2022 U.S. WHEELCHAIR CURLING TEAM TRIALS
© WCF / Jiri Snitil 2021
The 2022 U.S. Wheelchair Curling Team Trials Selection event begins today at the Denver Curling Club in Golden, Colorado.
On June 7-9, 2021, the best Wheelchair Curling Athletes in the country will be assessed based on subjective and objective evaluation by a panel of judges regarding their demonstrated curling abilities, as well as other qualities including, but not limited to, fitness, experience, dynamics, and more, to determine a National Team of eight (8) athletes.
From the group of eight athletes, a final team of five athletes will be selected to be recognized as Team USA and will compete at the 2021 World Wheelchair Curling Championships on October 23-30, 2021, in Beijing, China. Should the team earn the United States a berth to the 2022 Paralympic Games at the World Championships, the same five athletes will represent the United States at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games on March 4-13, 2022, in Beijing, China.
(l-r) Steve Kettenhoven, Dan Rose, Shawn Sadowski, Stacy Rice, Elizabeth Ford, and Laura Dwyer qualified for the Trials Selection event via the Pre-Trials selection hosted by the Sentry Curling Center in the Village of Plover at the end of April.
The participants at this year’s Wheelchair Curling Team Trials Selection include:
Laura Dwyer – Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
Dan Rose – Denver, Colorado
Stephen Emt – Hebron, Connecticut
Bobby Faircloth – Charlotte, North Carolina
David Samsa – Suamico, Wisconsin
Shawn Sadowski – Portage, Wisconsin
Elizabeth Ford – Colorado Springs, Colorado
Matthew Thums – Weston, Wisconsin
Steve Kettenhoven – Clintonville, Wisconsin
Batoyun “Oyuna” Uranchimeg – Burnsville, Minneosta
Stacey Rice – Suwanee, Georgia
Pamela Wilson – Westminster, Colorado
The panel, or player selection committee, is comprised of individuals with vast knowledge and experience of wheelchair curling and the Wheelchair National Program including:
Russell Schieber, National Team Coach
Peter Annis, National Program Director
Marc DePerno, National Team Leader
Justin Marshall, National Team Member (2018)
“Thank you to the Player Selection Committee, Pam Finch, the volunteers and the Denver Curling Club for making this a memorable event,” said Marc Deperno, National Team Leader. “The time and generosity provided by these people has a profound impact on determining the top athletes in our nation.”
All 12 athletes participating in the Trials will qualify for the developmental program, designed to strengthen the wheelchair curling pipeline in the United States by providing camps and training opportunities alongside the selected National Team.
USA Curling is sponsored by Toyota, Goldline, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Brakebush, ISS (Ice, Sports & Solar), and Sitrin, and is partnered with IHG, Rock Solid Productions Inc., 12th End Sports Network, Laurie Artiss Ltd. – The Pin People, and United Airlines.
