COUNTRY’S TOP CURLERS RETURN TO DENVER
Photo by Bob Weder
[EAGAN, MN, January 31, 2023] — Championship four-person curling returns to the state of Colorado after a fourteen-year hiatus, as the 2023 USA Curling Men’s and Women’s National Championships will be at the Denver Coliseum from February 5-11, with a field that includes Olympic gold medalists and a former NFL All-Pro.
Athletes from eight Men’s and eight Women’s teams find themselves back in the Centennial State competing to represent the United States for the first time since 2009 when the Olympic Trials were held in Broomfield. Two competitors in this year’s event, John Shuster and Jason Smith, were victorious at those Trials in Colorado over a decade ago.
The Men’s and Women’s Nationals also find themselves back on the calendar after their cancellation in 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A return to championship play is exciting for many after an unfortunate stop-to-play last winter.
“The Nationals are a highlight of the curling season, so it just feels right to have them back,” said Danny Casper, skip of Team Casper, fresh off a Silver Medal at the World University Games in Lake Placid. “To get the chance to go to my first (Men’s Nationals) and compete against so many teams who also felt the heartbreak of last year’s cancellation is really special.”
Teams in the Men’s and Women’s event in Denver will compete in round-robin play with the top four teams of each gender qualifying for the playoff round. The winners of each championship will represent the USA at the World Championships later this year.
The 2022 Olympic teams, Team Shuster and Team Peterson, headline a field of men’s and women’s curlers seeking to raise the national championship trophy. NFL All-Pro Jared Allen will also compete as part of Team Smith, hoping to make a name for himself in the sport of curling after a long career in professional football. In addition, the 2023 Nationals feature local flair, as a handful of athletes from the Denver area will be competing. Team Sobering, Lance Wheeler of Team Dunnam, and Clare Moores of Team McMakin will all enjoy playing in a championship in their own backyard.
“The support we have received from the Denver Sports Commission, Visit Denver, the Coliseum, and the Denver curling community has been extraordinary,” noted USA Curling Interim CEO Dean Gemmell. “We’re excited to provide this great city an opportunity to experience one of the most popular Olympic sports, live and in a storied venue.”
Streaming will be provided throughout the event through the USA Curling partnership with Curling Stadium. Each game of every draw will be shown on the USA Curling YouTube channel, with one feature game offered in near-broadcast-TV quality with commentary by 2018 Gold Medalist Tyler George.
Single-game tickets and event-long passes are available for purchase here.
TEAM ROSTERS
Men’s
Team Casper - Danny Casper, Luc Violette, Ben Richardson, Chase Sinnett
Team Dropkin - Korey Dropkin, Andrew Stopera, Mark Fenner, Tom Howell
Team Dunnam - Scott Dunnam, Cody Clouser, Lance Wheeler, Andy Dunnam
Team Ruohonen - Rich Ruohonen, Sam Strouse, Connor Kauffman, Aidan Oldenburg
Team Sampson - Ethan Sampson, Kevin Tuma, Coleman Thurston, Marius Kleinas, Jake Zeman
Team Shuster - John Shuster, Chris Plys, Matt Hamilton, John Landsteiner, Colin Hufman
Team Smith - Jason Smith, Dominik Maerki, Jared Allen, Hunter Clawson, Eli Clawson
Team Sobering - Darryl Sobering, Alec Celecki, Sean Stevinson, DJ Johnson, Josh Chetwynd
Women’s
Team Anderson - Sarah Anderson, Taylor Anderson, Lexi Lanigan, Aileen Geving, Leah Yavarow
Team Bear - Madison Bear, Annmarie Dubberstein, Elizabeth Cousins, Allison Howell, Liz Janiak
Team McMakin - Christine McMakin, Cora Farrell, Jenna Burchesky, Clare Moores
Team Peterson - Tabitha Peterson, Cory Thiesse, Becca Hamilton, Tara Peterson
Team Rhyme - Kim Rhyme, Libby Brundage, Cait Flannery, Katie Rhyme
Team Scheel - Miranda Scheel, Jordan Hein, Tessa Thurlow, Amelia Hintz
Team Strouse - Delaney Strouse, Anne O’Hara, Sydney Mullaney, Rebecca Rodgers, Susan Dudt
Team Workin - Rachel Workin, Anya Normandeau, Ann Podoll, Christina Lammers
For more information, visit the websites of USA Curling and the Denver Coliseum.
USA Curling is sponsored by Columbia Sportswear, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Brakebush, ISS (Ice, Sports & Solar), Rock Solid Productions, IHG, and Laurie Artiss. USA Curling, as the National Governing Body for the sport in the United States, is also supported by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.
