USA Wheelchair curling team to be selected next week in Wausau

Wheelchair curling team to be selected next week in Wausau

Team will represent U.S. at 2015 world championship in Finland

---

By Terry Kolesar | 10/31/2014 12:00:00 AM

The eight-sheet Wausau (Wis.) Curling Center will be the site of the national selection event to determine Team USA for the 2015 World Wheelchair Curling Championship. 

The three-day competition is slated Nov. 6-9 and will feature 13 competing athletes, a competitive pool that was narrowed down from a tryout event that took place earlier this year. 

The field of competing athletes includes all five members of the 2014 Paralympic team that finished fifth in Sochi - Patrick McDonald (Madison, Wis.), David Palmer (Mashpee, Mass.), Jimmy Joseph (New Hartford, N.Y.), Penny Greely (Green Bay, Wis.), and Meghan Lino (East Falmouth, Mass.).

The national team tryout will feature four rounds of skills competition as well as mini games with the field narrowed down to eight athletes at the conclusion. From there, five athletes will be formally selected to Team USA by Jan. 1 and will represent the U.S. at the world championship Feb. 7-14 in Lohja, Finland. 

The national team selection committee includes national coaches Steve Brown (Madison, Wis.) and Rusty Schieber (Portage, Wis.); Marc Deperno (New Hartford, N.Y.), team leader; Jacqui Kapinowski (Point Pleasant, N.J.), three-time national team member and 2010 Paralympic team member; and Anthony Colacchio (Falmouth, Mass.), Cape Cod Curling Club's wheelchair curling program director.

The competition begins at 9 a.m. CDT on Nov. 7. The Wausau Curling Center is located at 1920 Curling Way, Wausau, Wis. 

Schedule:

Friday, Nov. 7:

9-11:30 a.m.: First round of skills competition

2-4:30 p.m.: Second round of skills competition

6 p.m.: Meet and greet with media

Saturday, Nov. 8:

9-11:30 a.m.: Third round of skills competition

2-4:30 p.m., one-on-one, two-end mini games

6:30-7:30, one-on-one, two-end mini games

Sunday, Nov. 9:

9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., fourth round of skills competition

1 p.m., announcement of selected athletes to Team USA

Here is a look at the full field of 13 competing athletes and their hometowns:

Steve Emt (Andover, Conn.)

Corey Fairbanks (Centennial, Colo.)

Penny Greely (Green Bay, Wis.), two-time Paralympian (2014, 2004 with sitting volleyball)

Jimmy Joseph (New Hartford, N.Y.), three-time Paralympian (2014, 2010, 2006)

Tim Kelly (Rockford, Ill.)

Jimmy Kenner (Green Bay, Wis.)

Meghan Lino (East Falmouth, Mass.), 2014 Paralympian

Justin Marshall (Evansville, Wis.)

Patrick McDonald (Madison, Wis.), two-time Paralympian (2014, 2010)

David Palmer (Mashpee, Mass.), 2014 Paralympian

Robert Prenoveau (Chittenango, N.Y.), two-time U.S. national champion

Matthew Thums (Merrill, Wis.)

Pam Wilson (Westminster, Colo.)

USA Curling is sponsored by AtomAmpd, Nike, Brooms Up Curling Supplies, Sitrin, and The RAM Restaurant & Brewery, BalancePlus, and is partnered with Hilton HHonors, United Airlines, RJM Licensing Inc., and CurlingZone.

(30)

For more information: Terry Kolesar, Director of Communications, terry.kolesar@usacurl.org, 608-338-9900 (mobile) or 715-344-1199, Ext. 202 (office).