PETERSON, SHUSTER DEFEND NATIONAL TITLES
Photo by: Bob Weder
[EAGAN, MN, February 5, 2024] — Held in the state of New Jersey for the first time ever, the 2024 Men’s & Women’s Nationals had an atmosphere unlike any previous championship, but the winning teams are definitely familiar to curling fans.
Before capacity crowds at The Rink at American Dream in East Rutherford, NJ, Team Peterson (Tabitha Peterson, Cory Thiesse, Tara Peterson, Becca Hamilton) and Team Shuster (John Shuster, Chris Plys, Colin Hufman, Matt Hamilton, John Landsteiner) defending their 2023 titles by notching convincing victories in the finals.
In the Women’s championship game, Peterson scored a pivotal four points in the fifth end to put the team ahead 7-2 against Team Anderson (Sarah Anderson, Taylor Anderson, Lexi Lanigan, Leah Yavarow). After trading deuces in the seventh and eighth ends, Peterson scored one more in the ninth and Team Anderson conceded.
Sarah and Taylor Anderson have won national championships with other teammates previously, but this lineup was seeking its first national title together. But Team Peterson maintained their history of playing well in the championship final, and shot over 90% as a team in the final game. They will now head to Sydney, Nova Scotia, and represent the United States at the 2024 World Women’s Curling Championship. That event gets underway on March 16th.
“I’m super proud of the way our team played and adapted to unique challenges throughout the week,” remarked Team Peterson’s Becca Hamilton. “It’s always an honor to compete with the flag on your back, and we’re excited to represent the United States at the world championship.”
In the Men’s championship game, Team Shuster rebounded from a loss to Team Dropkin (Korey Dropkin, Andrew Stopera, Mark Fenner, Tom Howell) in the Page Playoff 1-2 Game and notched an 11-6 win. The turning point was the seventh end, when Shuster, trailing 5-3, made a soft weight takeout to score five and take an 8-5 lead. After forcing Dropkin to a single in the eighth, Team Shuster scored three in the ninth end to go up 11-6 and produce a concession from Team Dropkin. Shuster and his teammates will now wear the Stars & Stripes at the World Men’s Curling Championship in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, from March 30th to April 7th.
It was a disappointing finish for Team Dropkin, who entered the event ranked #20 in the World. But five-time Olympian Shuster continued his own extraordinary run of success at the Men’s Nationals, earning his 10th title overall and his seventh as a team skip.
“We enjoyed playing on great ice in front of great crowds,” Shuster said. “The playoffs were one of the toughest tests we have ever faced at a national championship, and I’m proud of the way we played against two immensely talent teams.”
Team Shuster defeated Team Casper (Daniel Casper, Luc Violette, Ben Richardson, Chase Sinnet) in the semifinals. Team Anderson had to get past Team Strouse (Delaney Strouse, Anne O’Hara, Sydney Mullaney, Rebecca Rodgers, Susan Dudt) to earn their spot in the women’s final.
“We had great teams battling in the playoffs, and I know that sports fans in the Tri-State area were treated to an amazing week of curling at New Jersey’s American Dream,” noted USA Curling CEO Dean Gemmell. “We look forward to supporting our champions as they prepare to compete and succeed on the world stage.”
All games at the Nationals were streamed live by Curling Stadium, and replays are available on the USA Curling YouTube channel.
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.
