TEAM JOHNSON CAPTURES SILVER, EARNS BERTH IN 2026 WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Photo by: Michael Woolheater
[EDEN PRAIRIE, MN, December 13, 2025] — The run of success for American curlers in international competition continues, as the United States grabbed silver at the World Junior-B Women’s Curling Championship.
Team Johnson (Allory Johnson, Gianna Johnson, Morgan Zacher, Bailey Vaydich, Ella Wendling, Coach Chris Johnson) return home with hardware, and most importantly, a berth in the 2026 World Junior Women’s Championship. That event will take place in Denmark, and run from February 24th through March. 3rd.
2025 Junior National Champions Team Johnson, based out of the Four Seasons Curling Club in Blaine, MN, and the Fargo-Moorhead Curling Club in Fargo, ND, delivered a strong performance throughout the championship in Loha, Finland. After qualifying for the playoffs with only one loss in pool play, the team beat Latvia 10-2 in the quarterfinals and defeated Turkiye 7-4 in the semifinals. That sent them to the gold medal game against a very strong Japanese team, who completed their undefeated run at the event with a win against the United States.
It was mission accomplished for the Americans, however, as placing second in the championship secured their place in the World Junior Women’s Championship later this season.
USA Curling CEO Dean Gemmell noted, “This was another high-stakes qualification event for a U.S. team, and we’re extremely proud of how Team Johnson represented us on and off the ice. They have worked hard to prepare for this event, and we’re thrilled to see their efforts rewarded.”
There were 22 teams competing for just three berths in Finland—bronze medalists Turkiye will join Japan and the United States in the field in Denmark. Final results, with statistics, scores, and standings, are available on the World 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.
