2011 United States Men's Curling Championship qualifiers
Encyclopedia
The 2011 United States Men's Curling Championship qualifiers took place during the month of January at various locations throughout the nation. Prior to the national finals, the number of entrants was paired down to ten teams through Regional Qualifiers and then a Challenge Round.
Teams qualified for the men's nationals in one of two ways. Two teams automatically qualified as the top two US teams on the Order of Merit list after the Curl Mesabi Cash Spiel
is completed. This year, those two teams were the Pete Fenson
and Tyler George
rinks.
The remaining eight spots for the nationals were awarded to the top finishers in the regional qualifiers and challenge rounds. Five teams qualified from the qualifiers round, where each qualified site receives one or more qualifying spots. The other three spots went to the winners of the challenge round.
, Bismarck, North Dakota
, and Rochester, New York
. The qualifiers will take place from January 5–9. A total of 29 teams (not including the Fenson rink or the George rink) participated in the qualifiers.
The qualifiers either were held using a round robin format or a knockout format of play. The double knockout provision, which states that a team is eliminated from qualifying for the nationals if the team has at least two losses in their win-loss record, was in place for all three qualifiers. If there are teams with less than two losses, they will play each other until the number of teams still able to qualify matches the number of qualification spots available.
The qualifier scheduled in Seattle, Washington
was cancelled because there were not enough teams to meet the minimum five teams that need to sign up for a qualifier in order for it to take place. Two teams transferred to other qualifiers, while two other teams dropped.
from January 19–23. Up to ten teams qualified for the challenge round; up to eight teams that didn't qualify for the finals from the regionals but placed well in the regionals qualified, and up to two teams qualified if they were among the top ten US Order of Merit teams and did not qualify for the finals or challenge round after the regionals. These teams played in a round robin format for three spots in the nationals.
Note: Brady Clark (WA) has chosen to withdraw from the Challenge Round.
Teams qualified for the men's nationals in one of two ways. Two teams automatically qualified as the top two US teams on the Order of Merit list after the Curl Mesabi Cash Spiel
Curl Mesabi Cash Spiel
The Curl Mesabi Cash Spiel is an annual bonspiel, or curling tournament, that takes place at Curl Mesabi's venue, the Range Recreation and Civic Center, in Eveleth, Minnesota. The tournament is held in a round robin format. The men's tournament, started in 2007, is part of the World Curling Tour...
is completed. This year, those two teams were the Pete Fenson
Pete Fenson
Peter Fenson is an American curler, skip of the men's rink which represented the United States at the 2006 Winter Olympics. The rink took the bronze medal, the first ever Olympic medal for the United States in curling...
and Tyler George
Tyler George
Tyler George is an American curler. He was a member of the defending American national championship team....
rinks.
The remaining eight spots for the nationals were awarded to the top finishers in the regional qualifiers and challenge rounds. Five teams qualified from the qualifiers round, where each qualified site receives one or more qualifying spots. The other three spots went to the winners of the challenge round.
Regional Qualifiers
This year, there were three regional qualifiers, which will take place in Medford, WisconsinMedford, Wisconsin
Medford is a city in Taylor County, in north-central Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,326 at the 2010 census. The city is located mostly within the boundaries of the Town of Medford.- Geography :Medford is located at Medford is a city in Taylor County, in north-central Wisconsin,...
, Bismarck, North Dakota
Bismarck, North Dakota
Bismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 108,779...
, and Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
. The qualifiers will take place from January 5–9. A total of 29 teams (not including the Fenson rink or the George rink) participated in the qualifiers.
The qualifiers either were held using a round robin format or a knockout format of play. The double knockout provision, which states that a team is eliminated from qualifying for the nationals if the team has at least two losses in their win-loss record, was in place for all three qualifiers. If there are teams with less than two losses, they will play each other until the number of teams still able to qualify matches the number of qualification spots available.
The qualifier scheduled in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
was cancelled because there were not enough teams to meet the minimum five teams that need to sign up for a qualifier in order for it to take place. Two teams transferred to other qualifiers, while two other teams dropped.
| Key | |
|---|---|
| Teams to Nationals (Fargo) | |
| Teams to Challenge Round (Waupaca) | |
Medford Qualifier
The Medford qualifier was held in a round robin format with eight teams competing for the top spot. Two teams qualified directly to the nationals in Fargo, while three teams qualified to the Challenge Round in Waupaca.Teams
| Skip | Locale |
|---|---|
| Todd Birr Todd Birr Todd Birr is an American curler.Birr relatively came out of nowhere when he skipped his team to a victory at the 2007 United States Curling Men's Championships beating out such teams as Olympic bronze medalist Pete Fenson and former national champion Jason Larway in the process... |
 Mankato |
| Craig Brown Craig Brown (curler) Craig Brown is an American curler.Brown is one of the top skips in the U.S. He was the skip of the 2000 and 2008 U.S. champion rinks. At the 2000 Ford World Curling Championships, Brown skipped the U.S. team to a fourth place finish, losing to Finland in the final.Brown played third on the U.S... |
 MadisonMadison, Wisconsin Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison.... |
| Matt Carlson | Mankato |
| Brady Clark |  Seattle |
| Geoff Goodland | Eau Claire Eau Claire, Wisconsin Eau Claire is a city located in the west-central part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 65,883 as of the 2010 census, making it the largest municipality in the northwestern portion of the state, and the 9th largest in the state overall. It is the county seat of Eau Claire County,... |
| Blake Morton Blake Morton Blake Morton is an American curler from McFarland, Wisconsin. He skipped for the U.S. team at the 2011 Winter Universiade, where the U.S. finished with a 4-5 record in 7th place.... |
McFarland McFarland, Wisconsin McFarland is a village in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States, on the eastern shore of Lake Waubesa. The population was 7,808 at the 2010 census... |
| Kroy Nernberger | Madison Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison.... |
| Paul Pustovar Paul Pustovar Paul Pustovar is an American curler from Hibbing, Minnesota. He is one of the most prolific curlers from the United States, with over thirty years of experience under his belt... |
Madison Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison.... |
| Berth | Brown | Goodl. | Birr | Clark | Nern. | Pust. | Mort. | Carls. | W | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craig Brown Craig Brown (curler) Craig Brown is an American curler.Brown is one of the top skips in the U.S. He was the skip of the 2000 and 2008 U.S. champion rinks. At the 2000 Ford World Curling Championships, Brown skipped the U.S. team to a fourth place finish, losing to Finland in the final.Brown played third on the U.S... |
- | 6-3 | 9-7 | 7-8 | 9-7 | 9-6 | 8-5 | 11-3 | 6 | 1 |
| Geoff Goodland |
3-6 | - | 4-5 | 7-4 | 9-3 | 8-7 | 9-7 | 9-6 | 5 | 2 |
| Todd Birr Todd Birr Todd Birr is an American curler.Birr relatively came out of nowhere when he skipped his team to a victory at the 2007 United States Curling Men's Championships beating out such teams as Olympic bronze medalist Pete Fenson and former national champion Jason Larway in the process... |
7-9 | 5-4 | - | 8-10 | 8-3 | 0-8 | 3-6 | 3-9 | 5 | 2 |
| Brady Clark |
8-7 | 4-7 | 10-8 | - | 2-7 | 7-5 | 11-0 | 10-1 | 4 | 3 |
| Kroy Nernberger |
7-9 | 3-9 | 3-8 | 7-2 | - | 7-6 | 5-4 | 9-1 | 4 | 3 |
| Paul Pustovar Paul Pustovar Paul Pustovar is an American curler from Hibbing, Minnesota. He is one of the most prolific curlers from the United States, with over thirty years of experience under his belt... |
6-9 | 7-8 | 8-0 | 5-7 | 6-7 | - | 10-0 | 8-5 | 3 | 4 |
| Blake Morton Blake Morton Blake Morton is an American curler from McFarland, Wisconsin. He skipped for the U.S. team at the 2011 Winter Universiade, where the U.S. finished with a 4-5 record in 7th place.... |
5-8 | 7-9 | 6-3 | 0-11 | 4-5 | 0-10 | - | 9-7 | 1 | 6 |
| Matt Carlson |
3-11 | 6-9 | 9-3 | 1-10 | 1-9 | 5-8 | 7-9 | - | 0 | 7 |
Bismarck Qualifier
The Bismarck qualifier was held in a knockout format. Eleven teams participated in this qualifier. Two teams qualified directly to the nationals in Fargo, while four teams qualified to the Challenge Round.Teams
| Skip | Locale |
|---|---|
| John Benton John Benton (curler) John Benton is an American curler from St. Michael, Minnesota. He started curling in 1975 and made his first US Junior National Championships in 1987. In 1998 he qualified for his first Olympic Trials where he was placed fifth... |
St. Paul |
| Ryan Berg |  West Fargo |
| Craig Disher | Rolla Rolla, North Dakota As of the census of 2000, there were 1,417 people, 599 households, and 357 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,141.2 people per square mile . There were 656 housing units at an average density of 528.3 per square mile... |
| Mike Farbelow Mike Farbelow Mike Farbelow is an American curler who was skip of the silver medal-winning rink at the 2010 U.S. Men's Championships, where they lost the gold medal match to the rink led by Pete Fenson, who picked up his sixth title . It was Farbelow's fourth trip to the U.S... |
St. Paul |
| Zach Jacobson | Langdon Langdon, North Dakota As of the census of 2000, there were 2,101 people, 917 households, and 565 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,233.1 people per square mile . There were 1,178 housing units at an average density of 691.4 per square mile... |
| Dave Jensen | Bismarck Bismarck, North Dakota Bismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 108,779... |
| Travis Kitchens | Devils Lake |
| Jason Larway | Seattle |
| Jerod Roland | Minot |
| Owen Sampson | Edmore Edmore, North Dakota As of the census of 2000, there were 256 people, 112 households, and 64 families residing in the city. The population density was 931.4 people per square mile . There were 143 housing units at an average density of 520.3 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 98.05% White, 0.78% Native... |
| Matt Stevens | Minnesota Minnesota Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state... |
Results
Rochester Qualifier
The Rochester qualifier was also held in a knockout format. Ten teams participated in this qualifier. Only one team was able to qualify directly to the nationals, and one team moved on to the Challenge Round.Teams
| Key | |
|---|---|
| Team to Nationals | |
| Team to Challenge Round | |
| Skip | Locale |
|---|---|
| Joseph Calabrese |  RochesterRochester, New York Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City... |
| Brandon Corbett | Rochester Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City... |
| Scott Edie |  LaurelLaurel, Maryland Laurel is a city in northern Prince George's County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County, Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. Incorporated in 1870, the city maintains a historic district including its Main Street... |
| Gregory Eigner |  Fort WayneFort Wayne, Indiana Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana... |
| Alex Leichter |  WaylandWayland, Massachusetts Wayland is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,994 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on Cochituate, which is part of Wayland, please see the article Cochituate, Massachusetts.-History:... |
| Dan Machold | Schenectady Schenectady, New York Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135... |
| Heath McCormick | New York |
| Clark Raven | Rochester Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City... |
| Rick Van Cuyck* | Rochester Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City... |
| Bryan Wight | Canandaigua |
- Due to injuries, the Van Cuyck rink withdrew prior to the start of the competition
Results
Challenge Round
The challenge round took place in Waupaca, WisconsinWaupaca, Wisconsin
Waupaca is a city in Waupaca County in the state of Wisconsin. The population was 5,676 at the 2000 census. The city is believed to be named after Sam Waupaca of the Potowatomi tribe....
from January 19–23. Up to ten teams qualified for the challenge round; up to eight teams that didn't qualify for the finals from the regionals but placed well in the regionals qualified, and up to two teams qualified if they were among the top ten US Order of Merit teams and did not qualify for the finals or challenge round after the regionals. These teams played in a round robin format for three spots in the nationals.
Teams
| Skip | Third | Second | First | Locale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Benton John Benton (curler) John Benton is an American curler from St. Michael, Minnesota. He started curling in 1975 and made his first US Junior National Championships in 1987. In 1998 he qualified for his first Olympic Trials where he was placed fifth... |
Peter Stolt | Jeffrey Puleo | Erik Ordway | St. Paul |
| Todd Birr Todd Birr Todd Birr is an American curler.Birr relatively came out of nowhere when he skipped his team to a victory at the 2007 United States Curling Men's Championships beating out such teams as Olympic bronze medalist Pete Fenson and former national champion Jason Larway in the process... |
Greg Romaniuk | Doug Pottinger | Kevin Birr | Mankato Mankato, Minnesota Mankato is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 39,309 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest city in Minnesota outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The county seat of Blue Earth County, it is located... |
| Mike Farbelow Mike Farbelow Mike Farbelow is an American curler who was skip of the silver medal-winning rink at the 2010 U.S. Men's Championships, where they lost the gold medal match to the rink led by Pete Fenson, who picked up his sixth title . It was Farbelow's fourth trip to the U.S... |
Eric Fenson | Nick Myers | Aaron Nunberg | St. Paul |
| Zach Jacobson | Kevin Deeren | Zane Jacobson | Kraig Deeren | Langdon Langdon, North Dakota As of the census of 2000, there were 2,101 people, 917 households, and 565 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,233.1 people per square mile . There were 1,178 housing units at an average density of 691.4 per square mile... |
| Kroy Nernberger | Ryan Lemke | Jake Will | Steve Day | Madison Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison.... |
| Paul Pustovar Paul Pustovar Paul Pustovar is an American curler from Hibbing, Minnesota. He is one of the most prolific curlers from the United States, with over thirty years of experience under his belt... * |
Jeremy Roe | Matt Hamilton | Patrick Roe | Madison Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison.... |
| Owen Sampson | Ned Sampson | Tucker Smith | Kyle Young | Edmore Edmore, North Dakota As of the census of 2000, there were 256 people, 112 households, and 64 families residing in the city. The population density was 931.4 people per square mile . There were 143 housing units at an average density of 520.3 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 98.05% White, 0.78% Native... |
| Bryan Wight | Michael Moore | Joel Dietz | Mark Lazar Mark Lazar Mark Lazar is an American curler. He competed in the 2005 United States Olympic Curling Trials. He curls out of the Bowling Green Curling Club.-Career:... |
Canandaigua |
- Qualified based on Order of Merit standings
Note: Brady Clark (WA) has chosen to withdraw from the Challenge Round.
Results
| Key | |
|---|---|
| Teams to Nationals | |
| Berth | W | L |
|---|---|---|
| Todd Birr Todd Birr Todd Birr is an American curler.Birr relatively came out of nowhere when he skipped his team to a victory at the 2007 United States Curling Men's Championships beating out such teams as Olympic bronze medalist Pete Fenson and former national champion Jason Larway in the process... |
5 | 1 |
| Zach Jacobson |
5 | 1 |
| Paul Pustovar Paul Pustovar Paul Pustovar is an American curler from Hibbing, Minnesota. He is one of the most prolific curlers from the United States, with over thirty years of experience under his belt... |
4 | 3 |
| John Benton John Benton (curler) John Benton is an American curler from St. Michael, Minnesota. He started curling in 1975 and made his first US Junior National Championships in 1987. In 1998 he qualified for his first Olympic Trials where he was placed fifth... |
3 | 4 |
| Mike Farbelow Mike Farbelow Mike Farbelow is an American curler who was skip of the silver medal-winning rink at the 2010 U.S. Men's Championships, where they lost the gold medal match to the rink led by Pete Fenson, who picked up his sixth title . It was Farbelow's fourth trip to the U.S... |
3 | 4 |
| Kroy Nernberger |
3 | 4 |
| Owen Sampson |
2 | 5 |
| Bryan Wight |
2 | 5 |
Draw 1
Thursday, January 20, 2:00 pmDraw 2
Thursday, January 20, 7:00 pmDraw 3
Friday, January 21, 1:00 pmDraw 4
Friday, January 21, 7:00 pmDraw 5
Saturday, January 22, 1:00 pmDraw 6
Saturday, January 22, 7:00 pmDraw 7
Sunday, January 23, 9:00 am| Sheet A | Final |
| Todd Birr Todd Birr Todd Birr is an American curler.Birr relatively came out of nowhere when he skipped his team to a victory at the 2007 United States Curling Men's Championships beating out such teams as Olympic bronze medalist Pete Fenson and former national champion Jason Larway in the process... |
NP |
| Zach Jacobson |
NP |