In The Spotlight The Daily Pebble Volume 1, Issue 8 Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013 Find us online: www.usacurl.org * www.2013usacurlingnationals.com Showdown Saturday Courtney George v. Erika Brown Cumulative stats through Draw 22 (men): Team Shuster (l-r): John Shuster, Jeff Isaacson, Jared Zezel, and John Landsteiner. Team Roessler (l-r): Laura Roessler, Jamie Haskell, Jackie Lemke, Steph Sambor. Lead: 1. Jon Brunt (Brown) 83.1 Tyler George v. Brady Clark 2. Casey Konopacky (Lemke) 83.0 John Shuster Jared Zezel Laura Roessler Jackie Lemke 3. Kevin Birr (Birr) 82.1 Position: Skip Position: Second Position: Skip Position: Second fter 24 rounds of competition we’re down to 4. John Landsteiner (Shuster) 81.7 Age: 30 Age: 21 Age: 33 Age: 27 four teams going for the gold at the 2013 5. Mark Lazar (Farbelow) 81.7 Hometown/Resides: Duluth, Minn. Hometown: Hibbing, Minn. Hometown/Resides: Centerville, Wis. Hometown/resides: Medford, Wis. A USA Curling National Championships here at 6. Tom O’Connor (Birr) 81.3 the Olympic Resch Pavilion of the Cornerstone Commu- 7. Ryan Brunt (Fenson) 81.2 Education: University of Minnesota-Duluth Resides: Duluth, Minn. Career: Chemistry laboratory manager at Career: Substitute teacher & mom Results: Curling start: 1997 Career: Student the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse; Education: Bachelor’s degree in English nity Ice Center in Green Bay, Wis. 8. Dean Gemmell (McCormick) 79.7 Women’s bronze medal game Curling club: Duluth (Minn.) Education: University of Minnesota-Duluth winemaker at Elmaro Winery education and teaching The women’s gold medal game will be played at 9 9. Colin Hufman (George) 78.2 Family: Married Curling club: Duluth (Minn.) Education: Bachelor’s degree in chemis- English as a second language *Pottinger 000 000 101 X — 2 a.m. Saturday between the Courtney George (8-2) and 10. Phil Tilker (Clark) 78.0 Curling highlights: Curling highlights: try and certificate in enology from the Curling start: 1993 Carlson 030 322 010 X — 11 Erika Brown (8-2) rinks. George, 26, who was the alter- 11. Tim Gartner 76.7 • Member of 2010 and 2006 Olympic teams • 2011 U.S. junior national champion University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Curling club: Medford (Wis.) nate on the 2006 Olympic Team, is making her skipping • 2006 Olympic bronze medalist John Landsteiner Curling start: Age 13 Family: Married; one daughter debut at the national championship and seeking her first Cumulative stats through Draw 22 (men): Men’s playoffs: • 4-time national champion (2009, 2006, Position: Lead Curling club: Centerville (Wis.) Curling highlights: women’s national title. Her team includes two-time junior Third: 2005, 2003) Age: 22 Family: Married; two children • 2006 U.S. junior national champion Page #1 v. #2 champ Aileen Sormunen, 25; 2004 junior 1. Jeff Isaacson (Shuster) 85.7 • 2009 USA Curling Athlete of the Year Hometown: Mapleton, Minn. Curling highlights: • Competing in her fourth women’s na- *George 021 101 000 1 — 6 champion Amanda McLean; and Julie Lilla, 2. Tyler George (George) 85.2 • 2007 World University Games gold medalist Resides: Duluth, Minn. • 2000 U.S. junior national champion tional championship Shuster 000 020 101 0 — 4 21. Brown’s rink includes four Olympians: 3. Kroy Nernberger (Brown) 81.1 • 2006 U.S. Olympic Committee Team of the Career: Student • 2000 world junior bronze medalist Stephanie Sambor 4. Shawn Rojeski (Fenson) 79.9 Brown, 40, herself appeared in the 1988 Year Education: University of Minnesota-Duluth • 2000 world junior All-Star Position: Lead Olympics at age 15 when it was a demon- 5. Bill Stopera (McCormick) 78.0 • 2006 USA Curling Team of the Year Curling start: 2000 • 2000 world junior sportsmanship award Age: 28 Page #3 v. #4 stration sport and again in 1998 when curl- 6. Doug Pottinger (Birr) 75.7 • 2004 U.S. junior national champion Curling club: Duluth (Minn.) recipient Hometown: Minot, N.D. Clark 020 102 011 x — 7 ing debuted as a medal sport; Debbie 7. Sean Beighton (Clark) 74.6 Jeff Isaacson Family: Single Jamie Haskell Resides: St. Paul, Minn. *McCormick 101 020 000 x — 4 McCormick, 39, is a three-time Olympian 8. Nathan Gebert (Lemke) 73.4 Position: Vice skip Curling highlights: Position: Vice skip Career: Physical therapist 9. Nick Myers (Persinger) 72.5 Age: 29 • 3-time Minnesota state high school cham- Age: 32 Education: University of North Dakota (2010, 2002, 1998); Jessica Schultz, 28, was on the 2006 Olympic team; and Ann Swis- 10. Kevin Deeren (Farbelow) 71.1 Hometown/Resides: Gilbert, Minn. pion Hometown/Resides: Bemidji, Minn. Curling start: Age 18 Semifinal: Career: Substitute teacher • Played for Team USA at 2011 World Juniors Education: Bemidji State University Curling club: Minot (N.D.) shelm, 44, was on the 2002 team. Clark 100 101 020 1 — 6 Cumulative stats through Draw 22 (men): Education: Bemidji State University (alternate) Curling start: Age 7 Curling highlights: The women’s winner will automatically Second: Curling start: 1996 Curling club: Bemidji (Minn.) • Team USA, 2007 World University Games *Shuster 020 020 100 0 — 5 qualify for the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team 1. Joe Polo (Fenson) 84.1 Curling club: Duluth (Minn.) Family: Married • 2005 U.S. junior national champion *last rock in first end Trials, Nov. 10-17, in Fargo, N.D., joining 2. Rich Ruohonen (George) 84.1 Curling highlights: Curling highlights: the Allison Pottinger and Cassie Potter 3. Jared Zezel (Shuster) 81.0 • Member of 2010 Olympic team • 2006 Olympian rinks. A fourth team will be added to the Schedule: 4. Kraig Deeren (Farbelow) 80.4 • 2009 U.S. national champion • 2005 U.S. national champion Trials field by USA Curling’s High Perform- 5. Martin Sather (McCormick) 79.3 • 2007 World University Games gold medalist • 2005 world silver medalist Women’s gold-medal game ance Selection Committee. 6. Matt Hamilton (Brown) 78.4 • 2005 U.S. junior national champion • 2002 U.S. junior national champion 9 a.m. C. George v. Brown The men’s gold medal game will take 7. Greg Romaniuk (Birr) 78.3 • 2002 world junior gold medalist place at 3 p.m. with 2010 national cham- 8. Darren Lehto (Clark) 75.8 • 2008 U.S. mixed doubles national cham- pion Tyler George, 30, battling Brady Clark. 9. Sean Murray (Persinger) 73.8 pion Men’s gold-medal game George’s team won the Page 1-2 game 10. John Lilla (Lemke) 71.7 3 p.m. T. George v. Clark Friday morning and advanced directly to the final. His team includes 2010 Olympian and 2008 world Cumulative stats through Draw 22 (men): Women’s World Championship, junior champion Chris Plys, 25; 2008 national Thank you to our sponsors: Fourth: champion Rich Ruohonen, 41; and 2002 junior March 16-24, Riga, Latvia 1. Chris Plys 82.7 champ Colin Hufman, 28. Presenting sponsor: Brooms Up Curling Supplies, 2. Craig Brown 80.0 Clark is a nine-time U.S. mixed national cham- Ford World Men’s Championship, 3. Heath McCormick 77.4 www.broomsupcurling.com pion and three-time U.S. mixed doubles champion 4. Brady Clark 76.8 March 30-April 7, Victoria, B.C. and will make his first men’s national final. His 5. Todd Birr 74.5 team includes 2010 junior champion Sean Beigh- 6. John Shuster 73.7 ton, 24; 2003 national runner-up Darren Lehto, 7. Mike Farbelow 73.0 44; and two-time U.S. mixed champion, Philip 8. Pete Fenson 72.4 Tilker. 9. Greg Persinger 69.9 Both the George and Clark rinks are now 10. Ryan Lemke 64.7 qualified to the Olympic Trials. They join Heath Follow USA Curling on Facebook McCormick and Pete Fenson, who qualified last and Twitter (@terry_usacurl) season. A fifth team will be added to the field by Pictured (from top) Tyler George, Court- ney George, Team Brown’s Erika Brown, Tweeting about this event? the HP Selection Committee and announced in Jessica Schultz & Ann Swisshelm; and Please use #2013Nats or #curling May. Team Clark’s Sean Beighton and Brady Clark. Page 2 The Daily Pebble, Volume 1, Issue 8 The Daily Pebble, Volume 1, Issue 8 Page 3 2014 U.S. Olympic Team Pottinger rink wins bronze medal Trials, Nov. 10-17, In The Spotlight Scheels Arena, Fargo, N.D. Qualified men’s teams: en- Cumulative stats through Draw 22 (women): 2012 champion, Team McCor- time Lead: mick: Heath McCormick, Bill T na- 1. Tabitha Peterson (Pottinger) 84.0 Stopera, Martin Sather, Dean tional champion 2. Ann Swisshelm (Brown) 82.9 Gemmell, Matt Hames Allison Pottinger 3. Leilani Dubberstein (Anderson) 81.3 (Eden Prairie, 4. Caitlin Maroldo (Lank) 81.1 2012 runner-up, Team Fen- Minn.) added 5. Sophie Brorson (Hamilton) 80.2 son: Pete Fenson, Shawn another medal 6. Jordan Moulton (Carlson) 79.6 to her collection Rojeski, Joe Polo, Ryan Brunt 7. Katie Dubberstein (Anderson) 76.0 as she led her 8. Steph Sambor (Roessler) 75.0 2013 champion: TBA team to an 11-2 9. Julie Smith (Kinney) 71.5 victory Friday 10. Julie Lilla (George) 68.7 2013 runner-up: TBA afternoon in the 11. Christie Wilhelmy (Clark) 68.0 bronze-medal Team Pottinger (l-r): Allison Pottinger, Nicole Joraanstad, Natalie Nicholson, Tabitha Peterson Qualified women’s teams: game at the Bronze medalists (l-r) Allison Pottinger, Nicole Joraanstad, Cumulative stats through Draw 22 (women): Team McCormick (l-r): Heath McCormick, Bill Stopera, Martin Sather, Dean Gemmell 2013 USA Curl- Natalie Nicholson, and Tabitha Peterson. Second: 2012 champion, Team Pot- ing National 1. Natalie Nicholson (Pottinger) 81.3 Heath McCormick Martin Sather Allison Pottinger • 2-time U.S. junior national champion Position: Skip Position: Second tinger: Allison Pottinger, Championships presented by Brooms Up Curling Supplies.