2021 United States Women's Curling Championship Explained

2021 United States Women's
Curling Championship
Host City:Wausau, Wisconsin
Arena:Wausau Curling Club
Dates:May 26–30
Winner: Team Christensen
Skip:Cory Christensen
Third:Sarah Anderson
Second:Vicky Persinger
Lead:Taylor Anderson
Coach:Cathy Overton-Clapham
Finalist: Jamie Sinclair
Prev:2020
Next:2023

The 2021 United States Women's Curling Championship was held from May 26 to 30, 2021 at the Wausau Curling Club in Wausau, Wisconsin. The event was held in conjunction with the 2021 United States Men's Curling Championship.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

The event was originally scheduled to be held February 6 to 13 at the ImOn Ice Arena in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.[1] In August 2020, a derecho damaged the arena and the COVID-19 pandemic caused the repairs to be delayed significantly enough to necessitate moving the championships to a different venue.[2] In December 2020 the United States Curling Association (USCA) announced that, due to the continuing pandemic, the Men's, Women's, and Mixed Doubles National Championships would be postponed until May 2021 and would be conducted in a bio-secure bubble. Typically, the winner of the National Women's Championship would represent the United States at the World Championship, but this postponement moved the national championship after the 2021 World Women's Championship and so the USCA offered the spot at World's to the 2020 champion, Team Peterson.[3] The site of the bubble for the championships was later announced to be Wausau Curling Club in Wausau, Wisconsin.[4]

Qualification

Due to the pandemic, no qualification events were held and the qualification methods were modified. The top eight women's teams, determined by the World Curling Federation's World Team Ranking System, were invited to compete. Seven of the eight teams accepted the invitation.[5] Typically, the qualification methods would be the top four teams from the World Team Ranking System, the top three teams from a qualification event, and one team from the Junior Championship.

Teams

The seven teams competing in the 2021 championship are:

Skip Third Second Lead Alternate Coach Locale
Annmarie Dubberstein Taylor Drees Allison Howell Amy Harnden Chaska, Minnesota
Chaska, Minnesota
Christine McMakin Jackie Lemke Jenna Burchesky Maya Willertz Nicole Prohaska Sandra McMakin Fargo, North Dakota
Kim Rhyme Elizabeth Brundage Cait Flannery Katie Rhyme Bill Rhyme Minneapolis, Minnesota
Elizabeth Cousins Charlotte, North Carolina
Leah Yavarow Midland, Michigan
Ariel Traxler Anne O'Hara Sara Olson Elizabeth Janiak Katherine Gourianova Leland Rich Fairbanks, Alaska

Round-robin standings

Final round-robin standings

SkipWL
6 0
5 1
3 3
Christine McMakin 2 4
2 4
Kim Rhyme 2 4
Ariel Traxler 1 5

Round-robin results

All draw times are listed in Central Daylight Time .[6]

Draw 1

Wednesday, May 26, 8:00 am

Draw 2

Wednesday, May 26, 4:00 pm

Draw 3

Thursday, May 27, 8:00 am

Draw 4

Thursday, May 27, 4:00 pm

Draw 5

Friday, May 28, 8:00 am

Draw 6

Friday, May 28, 4:00 pm

Draw 7

Saturday, May 29, 8:00 am

Playoffs

Semifinal

Sunday, May 30, 9:00 am

Final

Sunday, May 30, 2:00 pm

Notes and References

  1. News: O'Brien. Mike. August 7, 2019. Cedar Rapids named host city for 2021 National Curling Championships. KCRG. May 11, 2021.
  2. Web site: November 17, 2020. 2021 National Championships Host Site. live. May 11, 2021. USA Curling. https://web.archive.org/web/20210512035110/https://www.usacurling.org/press-releases/2021-nationals-site . 2021-05-12 .
  3. Web site: December 3, 2020. USA CURLING 2020-21 CHAMPIONSHIPS UPDATE. May 11, 2021. USA Curling.
  4. Web site: March 29, 2021. 2021 MEN'S, WOMEN’S, AND MIXED DOUBLES NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. May 11, 2021. USA Curling.
  5. 1389622338900172805. usacurl. Meet the seven women's teams that have qualified for the 2021 #USACurling Women's National Championship!. May 4, 2021.
  6. Web site: USCA Men's & Women's National Championships, May 25 – 30, 2021. USA Curling. May 16, 2021.