In The Spotlight The Daily Pebble Volume 1, Issue 2 Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013 Find us online: www.usacurl.org * www.2013usacurlingnationals.com The gift of curling By Katie Arndt, Daily Pebble Staff Writer Team Brown (l-r): Erika Brown, Debbie McCormick, Jessica Schultz, and Ann Swisshelm. Team Brown (l-r): Craig Brown, Kroy Nernberger, Matt Hamilton, and Jon Brunt. birthday present turned into a passion Erika Brown 2003, 1002, 1996) for Gary Suslavich and his family. Five Craig Brown Matt Hamilton Position: Skip • 2003 world gold medalist years ago, Gary’s wife, Megan, decided Position: Skip Position: Second A Age: 40 • 2-time world silver medalist (2006, to take Gary and their children, Abbey (19) and Age: 37 Age: 23 Hometown: Madison, Wis. 1996) Kent (16), to an open house at one of only two of Hometown/Resides: Madison, Wis. Hometown/Resides: McFarland, Wis. Resides: Oakville, Ontario • 4-time U.S. junior national champion STANDINGS: curling clubs in Connecticut in order to celebrate Career: Operates Steve’s Curling Sup- Curling club: Madison (Wis.) Career: Physician’s assistant with McMas- (1994, 1993, 1992, 1991) WOMEN: Gary’s birthday in a unique way. Little did they plies Curling highlights: ter Family Health Team • 2-time world junior silver medalist know, five years later they would find themselves Curling start: 1989 • 2-time U.S. junior national champion Carlson 1-0 Education: University of Wisconsin- (1994, 1992) to be the owners of Brooms Up Curling Supplies Curling club: Madison (Wis.) (2009, 2008) Madison; Finch University • 1993 world junior bronze medalist George 1-0 and in their third year as a sponsor of USA Curling. Family: Married; one son • 2008 world junior gold medalist of Health Sciences • USA Curling Athlete of the Year: 2006, Hamilton 1-0 Brooms Up Curling Supplies has something for Curling highlights: • 2009 world junior bronze medalist Curling start: 1980 2003 everyone, whether you are just starting out, or a • 2-time U.S. national champion (2008, • 2008 world juniors sportsmanship Lank 1-0 Curling club: Oakville (Ontario) • USA Curling Team of the Year: 2003 regular pro. Located in Connecticut, it serves the 2000) award recipient Roessler 1-0 Family: Married; three sons Jessica Schultz • 3-time U.S. junior national champion • USA Curling Team of the Year: 2008 entire United States, and represents the leading Curling highlights: Position: Second Anderson 0-1 (1997, 1995, 1994) Jon Brunt manufacturers of the sport. • 1998 Olympian (also on 1988 Olympic Age: 28 • 1994 world junior bronze medalist Position: Lead Brown 0-1 The family-owned business got its start four Gary Suslavich and his family run Brooms Up Curling team at age 15 when curling was a dem- Hometown: Anchorage, Alaska • 2-time U.S. mixed national champion Age: 38 Clark 0-1 years ago, and soon decided to become a sponsor Supplies. You can visit the booth in the Fan Zone, just onstration sport) Resides: Minneapolis, Minn. (2000, 1998) Hometown/Resides: Portage, Wis. of USA Curling simply because, “we love the sport like Team Persinger’s Sean Murray did to pick up a new • 6-time U.S. national champion (2010, Career: Physical therapy assistant Kinney 0-1 • USA Curling Athlete of the Year: 2000 Career: Works for Penda Corporation and it’s our way of giving back. We are very ex- 2004, 2002, 1999, 1996, 1995) Education: Lake Superior College pair of gloves. Kroy Nernberger Family: Married; one son, one daughter Pottinger 0-1 cited to be the presenting sponsors of the 2013 • 2-time world silver medalist (1999, Curling start: Age 13 Position: Vice skip Curling start: 1989 USA National Championship,” Gary said. Along with 1996) Curling club: St. Paul (Minn.) Age: 28 Curling club: Portage (Wis.) sponsoring USA Curling they also sponsor the doing it. For only getting started five years ago, • 2000 U.S. mixed national champion Curling highlights: MEN: Hometown: Medford, Wis. Curling highlights: United States Women’s Curling Association Abbey and her team placed fourth at the 2013 • 6-time U.S. junior national champion • 2006 Olympian Resides: Madison, Wis. • 2000 U.S. National champion Brady Clark 1-0 (USWCA), USWCA Curling Circuit, and the Junior Junior Nationals earlier this month and Kent’s team (1994, 1993, 1992, • 2-time U.S. national champion (2011, Career: Engineer • 2000 U.S. Mixed National champion Pete Fenson 1-0 and Adult Competitive Teams. They also gener- just missed out on a trip to the junior event. Both 1991, 1989, 1988) 2005) Education: Degrees from University of ously donate equipment for charity and fundraising children are very passionate about the sport and • 2-time world junior silver medalist • 2005 world silver medalist Heath McCormick 1-0 Wisconsin-Madison & events throughout the year, simply to help grow spend a lot of time on the ice. Though, years down • 1993 world junior bronze medalist • USA Curling Team of the Year: 2005 Greg Persinger 1-0 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire the love of the sport. the road, Gary is certain that there are many more • USA Curling Athlete of the Year: 2004, Ann Swisshelm Curling start: In high school John Shuster 1-0 When talking to Gary, his family business years to be spent at curling events because there 1994, 1989 Position: Lead Curling club: Madison (Wis.) seems to be his passion, but his true joys in his life are generations of curlers to come for the • USA Curling Team of the Year: 2004, Age: 42 Todd Birr 0-1 Curling highlights: are his children who he says “take it to me when it Suslavich family. Who would have dreamt that a 1999 Hometown: Chicago Craig Brown 0-1 • 2008 U.S. club nationals champion comes to curling.” The family-owned business is little family fun birthday celebration would have • Competed in four Olympic Trials Education: Drake University • 2002 Wisconsin high school champion Mike Farbelow 0-1 his way of helping fund his children’s dreams, Debbie McCormick Curling start: Age 12 turned into a way of life for the Suslavichs? To find • 2012 recipient of the Ann Brown Tyler George 0-1 while helping others through sponsorship and do- Position: Vice skip Curling club: Exmoor (Ill.) out more about Brooms Up, go online to Sportsmanship Award presented at the nation and they certainly have a little fun while Age: 39 Family: Married Ryan Lemke 0-1 www.broomsupcurling.com. national championships Hometown: Rio, Wis. Curling highlights: Career: Curling supplies distributor with • 2002 Olympian Goldline • 4-time U.S. national champion (2010, Fast Facts: Education: Madison Area Technical 2003, 2001, 1998) World champions in the field: 3 (Debbie McCormick Order your tickets College • 2003 world gold medalist today! See you in (2003), Team Brown; Allison Pottinger (2003), Team Curling start: Age 14 • Frances Brodie Sportsmanship Award Vegas in January! Pottinger; Ann Swisshelm (2003), Team Brown) Curling club: Madison (Wis.) recipient at 2001 Go to www.usacurl.org Family: Married World Championships World junior champions in the field (4): Jamie Haskell and click on the Curling highlights: • Ann Brown Sportsmanship Award (2002), Team Roessler; Courtney George (2002), 2014 Continental • 3-time Olympian (2010, 2002, 1998) recipient at 2008 Nationals) Follow USA Curling on Facebook and Twitter (@terry_usacurl) Team George; Chris Plys (2008), Team George; Matt Cup logo to order • 7-time U.S. national champion (2009, • USA Curling Team of the Year: 2003 Tweeting about this event? Please use #2013Nats or #curling Hamilton (2008), Team Brown your tickets. 2008, 2007, 2006, • USA Curling Athlete of the Year: 2001 Page 2 The Daily Pebble, Volume 1, Issue 2 The Daily Pebble, Volume 1, Issue 2 Page 3 Saturday’s Results: Nationals return to Green Bay 4:30 p.m., Women’s Draw 1 Game on! Carlson 6, Kinney 4 Lank 5, Pottinger 3 for first time since 1959 By Terry Kolesar, Daily Pebble Editor opportunities to pave the way to an 8-2 win over Seattle’s George 10, Anderson 3 he first rocks in the weeklong journey toward Cristin Clark rink. determining Team USA began today at the “We went out there to put By Harry Maier, Daily Pebble Staff Writer have been here and I am sure we would like to come back Roessler 8, Clark 2 Resch Olympic Ice Pavilion at the Corner- eight stones in a row and we again.” T stone Community Ice Center in Green Bay, Wis., as the kept doing it … just one at a Hamilton 8, Brown 7 hat goes around comes around. That’s the In those early ears, the championship event was spon- 2013 USA Curling National Championships presented by time,” said Roessler, who is in story of the Green Bay Curling Club, a sored by Marshall Field & Co., and Hughston M. McBain, Brooms Up Curling Supplies got underway. the skipping role this season in 8:30 p.m., Men’s Draw 1 W neophyte organization in 1959 that hosted chairman of its board and a curler. Several skips making their debuts put notches in the place of 2006 Olympian Cassie Potter, who is eight the third annual U.S. Men’s National Championship. The third tournament brought teams from North win column as the women’s draw wrapped up this eve- months pregnant and sitting on the sidelines. “The only Becca Hamilton McCormick 9, Birr 1 The club is hosting it again, this time it is this week’s Dakota, Minnesota, Washington, Connecticut, Michigan, ning. thing we want out of this is making our own shots and 2006 Olympian and two-time U.S. junior champion supporting each other. It really worked out nicely. It Shuster 8, Farbelow 5 national tournament, which includes the top 10 men’s Massachusetts, Illinois, New York, Alaska, and Wisconsin.