Washington Figure Skating Club and claimed his first championship since winning the Nebelhorn Trophy in 1996. He became the favorite after Todd Eldredge decided not to seek a third straight title.

Weiss barely missed cleanly landing a quadruple jump in last year's long program. Had he made the landing, he would have edged Eldredge for the title.

Derrick Delmore, a gold medalist at last year's World Junior Championships, was seventh after the short program, but finished 13th in the free skate and 10th overall.

Danielle and Steve Hartsell won Friday's free skate to capture the pairs competition.

The Hartsells, who finished third in last year's championships, are the first brother-sister team to win the national title since Kitty and Peter Carruthers won four straight championships from 1981-84.

Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman finished a close second. Ina was attempting to defend her pairs title without longtime partner Jason Dungjen. Ina and Dungjen ended their partnership after finishing first or second at the nationals each of the last five years.

Naomi Lang and Peter Tchernyshev were first in two compulsory dances, an original dance phase and Friday's free dance to capture the ice dancing championship.

The pair placed third in the 1998 U.S. Championships and posted fifth-place finishes at the Skate America and Cup of Russia.

Eve Chalom and Mathew Gates, who were third at the nationals in 1996 and second two years ago, won the silver medal, while Debbie Koegel and Oleg Fediukov finished third.

All of the winners advanced to the World Championships from March 21-28.