Figure Skating Championships, where she placed 2nd behind overall winner Tiffany Chin, but ahead of Debi Thomas in the long program.

However following Thomas's brilliant 5 triple free skate, a nervous Kadavy made a couple of major mistakes, and lost the title by a 6–3 split, winning silver and qualifying for her first Worlds.

At the 1988 Winter Olympics, she was in 6th place after the short program but withdrew prior to the free skate due to the flu.

[1][2] During this period, Kadavy was coached by Carlo Fassi at the Broadmoor Skating Club; she also worked with Toller Cranston prior to the 1987–88 season.

As a professional she was heavily praised by Scott Hamilton, Dick Button, Peggy Fleming, amongst others, as showing the complete package of ladies skating, combining strong technical ability for a pro (capable of a triple loop, triple toe, triple salchow, and double axel), strong spins, speed, and wonderful artistry, along with a wider variety of artistic choices and programs than she had displayed as an amateur where she had been known mostly just for a balletic skating style.