Scottish Women and US Curlers Compete in Wausau

Release:  10/28/2022

Curling came to America from Scotland, and on October 27, 2022 the Scottish Women’s Curling team came to Wausau.

The Scots curled morning and afternoon matches against U.S teams made up of women curlers from the Wausau Curling Club, and clubs in Rice Lake and Madison. Competition was keen, with teams essentially breaking even in the 10 games played.

More important than games won or lost were the points accumulated by each team. The Scots are on a tour of 14 U.S. curling clubs from Denver to New England. If they score more points across all matches, they’ll win the Marguerite Roberts Quaich, a shallow vessel that is a symbol of trust and friendship.

The 2022-23 curling season gets underway in Wausau with registration for members, teams, and new curlers beginning Wednesday, September 14.

Curlers interested in becoming a member and participating in the Club’s variety of daytime and evening leagues learn more on our website: www.wausaucurling.org.

Those who want to learn the popular wintertime game can sign up for “Learn to Curl” instructional events, scheduled for Saturdays, Oct. 15 and 22, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. All equipment and instruction will be provided. New curlers will then have the opportunity to join instructional leagues and continue to play the sport throughout the season.

The club plans a season opening “First Rock” event on Oct. 14, with league play starting Oct. 30.

The club, which celebrated  its 100^th year of competition last year, curls at the Olympic-style Wausau Curling Center at 1920 Curling Way, on the city’s southeast side. With eight “sheets,” or lanes,  for curling, the center is the largest privately owned curling facility in the United States.

In addition to Learn to Curl and league play, the club has announced a calendar which includes several weekend bonspiels, the Badger State Games curling competition, and high school tournaments and state championships.

Follow Wausau Curling Club news at the club’s website or Facebook page.

Junior Women earn Gold, Junior Men earn Bronze

Wausau’s junior curlers brought home medals in the National Junior Curling Championships which concluded Saturday, April 30, at the new Sentry Curling Center in Plover.

The women’s Team Tamboli, with Wausau West High School curler Amelia Hintz, defeated the Sophia Ryhorchuk team from Minnesota, 9-8. The gold-medal game came down to the final end as Tamboli—leading by two—took out the opponents’ second rock with the final shot, limiting them to one.

Others on the winning team were Jordan Hein of Portage, and Miranda Scheel and Tessa Thurlow from North Dakota.

It was the second close win over the Minnesotans. Team Tamboli edged them 6-5 in the playoff game on Friday.

In the men’s competition, the Wes Wendling team from Wausau, with John Wilkerson and Chris Kirsch also from Wausau, took the bronze medal. After advancing to the final four, they lost 5-4 to Team Sampson from Fargo, N.D., Saturday morning.

Sampson won the championship with another nail-biter over the Kauffman team from Blaine, Minn., 9-8.

Fort Wayne, IN – The Wendling rink from Wausau earned silver medals in the National U-18 curling competition in Fort Wayne, Ind., March 30-April 2, 2022.

Congratulations to team members skip Wes Wendling, third Chris Kirsch, second Carson Kirsch, and lead Nolan O’Keefe.

After winning their first two matches in the early rounds, Wendling lost to St. Paul in the 13^th draw, 12-3, then came back strong two draws later to score two in the seventh end and defeat Lowell, Mass., 6-4.

The win set up the championship match, once again against the St. Paul team. They lost 9-2, but the climb into the final draw earned them a second place and the silvers.

According to coach Jim Wendling, two of the team members—Wes Wendling and Chris Kirsch—will be participating in the U21 (under 21) competition in Stevens Point at the end of this month.

Good Curling, Matt!
All the best to Matt Thums, skip of the USA Wheelchair Curling team, at the Paralympics March 4-13, 2022 in Beijing.

Matt is a member of the Wausau Curling Club and a resident of Weston, Wisconsin.

He and the team of Dave Samsa of Green Bay, Steve Emt from Connecticut, Pam Wilson from Denver, and Batoyun Uranchimeg from the Twin Cities are taking on the world’s best wheelchair teams in the “Ice Cube” used for curling at the recent Olympic Games.

You can follow Matt and Team USA on NBC, Peacock, and USA TV. First games are Saturday, March 5. See the schedule below.

Go Matt and Team USA!

Teams skipped by Kim Susens and Ann Werth won the first and second events, respectively, at the All American bonspiel at the Wausau Curling Center over the January 15 weekend.

The first event winning Susens rink included Lisa Schroeder (lead), Brooke Ewert (second) and Maureen Noteboom (vice).

First event runnerup was the team skipped by Lisa Landon, with Chrissy Kaupie (lead), Judy Fries (second), and Patti Todd (vice).

The second event winning Werth rink included Kimberly Taylor (lead), Annette Esselman (second), and Samantha Diedrich (vice).

The Jane Christianson rink was second event runnerup, and included Kat BeBeau (lead), Tracey Manock (second), and Valerie Gorichs (vice).

The next major event at the Curling Center will be the curling competition at the Badger State Winter Games, Jan. 29-30.

Caught up in the Olympic curling action?  Want to get on the ice and learn the game?
Registration is now open for our special 3-week Beginner's Curling League.

Monday nights beginning February 28, 6:30 - 9:30pm.

Wausau West high school rinks won both the boys and girls championships at the Tietge High School Curling Championship Bonspiel held January 8-9, 2022 at the Wausau Curling Center.

The Wendling rink was the boys winner and the Hintz rink won the girls competition.

The Tietge is the largest and longest-running high school Bonspiel in the United States and is named for former Wausau high school curling coach Dennis Tietge.

The Wausau Curling Club is extremely excited to be hosting this year’s 2020 U18 Curling National Championships. 

The popular Tietge High School Bonspiel returns to the Wausau Curling Center Friday and Saturday, January 7 and 8, after a year off because of the pandemic.

It is the largest high school curling bonspiel in the United States, and also is the longest-running, according to event coordinator Jim Wendling. It is named in honor of retired Wausau High School curling coach Dennis Tietge.

Well over 100 student curlers are expected to compete. “We have 36 teams signed up, from 15 different high schools,” said Wendling.  “There will be 20 girls’ teams and 16 boys’ teams.” The teams from Wausau East and West and D.C. Everest high schools will be among the participants. 

Competition will begin Friday morning and continue through to the final games on Saturday evening. Due to COVID restrictions attendance will be limited to players and coaches. Some of the competition will be viewable on the Wendling Rink page of Facebook.

Located on Wausau’s southeast side, the Wausau Curling Center features eight sheets of ice and is one of finest curling facilities in the United States.

A team from the Wausau Curling Club won the third at the U.S. Women’s Curling Association’s Senior National Championships December 1-5, 2021.

Skipped by Lisa Landon, the team members included Terri Gleason, Valerie Gorichs, and Kim Susens.

You’ve watched it on TV during the winter Olympics, now try it with your friends, family, or co-workers. The members of the Wausau Curling Club look forward to showing you a sport not known to many, at a world-class facility in the heart of central Wisconsin.