2006 U.S. Junior National Championships

Jan. 29-Feb. 4

Duluth, Minn.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2006

Minnesota men win title at 2006 Junior Nationals

(DULUTH, Minn.) - Minnesota's Chris Plys rink staged a dramatic comeback en route to a 7-6 win over Tucker Smith's North Dakota rink in the men's final Saturday afternoon at the 2006 U.S. Junior National Championships at the Duluth Curling Club.

It was all North Dakota in the first half of the game as they opened up aggressive and stole two points from Minnesota after the last rock by Plys crashed on a top guard. Minnesota's woes continued in the second end as Smith (Bismarck, N.D.) and teammates Nathan Kitchens (Grand Forks, N.D.), Cooper Smith (Bismarck) and Connor Gervais (Bismarck) were able to get shot rock and protect it well with guards up front. With his last rock Plys attempted an angle raise takeout but wasn't able to convert.

"It was a battle," said second Kevin Johnson. "They played stellar in the first half and we struggled with our shots."

Plys (Duluth, Minn.) and teammates Matt Mielke (Bismarck, N.D.), Johnson (Winnebago, Minn.) and Tommy Kent (Duluth) got on the board with one in the third and regrouped at the fifth-end break.

"Coach told us to relax and I knew we'd start playing better," said Johnson, who won his fourth straight junior national title.

And that's exactly what happened as Minnesota came out shooting finally getting rocks into scoring position in the sixth end. Smith had to play a perfect hit and roll just to score one.

"We were all a little nervous but it was a nervous-ready," said Cooper Smith. "We were ready to play them. We needed a little more heart in the second half but we still knew we had a chance to win."

The seventh end featured an abundance of rocks around and above the rings as the skips came to throw their last rocks. Smith's attempt to put another guard up top was too deep and Plys executed a runback double to score two and pull within one point at 5-4. A few missed shots in the eighth end allowed Minnesota to steal two points for its first lead of the game.

"Things really picked up for us in the second half," Johnson said. "It was a great finish."

North Dakota a tied the game with a takeout on Minnesota's shot rock to score one setting up a 10th end finale which ended with Plys having an open hit for one and a trip to Korea to represent the U.S. at the 2006 World Junior Curling Championships next month.

For North Dakota, a junior title will have to wait until next season.

"With being at a national championship once already we won't have that 'just happy to be here feeling' next time. All of us will be ready to win," Cooper Smith said.


GOLD MEDALISTS:
Wisconsin 1: Nina Spatola (McFarland, Wis.), Megan O'Connell (Medford, Wis.), Jaclyn Mueller (Medford, Wis.), Jordan Moulton (Lake Forest, Ill.), Coach Jim Dexter (St. Paul, Minn.)

SILVER MEDALISTS:
Massachusetts: Monica Walker (Sudbury, Mass.), Laura Hallisey (Medfield, Mass.), Jillian Walker (Sudbury, Mass.), Nikki Rossetti (Framingham, Mass.), Coach Karyn Cousins (Medfield, Mass.)

GOLD MEDALISTS
Minnesota: Chris Plys (Duluth, Minn.), Matt Mielke (Bismarck, N.D.), Kevin Johnson (Winnebago, Minn.), Tommy Kent (Anchorage, Alaska/Duluth, Minn.), Aaron Wald (Chisholm, Minn.), Coach John Lesnak (Chisholm, Minn.)

SILVER MEDALISTS
North Dakota: Tucker Smith (Bismarck, N.D.), Nathan Kitchens (Grand Forks, N.D.), Cooper Smith (Bismarck), Connor Gervais (Bismarck), Erik Jensen (Bismarck), Coach Roger Smith (Bismarck)

USA Curling is sponsored by AIT Worldwide Logistics, AmerAust Technologies, The Hilton Family and Nike as well as by AT&T, General Motors, The Home Depot, and Bank of America through a joint marketing program with the U.S. Olympic Committee.

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For more information: Terry Luder, USA Curling, terry.luder@usacurl.org, 715-344-1199, 608-338-9900 (cell)