www.usacurl.org * Twitter: @terry_usacurl & @USCurlingTrials Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013 Volume 1, Issue 3

The Daily Pebble

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T he youngest skip in the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team Trials field came up with a big win Tues-day night as the first round robin for the

women concluded at Scheels Arena.

Duluth, Minn., native Courtney George, 26, held on to lead her team to a 7-5 victory over 2010 Olympian Allison Pottinger (Eden Prairie, Minn.).

“We knew that we would have really tough competi-tion tonight. We knew that Allison and her team are fabulous and it’s always, always a tough game against them so coming out and getting it when it matters was a big deal to us,” George said after the win. “We’re headed in the right direction now.”

Trailing 6-3, Pottinger was forced to draw for a single point in the eighth end. A couple of misses by Team George in the ninth end resulted in Team Pottinger stealing a single to pull within a point. George and teammates Aileen Sormunen (Duluth, Minn.), Amanda McLean (St. Paul, Minn.), and Monica Walker (Brighton, Mass.) would hold on for the victory, which puts them in a three-way tie for first place with Pot-tinger and Erika Brown.

Brown (Oakville, Ontario) and teammates Debbie McCormick (Rio, Wis.), Jessica Schultz (Minneapolis, Minn.), and Ann Swisshelm (Chicago) led throughout the match but had to wait for the final stone to se-cure the 8-7 win over 2006 Olympian Cassie Potter (St. Paul, Minn.).

After holding Brown to a single in the ninth, Potter’s team had the game set up to score three points to

force an extra end. With just 32 seconds to throw her two stones, Potter’s final rock was swept out of scorin position and Team Brown escaped with the victory.

“We know every game is huge here,” said McCor-mick, a three-time Olympian (2010, 2002, 1998), who works as a curling supplies distributor for Gold-line. Team Brown shot 86 percent, same as team Potter.

In the men’s division, John Shuster’s team improved to 4-1 to remain in the top position as they cruised to a 7-2 win over Brady Clark’s rink (1-4).

Tyler George led his team to an overtime victory over Pete Fenson, 7-6, in a back-and-forth match. The Fenson rink took the lead back in the eighth end with a hit and stick for two points. Lots of rocks were in play in the ninth end and George (Duluth, Minn.) and teammates Chris Plys (Duluth, Minn.), Rich Ruohonen (Minneapolis, Minn.), and Colin Hufman (Seattle) regained the lead with a deuce.

In the 10th end, Plys used his team’s final throw to tap forward his own stone and freeze it to the Fenson rock on the button. After Team Fenson was unable to find a path to score two points, the measurement determined a single point was scored by the Bemidji rink to send the game into an extra end. In the 11th, Plys just needed to draw the button to secure the victory. With the win, Team George improves to 3-2, the same record as the Fenson and his team of Shawn Rojeski (Chisholm, Minn.), Joe Polo (Duluth, Minn.), and Ryan Brunt (Portage, Wis.).

TK’s two-day weather outlook for

Fargo, N.D.:

Thursday: Chance for snow, 40

(high), 27 (low). Translation: 40

Feels balmy compared to Monday.

Friday Funday: Partly cloudy, 43

(high), 33 (low). Translation: Good

day to snipe hunt in Fargo.

Tuesday’s Results:

12 p.m.

C. George 10, Potter 6

Pottinger 7, Brown 6

Fenson 8, Shuster 5

Clark 6, McCormick 5

7 p.m.

Shuster 7, Clark 2

George 7, Fenson 6

(extra end)

C. George 7, Pottinger 2

Brown 8, Potter 7

STANDINGS:

MEN:

John Shuster 4-1

Tyler George 3-2

Pete Fenson 3-2

Heath McCormick 1-3

Brady Clark 1-4

WOMEN:

Erika Brown 2-1

Allison Pottinger 2-1

Courtney George 2-1

Cassie Potter 0-3

Flashback: This future Olympian

(above) dressed up as a little Paul

Bunyan in his youth. Who is it? First

person to find the editor and get the

question correctly will get a prize.

Game schedule:

Wednesday:

12 p.m.: Brown v. C. George (W), Fenson v. McCormick (M), Clark v. T. George (M),

Potter v. Pottinger

7 p.m.: McCormick v. Shuster (M), Pottinger v. C. George (W), Potter v. Brown (W),

Clark v. Fenson (M)

Thursday:

9 a.m.: C. George v. Potter (W), T. George v. Shuster (M), McCormick v. Clark (M),

Pottinger v. Brown (W)

2:30 p.m.: Shuster v. Fenson (M), McCormick v. T. George (M), women’s tiebreaker (if

needed)

7 p.m. Tiebreaker games, if needed (men and women)

Friday:

9 a.m.: Tiebreaker games, if needed

2:30 p.m.: Men’s and Women’s Final #1

Saturday:

2:30 p.m.: Men’s Final #2

7 p.m.: Women’s Final #3

Sunday:

11 a.m.: Men’s Final #3 (if needed)

2 p.m.: Women’s Final #3 (if needed)

Ann Swisshelm (left) and Jessica Schultz of Team Brown sweep a stone Tuesday night at Scheels Arena.

Team

Potter’s

Jamie

Haskell

(left) and

Stephanie

Sambor

prepare

to sweep

for Jackie

Lemke.

Last chance to enter!

Contest ends today!

WANT TO WATCH CURLING IN SOCHI

AT THE 2014 OLYMPIC WINTER

GAMES? ENTER USA CURLING’S

CONTEST FOR A DREAM TRIP GIVE-

AWAY. GO TO WWW.USACURL.ORG

AND CLICK ON THE “SWEEP TO

SOCHI TEAM CAPTAIN CAMPAIGN”

BUTTON. CONTEST WINNER WILL BE

ANNOUNCED WEDNESDAY NIGHT!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/USA-Curling/107975609011http://twitter.com/terry_usacurlhttp://www.usacurl.org

Page 2 The Daily Pebble, Volume 1, Issue 3 Page 3 The Daily Pebble, Volume 1, Issue 3

Daily Pebble: Terry Kolesar, Editor

Rich Harmer,

Photography

Editorial assistants:

Kyle Jahns, Amelia

Young, Kellie Krake

Rick Patzke,

Assistant Editor

The Daily Pebble can be

found online as well: www.usacurl.org

Ideas? Send an e-mail to

Terry Kolesar at terry.kolesar@usacurl.org

Tweet of the Day:

By Kyle Jahns, Daily Pebble Contributing Writer

T here comes a time when a family needs to pack their

things, get in the car and take a vacation. Some take

in the natural beauty of the Grand Canyon, others are

drawn to the rides and attractions of Walt Disney

World. But there is one family that couldn’t imagine being anywhere

else but Fargo, North Dakota.

Siblings Tyler George and Courtney George are skipping teams at

the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Curling and vying to represent

the United States at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Rus-

sia. Their father, Tom George, coaches Courtney’s team and their

mother, Chris George, will be watching from the stands all week.

The George brother-sister duo have dedicated their lives to the

sport. Tom and Chris are natural competitors and that drive was

naturally passed down to their children.

When Tyler was born, Tom and Chris created a makeshift bed

from a roasting pan at the Duluth Curling Club so they could take

care of him and still stick around the curling rink.

"(Our parents) are the reason we play. Had they not been involved

in the sport and ran the club when we were born and encouraged us

to play, we would have never been involved,” Tyler said. “I can't

imagine what my life would be like if we didn't curl. All the places

we've gotten to go, all the people we've gotten to meet and above

everything else, wearing the colors and representing your country."

The foundation of the George family is built on curling, but it’s

also the same reason why they don’t see each other too often during

the winter months. Besides nationals and the occasional event that

has a men’s and women’s competition, Tyler and Courtney don’t curl

at the same venue too often. That’s why their “vacation” to Fargo

will be special.

“Honestly, I don’t think the Olympics was really on the radar

when we were little. It was always kind of world championships and

nationals and we were focused on juniors so it was something that as

we got a little older, it was like ‘wow this is actually going to be a

part of our lives too,’” Courtney said.

If one, or both, of the George teams win the Trials, it won’t be

the family’s first Olympic experience. Courtney was invited to join

Cassie Potter’s rink as an alternate at the 2006 Olympics in Torino,

Italy. Courtney even played a game, and it’s a moment her mother

will never forget.

"It was a very emotional experience. To see your daughter out

there throwing for the United States at the Olympics was tremen-

dous,” Chris said. “That's probably the highlight of everything."

Tyler and Courtney have learned a lot from their parents about

the game, but the siblings have taught each other some valuable

curling lessons too.

"Tyler is a very good strategist. He teaches me a lot just in terms

of calling shots and calling strategy. That's probably the number one

thing,” Courtney said.

"Honestly, I've learned how to probably handle myself a little

better on the ice from her. When we played mixed doubles together

she knew exactly what to say to me,” Tyler said.

The mixed doubles version of the game is growing in popularity

across the world and Tyler hopes one day it will become a recog-

nized Olympic sport. He wouldn’t hesitate to some day chase an

Olympic dream with his sister. Even if it doesn’t become an Olympic

sport in the near future, it’s still an avenue he’d like to explore.

"I have no doubts that Court and I will give that a shot down the

road. I love playing with her,” Tyler said. “A lot of family can't han-

dle being on the same team, but Court and I have never had that

issue. We get along well and we know each other real well on and off

the ice." But for now, the George siblings are focused on the Road to

Sochi.

Sliding Siblings

Tyler George and Courtney George are both skipping teams

here at the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Fargo.

The very first virtual Olympic pin trading game offi-

cially launched this week on Facebook and to celebrate

the fact that the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Curling

are taking place in Fargo, the first free pin of the game

is … North Dakota!

Visit Facebook.com/TeamUSAPinsanity and enter the

code FARGO to start playing and earn your first pin.

Chris Plys (above); Team Pottinger’s Tabitha

Peterson (at right), Natalie Nicholson and Nicole

Joraanstad. Team McCormick’s Martin Sather

(top, l-r) and Dean Gemmell.

Virtual Olympic pin

trading game underway

Happy birthday to icemaker

Kevin Madsen! If you see him,

wish him a happy day!