READING, Pa. -- The present and future of U.S. women's figure skating sit in first and third place after the short program at Skate America, the first Grand Prix event of the season.

Kimmie Meissner, 18, the national champion and former world champion, skated a solid, butterfly-free program for a score of 59.24. Her technical and artistic scores led the field, and she enters today's free skate with a cushion of 2.76 points.

Skate America At Reading, Pa.; women's free skate, today, 4 p.m., chs. 11, 4