TEAM MELLIN CAPTURES FIVE-AND-UNDER NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Team Mellin—Duluth Curling Club
[EDEN PRAIRIE, MN, April 29th, 2024] — After earning silver in 2023, Team Mellin of the Duluth Curling Club (Matt Mellin, Joe Daly, Derek Farrell, Jackson Purdy) climbed one step higher on the podium by capturing the 2024 Five-and-Under National Championship at the Chaska Curling Center in Chaska, MN.
"After finishing second last season, our focus was definitely on capturing the title this year," Mellin said. "The field was very strong, but we managed to improve as the event wore on and we're proud we were able to finish on top."
Team Mellin, coached by Duluth club mate Korey Dropkin, went through the event undefeated, but were tested in nearly every game. In the quarterfinals, they trailed Team Robertson (James Grant-Robertson, Matt Apesos, David Betzold, Ryan Koralik, Justin Canfield/Chicago Curling Club, Nashville Curling Club, Racine Curling Club) by one before scoring a decisive four in the seventh end. In the semifinals, they trailed Team Rose (Christian Rose, Anna Murphy, Tim Murphy Cameron Cabrera/Denver Curling Club) at the break, but rallied in the second half of the game to secure an 8-5 win.
In the championship game, Mellin was up against Team Meyer (Will Meyer, Dylan Bland, Adam Price, Kevin Jorgensen, Sydney Jorgensen/San Francisco Bay Area Curling Club). Team Mellin got out to an early lead and never let up on their way to an 11-3 game and the national title. The silver medal earned by Team Meyer was the best performance by a team from SFBACC in a national championship since the club moved to a dedicated ice facility.
In the bronze medal game, 2023 national champions Team Bliven (Daniel Bliven, Ben Jurenec, Austin Zdroik, Justin Kreuser) raced to an early lead and never looked back, defeating Team Rose by a final score of 8-2.
“It was great to see both the enthusiasm for the sport and the high level of play on the ice at this year’s Nationals,” noted USA Curling CEO Dean Gemmell. “With 587 entries in national qualifier bonspiels, it’s clear that our newest players are working hard to reach this championship, and the team at the Chaska Curling Center helped us deliver a terrific event.”
Conveners of Five-and-Under bonspiels must submit an application if they want their event to be considered as a Nationals qualifier in 2024-25. There will be 23 qualifier events chosen based on the criteria outlined in the application.
All the results from the 2024 Five-and-Under National Championship can be found here.
Medal Winners
Gold Medalist: Team Mellin (Duluth Curling Club): Matt Mellin, Joe Daly, Derek Farrell, Jackson Purdy
Silver Medalist: Team Meyer (San Francisco Bay Area Curling Club): Will Meyer, Dylan Bland, Adam Price, Kevin Jorgensen, Sydney Jorgensen
Bronze Medalist: Team Bliven (Green Bay Curling Club): Daniel Bliven, Ben Jurenec, Austin Zdroik, Justin Kreuser
About USA Curling
Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota, USA Curling is the National Governing body for the Olympic sport of curling and the Paralympic sport of wheelchair curling in the United States. The mission of USA Curling is to grow, strengthen, and advocate for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of curling in the United States by prioritizing accessibility and programmatic development from grassroots to podium. USA Curling is sponsored by Columbia Sportswear, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Toyota, ISS (Ice, Sports & Solar), Rock Solid Productions, Jet Ice, and Laurie Artiss. USA Curling is a proud member of the World Curling Federation and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. To learn more, visit usacurling.org.
