NATIONALS ON TAP AFTER THE GAMES, TOP CURLERS HEAD TO CHARLOTTE TO COMPETE
Photo by: Michael Woolheater
[EDEN PRAIRIE, MN, February 18, 2026] — As the country follows Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, preparations are well underway for the 2026 USA Curling Men’s & Women’s Nationals in Charlotte, NC, at the Bojangles Coliseum.
The event starts on February 23rd. Fans can buy Single Session tickets, Full Day Passes, a Weekend Pass, or an All Sessions package. There are also great group packages with amenities and terrific viewing—for more information, email charley.perry@usacurling.org.
Even in an Olympic year, World Curling holds a championship. In 2026, the World Men’s will be in Ogden, UT, while the World Men’s will be in Canada in Calgary. In Charlotte, the winning teams of each gender will earn the right to represent the country at those events.
While the Olympic representatives won’t be on the ice at Bojangles Coliseum, there will be no shortage of top tier curling talent in North Carolina.
On the men’s side, five-time Olympian and 2018 gold medalist John Shuster and his team headline the field, along with Team Stopera. Three of its team members competed at the 2026 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Curling this past November with Korey Dropkin, the silver medalist in Mixed Doubles at the 2026 Games. Lance Wheeler will join the team for the Men’s Nationals.
Six other men’s teams will vie for the 2026 title, and most bring extensive experience at previous Nationals.
In the women’s field, Team Cousins will attempt to improve on their second-place finish at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Curling. They will be challenged by Team Strouse, another Trials team that was bested by Team Peterson, the country’s Olympic representatives in Cortina. The field of eight will be rounded out by former Nationals competitors and players who have national junior titles on their resumes.
“An Olympics year is a very busy one for our organization, but our annual Men’s & Women’s Nationals are a marquee event for us,” noted USA Curling CEO Dean Gemmell. “With the focus on our sport generated by the play of our teams at the Games, we’re excited to showcase the depth of our talent in North Carolina.”
This will be the first time a Men’s & Women’s Nationals has been held in the state.
“We have seen terrific growth in North Carolina—the Charlotte Curling Association and the Triangle Curling Club in Durham are two of our newer curling-specific facilities in the country. Both have been very successful, and we’re hopeful this event can spur even more interest in the Tar Heel state.”
MEN’S TEAMS
Team Shuster (John Shuster, Chris Plys, Colin Hufman, Matt Hamilton)
Team A. Stopera (Andrew Stopera, Tom Howell, Mark Fenner, Lance Wheeler)
Team Dunnam (Scott Dunnam, Cody Clouser, Alex Leichter, Andy Dunnam, Shaheen Bassiri)
Team Tuma ( Sam Strouse, Kevin Tuma, Coleman Thurston, Connor Kauffman)
Team Wendling (Ethan Sampson, Wes Wendling, Jake Zeman, Marius Klenias)
Team Mansell (Elliot Mansell, Daniel Dudt, Sean Franney, Simon Jarrett)
Team Hodek (Tim Hodek, Evan Workin, Josh Moore, Nathan Parry)
Team McMullin (Carson McMullin, Caidan Rose, Will Podhrasky, Ethan Macomber)
WOMEN’S TEAMS
Team Cousins (Elizabeth Cousins, Annmarie Dubberstein, Allison Howell, Liz Janiak)
Team Strouse (Delaney Strouse, Anne O’Hara, Syndey Mullaney, Madison Bear)
Team M. Stopera (Megan Stopera, Addison Neill, Ella Fleming, Savannah Koch)
Team McMakin (Christine McMakin, Jordan Hein, Susan Dudt, Tessa Thurlow)
Team Weldon (BriAnna Weldon, Sarah Walsh, Abigail Lin, Kate Garfinkel)
Team Rhyme (Kim Rhyme, Stephanie Senneker, Libby Brundage, Anya Normandeau)
Team Podoll (Ann Podoll, Rachel Kawleski, Mackenzie Ritchie, Rachel Workin)
Team Pekowitz (Julia Pekowitz, Kalina Petrova, Lila Farwell, Alexa Pekowitz)
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.
