Press Coverage

MN, WA men to meet in final
March 9, 2012
It will be Minnesota and Washington in the men's final as well as teams skipped by Bemidji's Aaron Wald and Seattle's Doug Kauffman won tonight's semifinals at the 2012 USA Curling Club National Championships in Mankato, Minn. The men's gold-medal game is set for 2 p.m. tomorrow at the Mankato Curling Club.

They join Minnesota's Shelly Kinney and Washington's Em Good, who earlier today won the women's semifinal matches. The Washington region is seeking its first-ever club national championship title. Minnesota teams have won four men's titles and three women's titles.

To read the complete press release, click on the PDF below.

USA Curling
Terry Kolesar
application/pdf iconm_semis.pdf

Women's playoff field set at Club Nationals
March 8, 2012
USA Curling
Terry Kolesar
application/pdf iconthursday.pdf

USA eliminated from playoff contention at 2012 World Juniors
March 8, 2012
Four years ago Oestersund, Sweden, was a magical place for USA curlers as the American men won gold for the first time in 24 years at the World Junior Championships. Oestersund wasn't so kind this time around as both U.S. teams have been shut out of the playoffs at Z-hallen, site of the 2012 World Junior Championships.

With an 8-4 loss this morning to Sweden's Rasmus Wrana rink, Stephen Dropkin and the American men were eliminated from playoff contention. Despite that the Americans finished the round robin on a high note with an 8-7 win over Switzerland's Dominik Marki to finish 5-4 in the team's first appearance at the World Juniors.

To read the complete press release, click on the PDF below.

USA Curling
Terry Kolesar
application/pdf iconthursday.pdf

Playoff field set at 2012 Club Nationals
March 8, 2012
All eight semifinal spots have been filled as the round robin of the 2012 USA Curling Club National Championships came to a close tonight at the Mankato Curling Club in Mankato, Minn.

North Dakota's Roger Smith rink (8-1) earned the men's No. 1 semifinal berth and will face No. 4 seed Washington, led by Doug Kauffman (6-3). Greg Wilson's Illinois rink (7-2), the No. 2 seed, will face Minnesota's Aaron Wald rink (6-3), the third seed, in the other semifinal, which get underway at 7 p.m. Friday.

Shelly Kinney of Minnesota (8-1) is the top women's seed and will face No. 4 seed Beth Bohlman of North Dakota I (6-3). Em Good of Washington I (8-1) is the No. 2 seed and will face third ranked Gabrielle Coleman of California I (7-2). The women's semifinals get underway at 2 p.m. Friday.

To read the complete press release, click on the PDF below.

USA Curling
Terry Kolesar
application/pdf iconthursday_pm.pdf

Playoff hopes still alive for American men
March 7, 2012
USA's teams did not fare well on the fifth day of the 2012 World Junior Championships at Z-hallen in Oestersund, Sweden, with a 0-3 performance.

Cory Christensen and the American ladies tried in earnest once again to post their first win of the week but dropped both games today. In the morning session, Christensen and teammates Elizabeth Busche, Anna Bauman, Sonja Bauman (all of Duluth, Minn.) and Becca Funk (McFarland, Wis.) lost to Sweden's Sara McManus rink, 11-5. The American ladies fell behind early when the Swedes scored four points in the second end. It was an uphill battle thereafter with the Swedish ladies (5-3) closing out with a steal of three to seal the victory.

To read the complete press release, click on the PDF below.

USA Curling
Terry Kolesar
application/pdf iconwednesday.pdf

Michigan men remain undefeated at 2012 Club Nationals
March 6, 2012
Michigan's Chad Roberts rink is the lone undefeated men's team after four rounds of action at the 2012 USA Curling Club National Championships in Mankato, Minn.

Roberts (Ypsilanti, Mich.) and his Detroit Curling Club teammates Ben Levy (Ypsilanti, Mich.), James Fletcher (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) and Mark McElwee (Dewitt, Mich.) earned the No. 7 seed coming into the tournament but are now 4-0 as the halfway point of the round robin approaches. They moved to 4-0 with a 9-4 win last night against No. 1 seed Aaron Wald of Minnesota. Michigan scored points in the first four ends to build a 6-0 lead over the young Wald rink before Minnesota put up four points over the next three ends. Michigan sealed the win with a single in the eighth and a steal of two in the ninth end.

To read the complete press release, click on the PDF below.

USA Curling
Terry Kolesar
application/pdf icontuesday.pdf

American men pick up fourth win in Sweden
March 6, 2012
The American men improved to 4-2 and are in search of their first playoff berth since 2009 as the fourth day of the 2012 World Junior Championships in Oestersund, Swedenm came to a close.

Team USA lost this morning to Scotland, 11-8, but bounced back to pick up a 7-3 win over Finland in the night session at Z-hallen. In contrast, Cory Christensen and the American ladies slipped to 0-6 in the round robin standings.

After today's results, Dropkin (Southborough, Mass.) and his team of Korey Dropkin (Southborough, Mass.), Thomas Howell (Brick, N.J.), Derek Corbett (Rochester, N.Y.) and Cameron Ross (Princeton Junction, N.J.) are now tied with Scotland, Sweden and Switzerland for third place. The top four teams advance to the playoffs, which begin Friday.

To read the complete press release, click on the PDF below.

USA Curling
Terry Kolesar
application/pdf icontuesday.pdf

Seven teams still perfect at 2012 Club Nationals
March 5, 2012
North Dakota's top teams remain undefeated as day two of action at the 2012 USA Curling Club National Championships continues in Mankato, Minn.

North Dakota rinks skipped by Beth Bohlman (Grand Forks, N.D.) and Roger Smith (Bismarck, N.D.) are just two of the seven teams still boasting perfect records at the five-sheet Mankato Curling Club.

To read the complete press release, click on the PDF below.

USA Curling
Terry Kolesar
application/pdf iconmonday.pdf