The Daily Pebble

Volume 1, Issue 1 Monday, Nov. 11, 2013 www.usacurl.org * Twitter: @terry_usacurl & @USCurlingTrials The Competitors

Men: Women: Team Clark: (Lynnwood, Wash.), Sean Beighton Team Brown: (Oakville, Ontario), Debbie McCor- Sweeping to Sochi (Seattle), Philip Tilker (Seattle), Darren Lehto (Seattle), Greg mick (Rio, Wis.), (Minneapolis, Minn.), Ann Swis- Persinger (Anchorage, Alaska) shelm (Chicago) Team Fenson: (Bemidji, Minn.), Shawn Rojeski Team George: Courtney George (St. Paul, Minn.), Aileen Sor- By Terry L. Kolesar, Editor (Chisholm, Minn.), (Duluth, Minn.), Ryan Brunt munen (Duluth, Minn.), Amanda McLean (St. Paul, Minn.), hen it comes to Olympic Team Trials, (Portage, Wis.) (Brighton, Mass.), Jordan Moulton (Minneapolis, (Duluth, Minn.) only Minn.) knows how to win. The two-time Team George: (Duluth, Minn.), Chris Plys TANDINGS W S : (Duluth, Minn.), Rich Ruohonen (Minneapolis, Minn.), Colin Huf- Team Potter: Cassie Potter (St. Paul, Minn.), Jamie Haskell Olympian began his quest for a third straight MEN: man (Seattle), (Madison, Wis.) (Bemidji, Minn.), Jackie Lemke (Medford, Wis.), Stephanie Sam- Olympic appearance by earning a 10-4 victory bor (St. Paul, Minn.) Heath McCormick 1-0 tonight at Scheels Arena over Washington’s Brady Team McCormick: Heath McCormick (Sarnia, Ontario), Bill John Shuster 1-0 Clark rink as the second round of action at the Stopera (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.), (Short Hills, Team Pottinger: (Eden Prairie, Minn.), Nicole 2014 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for con- Pete Fenson 1-1 N.J.), (Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y.) Joraanstad (Verona, Wis.), (Bemidji, Minn.), cluded tonight. (Eagan, Minn.) Tyler George 1-1 Team Shuster: John Shuster (Duluth, Minn.), Brady Clark 0-2 Shuster and his team of Jeff Isaacson (Gilbert, Team McCormick’s (above, l-r) Martin Sather, Dean (Gilbert, Minn.), Jared Zezel (Duluth, Minn.), Minn.), Jared Zezel (Duluth, Minn.), and John Gemmell, , and Heath McCormick as well as (Duluth, Minn.) Landsteiner (Duluth, Minn.) shot 82 percent as a Team Shuster’s (below, l-r) John Landsteiner, Jared Monday’s Schedule: team to defeat the reigning men’s national cham- Zezel, Jeff Isaacson, and John Shuster are off to 1-0 pions. Clark’s team only had a modest 1-0 lead to start to the Trials. Tweet of the Day (Saturday) 12 p.m., Men’s Draw #3: begin the game as Shuster’s rink took control thereafter by limiting their opponents’ offense. George v. Clark “It’s huge to win your first game because you Shuster v. McCormick start out ahead rather than trying to play catch 7 p.m., Men’s Draw #4: up. It was definitely, I thought, more of a chal- lenge for us out there,” Shuster said. “Those guys Fenson v. McCormick had a game under their belt so we had to figure out what weights were doing what and that kind George v. Shuster of thing. We really struggled early with hitting, but as the game went along we kind of tightened Sunday’s Results: it up.”

Draw #1: Tyler George’s Minnesota rink bounced back from in and protect the lead. The eighth end quickly an earlier loss to even their record to 1-1 with a turned in favor of Team George as they set them- Fenson 8, Clark 6 convincing 9-4 win over 2006 Olympian Pete Fen- selves up to score four points to seal their first son (Bemidji, Minn.). George and teammates win. McCormick 8, George 5 Chris Plys (Duluth, Minn.), Rich Ruohonen (Minneapolis, Minn.), and Colin Hufman (Seattle) In the opening draw, Team Fenson defeated Draw #2: took a 4-1 advantage after scoring three points in Clark’s team, 8-6, while Heath McCormick’s team got past George’s rink, 8-5. Shuster 10, Clark 4 the fourth end. After Fenson’s team was limited Get yourself ready for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games by purchasing to a single in the fifth, George’s team could settle your official Team USA and Trials gear at the merchandise stand lo- George 9, Fenson 4 cated in the Forum Communications Fan Zone. Fast Facts: Natalie Nicholson, 2010; Erika Brown, TK’s two-day weather outlook for Fargo, N.D.: 1998; Debbie McCormick, 1998, 2002, Tuesday: Sunny, 31 (high), 22 (low). Translation: Very cold, wear a hat Olympians in the field: 15 (Pete Fenson, 2010; , 2002; Jessica 2006; John Shuster, 2010 & 2006; Shawn Wednesday: Mostly sunny, 42 (high), 27 (low). Translation: Still cold Schultz, 2006; Jamie Haskell, 2006; Court- Rojeski, 2006; Joe Polo, 2006; Jeff ney George, 2006) Follow USA Curling on Facebook and Twitter (@terry_usacurl) Tweeting about this event? Isaacson, 2010; Chris Plys, 2010; Allison Use #OlympicTrials or #RoadtoSochi Pottinger, 2010; , 2010; Page 2 The Daily Pebble, Volume 1, Issue 1 The Daily Pebble, Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 3

The ceremonial first rock was thrown by North Dakota native and 2002 Olympian Don Barcome Jr. while 2010 Olympians and swept it down to Bob Fenson in the house. Fenson coached his son Pete’s team in Torino, Italy, Flashback: 2010 Olympic Trials when the Americans won the bronze medal at the Olympic Games.

The 2010 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Curling took place at the Broomfield Events Center in Denver, Colo.

2006 Olympic bronze medalist John Shuster On sale in the Daily Pebble: (Duluth, Minn.) led his team of , Jeff merchandise  Terry Kolesar, Editor Isaacson and John Benton to a 10-9 win over stand!  Rich Harmer, Tyler George (Duluth, Minn.). Photography  Editorial assistants: In the women’s game, Debbie McCormick (at Kyle Jahns, Amelia right) of Rio, Wis., led her team of Allison Pot- Young, Kellie Krake tinger, Nicole Joraanstad, Natalie Nicholson, and  Rick Patzke, Tracy Sachtjen to a 8-5 win over . Assistant Editor The United States Olympic Committee is bringing the The Daily Pebble can be Tweet of the Day (Sunday) found online as well: magic of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to www.usacurl.org thousands of people nationwide through the Road to Sochi Tour, presented by Liberty Mutual Insurance. Ideas? Send an e-mail to Stop by Scheels on 45th Street to mix and mingle with Terry Kolesar at Olympic athletes and test your skills at 10 interactive [email protected] stations. The Road to Sochi is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. each day in the Scheels parking lot.