USA CURLING ANNOUNCES ANNUAL AWARD WINNERS
[EAGAN, MN, September 5, 2023] — USA Curling is proud to announce the recipients of its annual awards, recognizing outstanding achievements in the sport of curling during the 2022-23 season. Fans, athletes, coaches, and the USA Curling Board of Directors vote on these awards to honor individuals and teams who have demonstrated excellence in their respective categories. The 2023 award winners are:
Male Athlete of the Year: Korey Dropkin
Female Athlete of the Year: Cory Thiesse
Team of the Year: Thiesse/Dropkin
Coach of the Year: Cathy Overton-Clapham
Breakout Coach of the Year: Jim Wendling
Wheelchair Athlete of the Year: Pam Wilson
"As the new curling season gets underway, it’s great to recognize athletes and coaches who performed so well last year," said Dean Gemmell, CEO of USA Curling. "Gold at the World Mixed Doubles was an obvious highlight, and that’s reflected in four of the awards. At the same time, Jim and Pam couldn’t be more deserving of their honors.”
Korey Dropkin, Cory Thiesse and Cathy Overton-Clapham
Four of the six awards went to Korey Dropkin, Cory Thiesse, and their coach Cathy Overton-Clapham. Dropkin and Thiesse had a breakthrough season, their first playing together in Mixed Doubles.
Entering Nationals in Kalamazoo as one of the top ranked teams, the pair rolled to a perfect record, capturing the title and the opportunity to represent Team USA at the World Mixed Doubles Championship in Korea.
In Korea, Team Thiesse/Dropkin went 7-2 in round-robin play to qualify for the playoffs. Victories over perennial favorites Scotland and Canada secured their place in the gold medal game, and the pair closed out the championship with an 8-2 victory over Japan. Dropkin, topping the field with an 84% tournament shooting percentage, was named to the first All-Star team. Thiesse, throwing the last stone throughout the event, finished with the third-highest shooting percentage at 78%. The decisive win ended Team USA's 20-year world curling title drought in Olympic and Paralympic disciplines.
Away from Mixed Doubles, Thiesse played third on Tabitha Peterson’s women’s national championship team, joined by Becca Hamilton and Tara Peterson. Dropkin, with Andrew Stopera, Mark Fenner and Tom Howell, took bronze in the men's competition.
Breakout Coach of the Year: Jim Wendling
Jim Wendling, a longtime youth curling coach and organizer, had been a part of two runner-up finishes at the U18 National Championships, but his team broke through in 2023 to capture the Men’s U21 Junior National Curling Championship. Jim’s son Wes led Kevin Tuma, Chris Kirsch and Jackson Armstrong on an undefeated run to the title at the 2023 Nationals. They will head to the World Junior-B Championships in December, where the top three finishers will earn spots in the World Junior Men’s Championship scheduled for February.
Wheelchair Athlete of the Year: Pam Wilson
Pam Wilson, partnered with teammate David Samsa, captured her second Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Nationals and captured silver at the World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Championships. The final was a thrilling game that was decided in an extra end. Not only was it the first Worlds medal for the United States in Wheelchair Mixed Doubles, it was Wilson’s second national championship in the discipline.
You can learn more about the USA Curling End-of-Year Awards here.
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, IHG, 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.
