TEAMS JOHNSON AND HEBERT SECURE FINAL BERTHS IN OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS
Photo by: Emma Wanyek
[EDEN PRAIRIE, MN, September 15, 2025] — The final two teams have officially qualified for the 2025 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Curling—and they are the 2025 Junior National Championship teams on both the men’s and women’s sides.
Team Johnson (Allory Johnson, Gianna Johnson, Morgan Zacher, Bailey Vaydich, Ella Wendling) secured their Trials berth after a best-of-five playoff series at the Chaska Curling Center against Team McMakin (Christine McMakin, Miranda Scheel, Sara Olson, Jenna Burchesky), which went the distance and was decided in Game Five. Team Hebert (Caden Hebert, Jackson Bestland, Benji Paral, Jack Wendtland) clinched their spot by finishing at the top of a competitive men’s field at the Charlotte Curling Association with a 3–1 record. Team Sinnett (Sam Strouse, Coleman Thurston, Chase Sinnett, Connor Kauffman, Kevin Tuma) and Team Dunnam (Scott Dunnam, Cody Clouser, Lance Wheeler, Andy Dunnam) as well as Team Hodek (Tim Hodek, Evan Workin, Josh Moore, Nathan Parry) finished just behind Hebert with 2-2 records.
“Both winning teams showed resilience, skill, and composure under pressure—exactly what you want to see from the next generation of elite athletes,” said USA Curling CEO Dean Gemmell. “We are excited to see these young players compete on the biggest domestic stage and challenge for the chance to represent the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.”
With these additions, the men’s and women’s fields for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials are now complete. All qualified teams will head to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where they will compete for the opportunity to wear the Red, White, and Blue at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina.
The 2025 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Curling will take place from November 11-16 at the Denny Sanford Premier Center. Fans can expect a week of world-class curling, high stakes, and unforgettable moments as America’s top curlers chase their Olympic dreams.
Tickets are now on sale for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Sioux Falls, SD, at the Sanford Premier Center from November 11-16, 2025. On the Men’s side, the following teams will compete:
Team Shuster (John Shuster, Chris Plys, Colin Hufman, Matt Hamilton)
Team Dropkin (Korey Dropkin, Tom Howell, Andrew Stopera, Mark Fenner)
Team Casper (Daniel Casper, Luc Violette, Ben Richardson, Aidan Oldenburg, Rich Ruohonen)
Team Hebert (Caden Hebert, Jackson Bestland, Benji Paral, Jack Wendtland)
On the Women’s side, the field features the following teams:
Team Peterson (Tabitha Peterson, Cory Thiesse, Tara Peterson, Taylor Anderson-Heide)
Team Strouse (Delaney Strouse, Anne O’Hara, Sydney Mullaney, Madison Bear)
Team Cousins (Elizabeth Cousins, Annmarie Dubberstein, Allison Howell, Liz Janiak)
Team Johnson (Allory Johnson, Gianna Johnson, Morgan Zacher, Bailey Vaydich, Ella Wendling)
More information about the U.S. Olympic Team Trials can be found here.
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.
