2010‐11 Media Kit USA Curling 5525 Clem’s Way Stevens Point, WI 54482 www.usacurl.org
Fargo set to host 2011 National Championships The Scheels Arena in Fargo, N.D., will host the 2011 USA Curling National Championships, Feb. 12‐19.
Your media contact: Terry Kolesar Director of Communications terry.kolesar@usacurl.org O: 715‐344‐1199, Ext. 202 C: 608‐338‐9900 F: 715‐344‐2279 Connect with USA Curling:
Inside this issue: Team Updates
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Calendar of Events
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Wheelchair Team 3 Announced 2010‐11 Results
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Continental Cup
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Other News
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Sponsors
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This marks the third straight year that the Nationals have been hosted in an arena setting, as op‐ posed to the tradi‐ tional curling club setting of year’s past. This switch allows the sport to be show‐ cased in a bigger setting, which opens up marketing and sponsorship opportunities. The top 20 men’s and women’s teams will compete during the week‐ long event in North Dakota. Men’s teams begin qualifying Jan. 5‐9 at four qualifier sites around the U.S. — Seattle; Rochester, N.Y.; Bismarck, N.D.; and Medford, Wis. Women’s entries have been low the past few years. They’ll advance directly to Nationals if there are not enough teams to play a preliminary competi‐ tion to qualify. Teams have until Nov. 29 to register for the National Championships. Several team personnel changes occurred in the off‐season, most notably with the 2010 Olympic teams. Here is a quick look at some of the Nationals hopefuls for 2011:
WOMEN: Team Pottinger: 2010 Olympians Allison Pottinger (Eden Prairie, Minn.), Nicole Joraanstad (Madison, Wis.) and Natalie Nicholson (Bemidji, Minn.) will all move up a position as they parted ways with skip Debbie McCormick in the off‐ season. Sarah Lehman (Bemidji, Minn.) joins the team in the lead position. McCormick opted to focus on trying to start a family and a new career as a Goldine curling supplier. She’ll keep up with the competitive curling as fifth/alternate player for the defending national champions, led by Erika Brown. Team Brown: The defending na‐ tional champion team remains intact with Erika Brown (Oakville, Ontario), Nina Spatola (McFarland, Wis.), Ann Swisshelm (Chicago) and Laura Hallisey (Medfield, Mass.). They’ll team up with Pete Fenson’s team and four Canadian teams at the 2011 Continental Cup in January, a curling event similar to golf’s Ryder Cup. Brown and the American women finished fifth at the 2010 World Women’s Championship in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, in March. Team Lank: Patti Lank has finished as runner‐up at the Nationals the past three seasons. Joining Lank is longtime vice skip Caitlin Maroldo (Rochester, N.Y.), 2006 Olympian Jessica Schultz (Richfield, Minn.) and Christina Schwartz (Fargo, N.D.). Team Sormunen: Two‐time junior champion Aileen Sormunen returns
to the skip position this season, back curling again with former teammates 2006 Olympian Courtney George (Duluth, Minn.), Amanda McLean (Duluth, Minn.) and junior competi‐ tor Miranda Solem (Cohasset, Minn.). MEN: Team Fenson: 2010 national cham‐ pion Pete Fenson (Bemidji, Minn.) and longtime teammates and fellow 2006 Olympic bronze medalists Shawn Rojeski (Chisholm, Minn.) and Joe Polo (Duluth, Minn.) once again have a new man up front as Ryan Brunt (St. Paul, Minn.) joins the team in the lead position. Team Brown: Two‐time national champion Craig Brown (Madison, Wis.) has a new team this season. He’ll team up with 2010 Olympian John Shuster, who switches to the vice skip position after skipping the men’s Olympic team. Making up the front‐end is 2007 national champion Greg Johnson (Appleton, Wis.) and Derrick Casper (Green Bay, Wis.). Continued on next page
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Championship Calendar
2010 national champion Pete Fenson (above) is seeking his seventh national title this season and another chance at a world championship medal.
Event:
Dates:
Location:
World University Games Team Selection Event
Nov. 12‐14
Fargo, N.D.
2011 U.S. Mixed Doubles Championship
Dec. 9‐12
Duluth, Minn.
2011 U.S. Nationals Qualifying Round (men only)
Jan. 5‐9
Bismarck, N.D.; Seattle; Rochester, N.Y.; Medford, Wis.
2011 Continental Cup of Curling
Jan. 13‐16
St. Albert, Alberta
2011 U.S. Nationals Men’s Challenge Round
Jan. 19‐23
Waupaca, Wis.
2011 U.S. Nationals Women’s Challenge Round
Jan. 19‐23
Grand Forks, N.D.
2011 Winter World University Games
Jan. 27‐Feb. 6
Erzurum, Turkey
2011 USA Curling Junior National Championships
Jan. 29‐Feb. 5
Fairbanks, Alaska
2011 USA Curling Senior Men’s Nationals (50+)
Feb. 2‐6
Wayland, Mass.
2011 USA Curling Senior Women’s Nationals (50+)
Feb. 3‐6
Bismarck, N.D.
2011 USA Curling National Championships
Feb. 12‐19
Fargo, N.D.
2011 World Wheelchair Championship
Feb. 22‐March 1 Prague, Czech Republic
2011 USA Curling Club Championships
March 5‐12
Mankato, Minn.
2011 World Junior Championships
March 5‐13
Perth, Scotland
2011 U.S. Mixed National Championship
March 19‐26
Midland, Mich.
2011 Capital One World Women’s Championship
March 19‐27
Esbjerg, Denmark
2011 Ford World Men’s Championship
April 2‐10
Regina, Saskatchewan
2011 World Mixed Doubles Championship
April 16‐23
St. Paul, Minn.
2011 World Senior Championships (50+)
April 16‐23
St. Paul, Minn.
Continued from Page 1...
Erika Brown (above) celebrates winning the 2010 national championship title.
Team George: 2010 national champion Tyler George (Duluth, Minn.) opted to skip his own team this year. He’s joined by 2010 Olympian Chris Plys (Duluth, Minn.), 2008 national champion Rich Ruohonen (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) and 2010 Olympic Men’s Coach Phill Drob‐ nick (Duluth, Minn.) is back to playing versus coaching. Team Birr: 2007 World Bronze Medalist
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with all members coming from John’s club — the St. Paul Curling Club. His vice skip is Jeff Puleo, who was the runner‐up in the 2010 Nationals. 2006 Olympians Cassie (Johnson) Potter and Jamie (Johnson) Haskell will continue to focus on their careers but plan to compete in the Mixed Doubles Championship this year. In addition, 2006 Olympian Mau‐ Other team notes: 2010 Olympian John reen (Brunt) Clark is continuing her law Benton (St. Michael, Minn.) moved from school studies and is taking a break from the lead position to skip his own team, competitive curling for the moment.
Todd Birr (Mankato, Minn.) has altered his team slightly for the 2010‐11 season. Joining him in the vice skip spot is 2001 national champion Greg Romaniuk (Seattle); 2004 national champion Doug Pottinger (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and Tom O’Connor (Golden Valley, Minn.) make up the front end.
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Wheelchair Curling Team Selected Five athletes were named to Team USA's wheelchair curling team after a three‐day tryout at the Green Bay (Wis.) Curling Club over the weekend. 2010 Paralympians Augusto Perez (East Syracuse, N.Y.), Patrick McDonald (Orangevale, Calif.), James Pierce (North Syracuse, N.Y.), Jacqui Kapinowski (Point Pleasant, N.J.) and James Joseph (New Hartford, N.Y.) were selected to the team. Athletes named as alternates for Team USA include Tammy Delano (Rome, N.Y.), Penny Greely (Green Bay, Wis.), Laura Schwanger (Mantua, N.J.) and Bob Prenoveau (Chittenango, N.Y.). The alternates will compete in events and train as Team USA B. Team USA’s athletes were selected by a six‐ person committee based on skills testing, game par‐ ticipation and strategy assessment as well as inter‐ views to determine team/player compatibility. Team USA will compete in several competi‐ tions and take part in high performance training camps in the lead up to the 2011 World Wheelchair Curling Championship, which is set to take place Feb. 22‐March 1 in Prague, Czech Republic. Team USA (front, l‐r) members: Augusto “Goose” Perez, Jimmy Pierce, Jacqui Kapinowski, James “Jimmy Jam” Joseph and Patrick McDonald.
Update: Due to a shoulder injury requiring surgery, McDonald will be replaced with one of three alter‐ nates this season.
How USA finished last year at world/Olympic/ Paralympic championships: Junior Worlds: Women (bronze); Men (9th) Last USA gold: Women —2002, Cassie (Johnson) Potter rink; Men — 2008 (men, Chris Plys rink) 2010 Olympic Games: Women (10th); Men (10th) Last USA gold: The Americans have never won gold at the Olympic Games. Pete Fenson’s team won bronze in 2006. 2010 Paralympic Games: 4th USA’s junior team embraces after Last USA gold: The Americans are seeking their winning the bronze medal at the 2010 first medal of any color at this event. World Juniors in Switzerland.
The Americans captured the gold at the 2010 World Senior Championship this spring in Russia.
World Wheelchair Championship: This even was not played in 2010 due to the Paralympics; USA has yet to win gold but won bronze in 2008. World Championships: Women (5th); Men (4th) Last USA gold: Women — 2003, Debbie McCormick rink; Men — 1978, Bob Nichols rink World Senior Championships: Women (4th); Men (gold) Last USA gold: Women — The American women have never won world senior gold; Men — 2010, Paul Pustovar rink World Mixed Doubles Championship: USA (10th) Last USA gold: Just in its third year of existence, the American have yet to medal at this event.
Fenson, Brown headed to Continental Cup 2010 U.S. national champions Pete Fenson (Bemidji, Minn.) and Erika Brown (Oakville, Ontario) will lead their teams at the 2011 Continental Cup of Curling this winter in Canada as the Cup returns from a year hiatus.
World.
Fenson and teammates Shawn Rojeski (Chisholm, Minn.), Joe Polo (Duluth, Minn.) and Ryan Brunt (St. Paul, Minn.) along with Brown and her teammates Nina Spatola (McFarland, Wis.), Ann Swisshelm The 2011 Cup is set for Jan. 13‐16 in St. Albert, (Chicago) and Laura Hallisey (Medfield, Mass.) will Alberta, near Edmonton. This is the seventh edition team up with Canadian teams skipped by 2010 Olympians Kevin Martin and Cheryl Bernard and of this Ryder Cup‐like event and will be sponsored by the World Financial Group. The Continental Cup 2010 Canadian champions Jennifer Jones and Kevin features Team North America composed of four Koe in skins, mixed skins, singles, mixed doubles, Canadian and two U.S. teams taking on six of the top and team competitions during the four‐day event at European and Asian teams representing Team Servus Credit Union Place.
The World Curling Federation has announced five of its six teams. Representing Team World will be rinks skipped by 2010 Olympic silver medalist Thomas Ulsrud of Norway; 2010 Olympic bronze medalist Bingyu Wang of China; 2010 Olympic fourth‐place finishers Niklas Edin of Sweden and Mirjam Ott of Switzerland; and 2010 women’s world champion Andrea Schopp of Germany. This will be the seventh Continental Cup, all hosted in Canada. The event began in 2002 in Regina, Sas‐ katchewan, and since then each side has won three titles.
What else is new? TV:
Youth Olympic Games:
in late September after tryouts. He’ll be replaced by one of the team’s alternates after their skills are evalu‐ As part of the joint marketing agreement with the U.S. This summer the first Youth Olympic Games was held ated at competitions leading up to the 2011 Wheel‐ Olympic Committee, the finals of the 2011 National in Singapore. In 2012, winter sports will be showcased chair World Championship in Prague, Czech Republic. Jan. 13‐22 in Innsbruck, Austria. USA Curling will have Championships will be webstreamed live. a selection process next season for selecting its teams Nationals update: Webscoring: for this inaugural event. The Games are forecasted to Two direct berths to the National Championships will Live end‐by‐end webscoring will be available from all bring 1,058 athletes between ages 14 and 18 from be awarded to the top two men’s and women’s teams over 70 nations to compete in 7 sports that also will of our championship events this season. Check the based on performances this fall on the World Curling be featured in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in USA Curling website for links. Tour. Those teams will be able to forgo the qualifying Sochi. rounds in January and prepare directly for the Nation‐ Winter World University Games: als Feb. 12‐19 at the Scheels Arena in Fargo, N.D. Injury report: Turkey will host the 2011 Winter World University 2010 Paralympian Patrick McDonald will undergo Games Jan. 27‐Feb. 6. USA’s curling teams will be season‐ending shoulder surgery in October. McDonald determined Nov. 12‐14 in Fargo, N.D. , at a team has qualified for the national wheelchair curling team competition event.
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