A look at the Olympic Trials field

U.S. WOMEN

Cassie Johnson rink – Sisters Cassie and Jamie Johnson have been on the verge of breaking through to the elite level reaching the semifinals of the Women’s National Championship three times in the past four years. The Johnson sisters along with current teammates Maureen Brunt won the 2002 junior world title. Newcomer Jessica Schultz, who grew up in Alaska but now lives in Duluth, Minn., competed at last year’s Junior World Championships with the Aileen Sormunen rink, also in the Trials field.

Skip Cassie Johnson began curling in kindergarten. She is a student at Bemidji State University and skipped her team to the first junior women’s world title in 2002. At that competition, Johnson was named All-Star skip. Her team was named 2002 USA Curling Team of the Year.

Vice skip Jamie Johnson recently got engaged and will marry fellow curler Nate Haskell sometime next year. She works as a graphic designer in the Bemidji area. Jamie, who is the quiet one of the group, loves to fish at the family cabin in Canada.

The Johnson sisters won the bronze at the 2002 Olympic Trials.

Debbie McCormick rink – The McCormick rink became the first U.S. women’s team to win the World Championships in 2003 and followed that up with an appearance at the JVC/TSN Skins Game where they finished second. This was the first time an American team had been invited to this prestigious Canadian event.

McCormick is a two-time Olympian (1998, 2002) and heavily involved in her community back home where she and her husband are Eucharistic ministers at their church. Her husband proposed to Debbie at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan. She is employed with Home Depot through the Olympic Job Opportunities Program.

Teammate Ann Silver also was a member of the 2002 Olympic Curling Team.

Patti Lank rink – The Lank rink appears to be the team to beat these days after defeating McCormick’s team in the last several meetings.

Erika Brown’s quest for a third trip to the Olympics. How has she changed since becoming an Olympian for the first time in 1988 at the age of 14?

She’s a four-time national champion but has yet to win the Olympic Trials. Is this Lank’s year?

Lank’s team finished ranked No. 7 on the Women’s Tour of Curling this season – the highest-ranked American team.

Second Nicole Joraanstad has several curling-related tattoos across her body.

Lead Natalie Nicholson hails from the curling-rich area of Bemidji, Minn.

Nancy Richard rink – The Nancy Richard rink snuck under the radar but has experience at the skip and second position as sisters Richard and Leslie Frosch have won four national titles together.

Skip Nancy Richard won four national titles in the early 1980s and most recently competed in the 2003 Nationals.

Miyo Konno, who plays lead, played college volleyball and competed on the USVBA tour after college in Hawaii, New York and Washington.

Aileen Sormunen rink – The Sormunen rink is composed of three high school students and a college student making them the youngest team in the field. The team won the 2004 USA Curling Junior Nationals and placed fourth at the subsequent Junior Worlds. The team grabbed the last berth to the Olympic Trials at the Challenge Round in Eveleth in January.

Aileen Sormunen is the youngest skip in the field at the age of 18 (2/13/87).

Teammates Amanda McLean is the youngest player at age 16.

Caitlin Maroldo team – The Maroldo rink has been working towards qualifying for the Olympic Trials for the past several years after missing the cut in 2002.

Team Maroldo finished fifth at last year’s National Championships and has been working steadily to improve its game. The team finished 6-0 at the east qualifying event to advance to the Trials.

The recent addition of Katie Beck makes the team more competitive. Beck won gold at the 2002 junior worlds and silver at the 2003 junior worlds.

Amy Wright rink – Three-time national champion Amy Wright is back in the competitive field after a brief absence. Wright competed at the 2002 and 1998 Olympic Trials finishing second at the 1998 event.

Skip Amy Wright received the Frances Brodie Sportsmanship Award at the 1992 World Championships – the first American woman to receive this award.

Wright and husband, Tim, organize the annual House of Hearts Charity Bonspiel in Duluth to raise money for the American Heart Association.

Cristin and husband, Brady Clark, are one of two husband-wife duos in the Trials field. Cristin and Brady won back-to-back U.S. mixed titles in 2002 and 2003. Brady proposed to Cristin on the curling ice at the Granite Curling Club and Seattle.

Norma O’Leary rink – Norma has been one of the top skip’s in Minnesota for the past few years.

Joining Norma this year is Becky Dobie who has plenty of international experience. Dobie competed at the 2003, 2001 and 2000 Junior Worlds and also competed at the 2002 Olympic Trials.

Norma once totaled an airplane after engine failure but walked away with no injuries.

Lead Patti Luke trains her pets for dog agility competitions and training.

Katlyn Schmitt rink – Katlyn Schmitt is back on the competitive curling scene after a brief hiatus. Schmitt won the 1998, 1999 and 2001 junior nationals and competed at the 2002 Olympic Trials with Nicole Joraanstad (Team Lank) and Becky Dobie (Team O’Leary). Katlyn’s team doesn’t have much international experience other than at the skip position making them an underdog.

Lori Karst rink – Team Karst features two athletes who competed at the 2002 Olympic Trials in Stephanie Radl and Shelly Pape. The team has been active on the Women’s Tour of Curling in Canada over the past several years.

Karst works as a firefighter for the city of Madison.

Both Radl and Pape are competitive softball players as well. They have competed at several national Class B and C championships over the years.

MEN’S FIELD

Pete Fenson rink – The Fenson rink has been busy competing in Canada throughout the entire season in preparation for the Olympic Trials. Fenson, the 2003 USA Curling Male Athlete of the Year, led his team to one win and on the World Curling Tour

Craig Brown rink – Skip Craig Brown finished second at the 2002 U.S. Olympic Trials and became the youngest skip to win the men’s national title back in 2000 at the age of 25.

Brothers Matt and Cody Stevens are partners in a Coca-Cola distributing business in Bemidji, Minn. The Stevens brothers finished third behind current skip Craig Brown at the 2002 Olympic Trials when they were on Scott Baird’s team.

Lead John Dunlop is a fifth-generation curler. His great-grandfather was from Scotland, said to be the birthplace of curling.

Craig Disher rink – The Disher rink has been consistent over the past several seasons but has been waiting to make it back to the top of the men’s field since winning the national title in 1997.

Team lead Carey Kakela is a school principal. The remainder of team works the fields as farmers.

Rich Ruohonen rink – The Rich Ruohonen rink will make its first appearance at an Olympic Trials event.

In 2000 Ruohonen became the youngest super lawyer named by Minnesota Law & Politics. He has even represented two curling teams in arbitrations against the U.S. Curling Association.

Greg Eigner rink – The Greg Eigner rink is laden with years of curling experience but no national titles or world appearances.

Skip Greg Eigner, a native of Ontario, works as a family physician.

Scott Baird rink – Scott Baird has the most international experience in the Trials field. He won national titles in 1979, 1993 and 1994 as skip and as an alternate in 2003. Baird is the oldest skip in the field at age 54. He won a silver medal at the 2003 Senior World Championships. Baird recently will be inducted into the United States Curling Association Curling Hall of Fame this year. He earned the bronze at the 2002 U.S. Olympic Trials in Ogden, Utah.

Ben Tucker rink – The Ben Tucker rink advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2004 men’s national championship.

Tucker spent four years in the seminary and now works as a farmer.

Owen Sampson met his wife, Valerie, when she sang the national anthem at the 1995 North Dakota State Championships.

Jason Larway rink – Current national champion Jason Larway leads his team back to the Olympic Trials after making an appearance at the 2002 Trials.

Brothers Jason and Joel Larway have curled every year together since 1984 with the exception of 2000. The brothers have won three national titles together.

Wes Johnson rink – Wes Johnson came within one end of representing the U.S. at the world championships in 2003. Johnson, a native of Red Deer, Alberta, took his curling supplies with him when he moved to the Seattle area.

Wes wears a lucky hat when he curls. He spent his first year of curling sweeping backwards until someone finally noticed and corrected him. He works as an art decorator.

Vice skip Leon Romaniuk also is a native of Canada but dreams of starting a curling club in Hawaii.

Second Mark Lazar discovered curling as a college student in need of a physical education course at Bowling Green University.

Brady Clark rink – The Brady Clark rink was the first team to qualify for the Olympic Trials after cruising through the men’s qualifier in Mankato, Minn., undefeated.

Clark serves as president of the Washington State Curling Association. He is a two-time mixed national champion along with wife, Cristin, who also is competing at the Trials.

Other story ideas:

The Bemidji Curling Club runs a very successful curling program as 16 curlers plus two coaches are represented in the field.