Rinks from Ardsley, NY, and Denver, CO, Won the USA Curling Club National Championships in Wausau
Wausau, WI, 3/19/23
The Politano rink from Ardsley, NY, won the women’s competition, and the Mansell rink from Denver, CO, won the men’s at the USA Curling 2023 National Club Championships at the Wausau Curling Center.
The Politano rink defeated the Swisshelm rink from Detroit, 8 to 4, completing a 6-2-0 record for the four-day tournament and taking home the women's gold medal. The winners laid five stones in the second end to take a solid lead. The rink included Sere Politano, Megan Stopera, Amber Will, Elizabeth Harmon, and coach Bill Stopera.
In the men’s division, the Mansell rink defeated the Ward rink from Eau Claire, WI, 5-3 in a close match, to go undefeated throughout the tournament and claim the gold. On the Mansell team were Elliott Mansell, Aaron Johnson, Simon Jarrett, Cameron Cabrera, and Sean Franey.
Twenty-four men’s and women’s teams competed in the tournament beginning Thursday, March 16 and curling in pool play through Saturday, March 18. Tie-breakers, semi-finals and finals were Sunday, March 19.
The Wausau Club was represented in the men’s competition by a team skipped by Tim Cucchiarelli, and consisting of Matt Foss, Todd Goetsch, Bobby Splinter, and Brett Ziegel. On the women’s side, the team of Lisa Langdon (skip) and Terri Gleason, Susan Gould, Susan Peloquin and Val Gorichs carried the local colors.
“It was an honor to represent our local curlers,” Cucchiarelli said. “We played our best and showed the curling world that Wausau is a competitive club.”
Stands at the host club were full of fans every day of the competition, Wausau Curling Club organizers reported. “An eight-end thank you to our volunteers, sponsors, fans, USA Curling, and our competitors, especially our Wausau host club teams,” said Wausau Curling Club president Kim Susens.
“I think everybody had fun on and off the ice. It was definitely good curling.”
Officials from USA Curling added their congratulations and thanks to the Wausau Club and community.
The presenting sponsor was Crystal Finishing Systems Inc. The games were live-streamed on Wausau Area Access Media, sponsored by the Ron and Jan Klimisch Charitable Fund.
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The Wausau Curling Club is pleased to be hosting the USA Curling National Club Championships at our state-of-the-art curling center, March 16-19.
It is just the latest in a long series of hosting national curling events in our town, and we are delighted to welcome our curling guests from across the country. But it is the first time we have hosted the Nationals Club event.
The competition this week features curling rinks that have bested other curing clubs in their regions—or districts, both on the men’s and women’s side.
The regions include:
- Alaska Curling Association
- Dakota Territory Curling Association (includes Montana and North and South Dakota).
- Great Lakes Curling Association (Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and parts of Tennessee)
- Midwest Curling Association (Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri)
- Mid-America Curling Association (Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas)
- Minnesota Curling Association
- Mountain Pacific Curling Association (Arizona, California, parts of Idaho, Nevada, parts of Oregon, and Utah)
- Pacific Northwest Curling Association (parts of Idaho, parts of Oregon, and Washington)
- Wisconsin State Curling Association
All of these regions have conducted recent playdowns among their curling clubs, to determine their entry in the national competition.
In addition to the above association sets of teams, the host club—in this case Wausau—gets to enter both a men’s and women’s team. The other entrants include at-large club teams and an additional set of teams from the region having the most entries.
Intersted in sponsoring this national event? Check out the many sponsorship options.
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WAUSAU, WI — The Wausau Curling Club has been selected to host the 2023 USA Curling Club National Championships.
According to a release from USA Curling, twelve teams of each gender will participate in the event from March 15-19th.
“Having this event in Wausau brings high-level curling and hundreds of people from around the country to our area,” said Kim Susens, President of the Wausau Curling Club. “We are delighted to host these athletes who represent the best qualities of our sport.”
Eleven teams from each gender will qualify through regional playdowns. The 12th will come from the Wausau Curling Club.
The defending champions on the men’s side are Team Hampton of the Madison Curling Club. The defending women’s champions are from Arizona.
The Wausau Curling Club has hosted some national-level events in the past, including the 2021 Men’s and Women’s National Championships and the 2021 Mixed Doubles National Championship.