Athletes, teams & Coaches
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.
NEW! 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.
2025 winners
CORY THIESSE: FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
FEMALE ATHLETE
Cory Thiesse, third for Team Peterson, won the 2025 Women’s National Championship and earned a spot in the Olympic Team Trials for Curling. She also won the 2025 Mixed Doubles Olympic Team Trials with Korey Dropkin and went on to finish fifth at the World Mixed Doubles Championship, securing a berth for the USA in the 2026 Olympic Games. Cory recorded the highest overall shooting percentage among all female players at the event.
KOREY DROPKIN: MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
MALE ATHLETE
Korey Dropkin, skip of Team Dropkin, won the 2025 Men’s National Championship. He also won the 2025 Mixed Doubles Olympic Team Trials with Cory Thiesse and finished fifth at the World Mixed Doubles Championship, earning the USA a spot in the 2026 Olympic Games.
MATT THUMS: WHEELCHAIR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
WHEELCHAIR ATHLETE
Laura Dwyer and Steve Emt won the 2025 Wheelchair Mixed Doubles National Championship and posted a 5–2 record at the World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Championship. They also earned gold at the World-B Wheelchair Curling Championship.
TEAM THIESSE/DROPKIN: TEAM OF THE YEAR
TEAM
Team Thiesse/Dropkin became the first Americans to qualify for the 2026 Olympic Games after winning the 2025 Mixed Doubles Olympic Team Trials. They finished fifth at the World Mixed Doubles Championship to secure the Olympic berth and were the highest-ranked team in overall shooting percentage at the event.
MIKE PEPLINSKI: COACH OF THE YEAR
COACH
Mike Peplinski coached Team Hebert to a gold medal at the 2025 Junior Men’s National Championship and a silver medal at the 2025 World University Games. He also guided the team to a berth in the Men’s Olympic Pre-Trials event.
CHRIS JOHNSON: BREAKOUT COACH OF THE YEAR
Breakout COACH
Chris Johnson coached Team Johnson to gold medals at both the U18 Girls’ National Championship and the Junior Women’s National Championship. He also led the team to a berth in the USA Curling Pre-Trials event.
GIANNA JOHNSON: OUTSTANDING NATIONAL PERFORMANCE
OUTSTANDING NATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Gianna Johnson has competed in four National Championships this season, winning the Junior Women’s and U18 Girls’ Nationals, earning a silver medal at Junior Mixed Doubles Nationals, and finishing fifth at Women’s Nationals—where she was the youngest competitor.