SHUSTER EARNS SILVER, PETERSON SECURES WORLDS BERTH FOR USA
Photo by World Curling
[EDEN PRAIRIE, MN, October 27, 2025] — Both the Iron Range and American teams delivered solid performances at the 2025 United States Steel Pan Continental Curling Championships, as fans and the local business community supported the event and the players on the ice fared well against a top international field
During these championships, the “B” Division competed at Curl Mesabi in Eveleth, MN, while the “A” Division played at the Iron Trail Motors Event Center in nearby Virginia, MN
In “A” Division Men’s play, Team Shuster (John Shuster, Chris Plys, Colin Hufman, Matt Hamilton, Alternate Danny Casper) finished round-robin play in second place, their only loss coming at the hands of Canada in an entertaining Friday evening matchup. In the semi-finals, Shuster and his teammates defeated Japan 9-3, but and faced Canada again in the gold medal game. After jumping out to a 2-1 lead, a score of two points by Canada in the ninth end was the turning point in a game that finished 7-3 in favor of the Canadians. With the United States hosting the 2026 World Men’s in Ogden, UT, the country is already qualified for that championship, but the solid performance by Team Shuster energized the crowds and the community.
On the Women’s side, Team Peterson (Tabitha Peterson, Cory Thiesse, Tara Peterson, Taylor Anderson-Heidi, Alternate Aileen Geving) needed to finish in fifth place or higher to qualify for the 2026 World Women’s Championship in Canada, and they accomplished that before round-robin play was completed. Peterson and her teammates curled well all week but were unable to medal, losing the bronze game in an extra end to Team Gim of Korea. Gim currently sits at #3 in the World Curling Team Rankings.
“We had good crowds all week, and the Friday evening Men’s game between Canada and the United States was a sellout,” said USA Curling CEO Dean Gemmell. “The teams representing our country performed well, and the support of the local business community made this a memorable event for all.”
Next up for Peterson and Shuster is the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Curling. That event gets underway at the Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, SD, on November 11th. The top four men’s and the top four women’s teams will compete for the right to carry on into the Olympic Qualifying Event in Kelowna, BC, Canada in early December, while two Wheelchair Mixed Doubles teams will play for a berth in the 2026 Paralympic Games.
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.
