Press Coverage
Six berths to the 2013 Nationals next month are on the line this weekend at the Challenge Round at the seven-sheet Hibbing Curling Club in Hibbing, Minn. After this morning's action, four undefeated teams are one win away from two of them earning berths to Nationals from the A flight of the triple knockout competition.
In one A flight final, 2007 national champion Todd Birr (Mankato, Minn.) will face Alaska's Greg Persinger. In the other A final, two-time national champion Craig Brown (Madison, Wis.) squares off against Seattle's Brady Clark rink. Both finals are set for 9 a.m. Saturday. The winning sides move on to the 2013 Nationals, which will be staged Feb. 9-16 at the Cornerstone Ice Center in Green Bay, Wis. The losing sides drop down to the B flight.
To read the complete press release, click on the PDF below.
The final six men’s teams for the 2013 USA Curling National Championships presented by Brooms Up Curling Supplies will be determined next week as the Men’s Challenge Round gets underway Wednesday at the seven-sheet Hibbing Curling Club in Hibbing, Minn.
Four men’s and four women’s teams have already pre-qualified to the 2013 Nationals, which will be staged Feb. 9-16 at the Cornerstone Ice Center in Green Bay, Wis. The remaining six women’s and six men’s teams will earn berths from the Challenge Round. Thirty men’s teams are vying for the six available berths.
Full press release is linked below.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 26, 2012
USA Curling awarded grant from The Chicago Community Trust
(STEVENS POINT, Wis.) - USA Curling has been awarded a grant from The Chicago Community Trust in support of the growth of the sport.
Through use of these funds, the organization plans to improve resources available to both existing and emerging clubs. Examples of targeted projects include improving existing certification programs, developing resources for emerging clubs, and identifying successful recruiting and retention practices.
The Trust has awarded grants to the association every year since 2006. In addition to the grant award, The Chicago Community Trust made the inaugural Darwin Curtis Fund Grant Program possible. The program, which was administrated by the USCA on behalf of The Chicago Community Trust, awarded a total of $20,000 in matching funds through a competitive application process to organizations actively working to increase participation in the sport of curling.
"We are extremely excited about the response we received to this program during its inaugural year," said Kim Nawyn, USA Curling's growth and development manager. "It is great to see the passion that curlers around the country have for growing the sport on the local level."
Out of the 24 applications USA Curling received, six were awarded funding. Successful applicants included: Columbus Curling Club (dehumidifier to address a serious mold issue); Evergreen Curling Club (low-emissivity ceiling for new curling facility); Norfolk Curling Club (equipment needed in rebuild of facility destroyed by arson fire last season); Oklahoma Curling Club (freezer for stones stored in an arena setting); Ocean State Curling (set of stones); and San Francisco Bay Area Curling Club (outreach/development program). Each of these clubs was effectively able to tie the initiative and its subsequent impact to the criteria set out by the Darwin Curtis Fund.
Funds for The Chicago Community Trust grant originate from the Darwin Curtis Fund. Curtis was a prominent Chicago-area curler in the mid-20th century. The proceeds from his bequest must be used for projects intended to increase public participation in curling in the United States.
USA Curling currently boasts 165 member clubs in 40 states. USA Curling's membership continues to grow. Since 2001, the association's membership has grown 47 percent and currently has approximately 16,500 members across the United States.
About The Trust: For 97 years, The Chicago Community Trust, our region's community foundation, has connected the generosity of donors with the needs of the community by making grants to organizations working to improve metropolitan Chicago. In 2010 the Trust made over $100 million in grants. From strengthening community schools to assisting local art programs, from building health centers to helping lives affected by violence, the Trust works to enhance our region. Learn more at www.cct.org.
USA Curling is sponsored by AtomAmpd, Nike, Brooms Up Curling Supplies, Sitrin, and The RAM Restaurant & Brewery.
Visit the USA Curling website at www.usacurl.org and connect with USA Curling on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Foursquare.
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For more information: Terry Kolesar, USA Curling, terry.kolesar@usacurl.org, 715-344-1199, Ext. 202, or 608-338-9900 (cell).
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 18, 2012
Eight teams now qualified for 2013 National Championships
(STEVENS POINT, Wis.) – Eight teams have pre-qualified to the 2013 USA Curling National Championships presented by Brooms Up Curling Supplies while the other teams in contention will battle for spots in the upcoming Challenge Round in January.
The 2012 national champions and runners-up qualified automatically of the 2013 Nationals at the conclusion of the 2012 event in Aston, Pa. Those teams are led by Heath McCormick (Sarnia, Ontario), Pete Fenson (Bemidji, Minn.), Allison Pottinger (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and Laura Roessler (Trempealeau, Wis.), who is skipping in place of 2006 Olympian Cassie Potter due to her pregnancy.
Four additional teams have also qualified based on Order of Merit points from this fall’s World Curling Tour results. Those teams are led by two-time Olympian John Shuster (Duluth, Minn.), 2010 national champion Tyler George (Duluth, Minn.), 1998 Olympian Erika Brown (Oakville, Ontario) and five-time national champion Patti Lank (Lewiston, N.Y.).
The remaining six women’s and six men’s teams will earn berths from the Challenge Round. The Men’s Challenge Round will take place Jan. 2-6 at the Hibbing Curling Club in Hibbing, Minn., with 30 teams competing. The Women’s Challenge Round is set to take place Jan. 18-20 at the Granite Curling Club in Seattle with 14 teams competing.
To read more, click on the PDF below.
