MIXED DOUBLES NATIONALS FIELD SET, CHAMPIONSHIP STARTS IN BEMIDJI ON JANUARY 20TH
Photo by: C. Kerns Photography
[EDEN PRAIRIE, MN, December 19, 2025] — USA Curling is pleased to announce the lineup of teams that will compete at the 2026 Mixed Doubles National Championship at the Bemidji Curling Club in Bemidji, MN. The winners will move on to represent the United States at the ACE & Company 2026 World Mixed Doubles Championship, scheduled for Geneva, Switzerland, from April 25th through May 2nd.
Teams earning berths in the 2026 Mixed Doubles Nationals are:
Anderson/Stopera (Sarah Anderson, Andrew Stopera)
Hagenbuch/Laufer (Bella Hagenbuch, Daniel Laufer)
Moores/Wheeler (Clare Moores, Lance Wheeler)
Podoll/Parry (Ann Podoll, Nate Parry)
Kraft/Kraft (Riley Kraft, Caden Kraft)
Kawleski/Kauffman (Rachel Kawleski, Connor Kauffman)
Fleming/Bestland (Ella Fleming, Jackson Bestland)
McMakin/Strouse (Christine McMakin, Sam Strouse)
Wendling/Paral (Ella Wendling, Benji Paral)
Senneker/Visnich (Stephanie Senneker, Nick Visnich)
Coleman/Robertson (Gabrielle Coleman, Connor Robertson)
Weldon/Franey (BriAnna Weldon, Sean Franey)
Dudt/Dudt (Susan Dudt, Daniel Dudt)
Ostrowski/Nickel (Kelsey Ostrowski, Gabe Nickel)
Scebbi/Scebbi (Harley Scebbi, Vince Scebbi)
Holt/Brenden (Heidi Holt, Zach Brenden)
Anderson/Stopera, silver medalists at the 2025 Olympic Team Trials for Mixed Doubles Curling, earned their berth through their Top Three finish at that event and enter the championship as favorites. They were also silver medalists at Nationals in 2023.
Gold medalists Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin, gold medalists in 2025, declined their berth, as did bronze medalists Madison Bear and Aidan Oldenburg. Thiesse, Dropkin, and Oldenburg will all be competing for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina in February.
Some teams in the field earned berths through finishes at three qualifying events—the Colorado Cup in Lafayette and Golden, CO, the U.S. Open Mixed Doubles Qualifier event in Eveleth, MN, and the Madtown Double Down in Madison, WI. The remaining berths were awarded to teams through either the combined points of both players on the Men’s & Women’s World Curling Team Ranking List or their position on the World Curling Mixed Doubles Team Ranking List. Qualifying Procedures for Mixed Doubles Nationals and all USA Curling championships can be found here.
The event runs from Tuesday, January 20th through Sunday, January 25th at the Bemidji Curling Club. More details, including ticket information and a full schedule, will be available shortly on the USA Curling website.
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.
