2026 EXCELLENCE AWARDS
Photo by: World Curling
[EDEN PRAIRIE, MN, July 23, 2026] — USA Curling is proud to announce the recipients of its 2026 Excellence Awards, recognizing the athletes, coaches, and contributors whose accomplishments helped define the past season. The annual awards are selected through a voting process that includes fans, peers, coaches, and members of the USA Curling community.
Male Athlete of the Year: Korey Dropkin
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.
Female Athlete of the Year: Cory Thiesse
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.
Wheelchair Athlete of the Year: Sean O'Neill
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 of the Year: Thiesse/Dropkin
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.
Coach of the Year: Cathy Overton-Clapham
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.
Developmental Coach of the Year: Mike Peplinski
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.
Outstanding Performance of the Year: Evan Workin
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.
USA Curling congratulates each of this year's Excellence Award recipients and thanks everyone who participated in the voting process. The accomplishments recognized through these awards reflect the dedication of the athletes and coaches, and reflect the continued growth of the sport across the United States.
About USA Curling
Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA Curling is the National Governing body for the Olympic sport of curling and the Paralympic sport of wheelchair curling in the United States. The mission of USA Curling is to grow, strengthen, and advocate for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of curling in the United States by prioritizing accessibility and programmatic development from grassroots to podium. USA Curling is sponsored by Columbia Sportswear, the Dale’s family of beers, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Ice, Sports & Solar (ISS), Rock Solid Productions, Jet Ice, and Laurie Artiss. USA Curling is a proud member of World Curling and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. To learn more, visit usacurling.org.
