TEAM USA CAPTURES MEN’S SILVER AT WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES
Photo by: Jarah Lemus
[EDEN PRAIRIE, MN, January 24, 2025] — The 2025 FISU World University Games wrapped up this week, and Team Hebert, representing the United States, capped off a great week against a strong international field with a silver medal finish.
The team (Caden Hebert, Jackson Bestland, Jack Wendtland, Jack Armstrong, Connor Kaufmann, Coach Mike Peplinski) finished round-robin play in second place with a 7-1 record. After beating Canada in the semi-finals, they faced undefeated Team Norway in the championship matchup.
The final was a close contest throughout. After scoring two in the sixth end to go up by one, Norway followed up with a steal of one in the seventh. Carrying last rock advantage but trailing in the eighth and final end, Team Hebert was unable to generate the two points needed to force an extra end.
"I'm so proud of the way the team represented the country both on and off the ice," remarked Coach Mike Peplinski. "Losing the gold medal game stung, but I know taking silver against such a strong international field is something we'll appreciate more in the days ahead."
Caden Hebert, skip of Team USA, commented. "It was great to see all our training pay off this week, and performing well at our first high-level international event motivates us to work even harder going forward."
The Eau Claire-based team has been playing together for several years under the guidance of Coach Peplinski, and captured the USA Curling U18 national championship in 2024. Their next major event will be the U21 Junior Men’s Nationals in Bowling Green, OH, where they will look to improve on last year’s runner-up finish.
About USA Curling
Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Eden Prairie, 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 World Curling and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. To learn more, visit usacurling.org.
