EXCELLENCE AWARDS
On an annual basis, the USA Curling Excellence Awards celebrate the accomplishments, contributions, and commitment of athletes and coaches.
Designed to reflect the sentiment of the entire curling community, voting is open to the following stakeholder groups:
Fans
Peers (all competitors at the previous year's Men's and Women's National Championships and members of the Wheelchair National Team)
Hall of Fame Committee
Coaches
Board of Directors
Athletes of the Year: Awarded to one male athlete, one female athlete, and one wheelchair athlete. Winners of these awards define excellence both on and off the ice, and have demonstrated a strong commitment to competitive achievement.
Team of the Year: Awarded to the team that best exhibits sportsmanship, integrity, and elite performance.
Coach of the Year: Recognizes a Coach who has been a major contributor to the success of an established American team or teams.
Breakout Coach of the Year: Recognizes a Coach who has been a major contributor to the success of an emerging American team or teams.
The Outstanding National Performance Award: This award recognizes athlete(s) who made a bold and memorable impact on the national stage. Whether through a historic first, standout performance across multiple championships, or a breakthrough season that captured attention, these athlete(s) rose above expectations and left a lasting impression on the curling community.
2026 winners
CORY THIESSE: FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
FEMALE ATHLETE
Cory Thiesse was named the Female Athlete of the Year following a remarkable Olympic campaign. In addition to winning silver in Mixed Doubles with Dropkin—the first Olympic medal for an American female curler—Thiesse played Third on Team Peterson. The team won the 2026 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, earned a berth in the Games at the high stakes Olympic Qualification Event, and finished fourth asTeam USA in Cortina, a best-ever Olympics result for an American women’s team. What’s more, no other Team USA athlete in any sport had as many competition days as Thiesse during the 2026 Olympics.
KOREY DROPKIN: MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
MALE ATHLETE
Korey Dropkin earned Male Athlete of the Year honors after helping make history at the Olympic Winter Games. Alongside Cory Thiesse, Dropkin captured the silver medal in Mixed Doubles curling, securing the first Olympic medal ever won by the United States in the discipline.
MATT THUMS: WHEELCHAIR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
WHEELCHAIR ATHLETE
Sean O'Neill was recognized as the Wheelchair Athlete of the Year after making an impressive Paralympic debut at the skip position. O'Neill also ranked second among all skips in shooting percentage during the Games, proving his ability to compete among the very best at the highest level of competition.
TEAM THIESSE/DROPKIN: TEAM OF THE YEAR
TEAM
The mixed doubles team of Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin was selected as the Team of the Year after making history at the 2026 Games. Their Olympic silver medal was the nation's first-ever podium finish in mixed doubles curling and the third medal won by an American curling team at the Games. In addition, Thiesse was the first woman to medal in curling for Team USA.
CATHY OVERTON-CLAPHAM: COACH OF THE YEAR
COACH
Cathy Overton-Clapham was named Coach of the Year after guiding both the Mixed Doubles and Women’s teams at the 2026 Olympic Games. She was on the bench when Thiesse and Dropkin captured silver, while also leading the American women's team, skipped by Tabitha Peterson, to a fourth-place finish.
MIKE PEPLINSKI: BREAKOUT COACH OF THE YEAR
DEVELOPMENTAL COACH
Mike Peplinski earned Developmental Coach of the Year honors following an impressive season by Team Hebert. With co-coach Ann Swisshelm on the bench, Team Hebert captured gold at the World Junior B Championship in December of 2025 to earn a berth in the 2026 World Junior Championship. At that event, they defeated defending champion Italy in the final and became the first American men’s team win the world junior crown since 2008. The team, based in Eau Claire and trained by Peplinski for several years, capped their season by defending their USA Curling Junior Men’s title.
EVAN WORKIN: OUTSTANDING NATIONAL PERFORMANCE
OUTSTANDING NATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Evan Workin earned Outstanding Performance of the Year recognition for an exceptional season that included coaching Team Pekowitz to a Junior Women’s National Championship, skipping his own team to a Mixed National Championship, and helping North Dakota capture its first-ever Regions Cup title.