| Kari Erickson | |
| Birth Name: | Kari Liapis |
| Birth Date: | 18 December 1971 |
| Birth Place: | Bemidji, Minnesota |
| World Championship Appearances: | 2 |
| Olympic Appearances: | 1 (2002) |
Kari Erickson (born December 18, 1971, as Kari Liapis[1]) is an American curler and Olympian.
Erickson started curling in 1988 and had a successful junior career, winning the Minnesota State Junior Championship five years in a row, 1989–1993. Three of those years she went on to win the United States Junior Championship (1990, 1992, 1993). Winning the US Championship allowed her to represent the United States at the World Junior Championships, at which she finished 5th, 2nd, and 3rd, respectively.
In 1994 Erickson made her first appearance at the United States Women's Championship, making it to the semifinals. After a few year gap she returned to the National Championship five more times in a six year span: 1997 (2nd), 1998 (1st), 1999, 2001 (1st), 2002 (2nd). As US Champion in 1998 and 2001 she represented the United States at the World Women's Championships, finishing 7th in 1998 and 5th in 2001.[2]
She has twice competed at the US Olympic Trials, finishing third in 1998 and first in 2001. At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City the Erickson team had a 6–3 record at the end of the round robin. The United States team lost to Switzerland in the semifinals and Canada in the bronze medal match to finish 4th.[3] Erickson's Olympic team included her sister Stacey Liapis at second and her dad Mike Liapis as coach.[4]
Erickson is the sister of Stacey Liapis. She is married to Darren Erickson and has two children.[5]
| Season | Skip | Third | Second | Lead | Alternate | Coach | Events | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988–89 | Kari Liapis | Heidi Rollheiser | Roberta Breyen | 1989 USJCC [6] | ||||
| 1989–90 | Kari Liapis | Stacey Liapis | Heidi Rollheiser | Roberta Breyen | Julie Breyen | 1990 USJCC (6th)[7] | ||
| 1990–91 | Kari Liapis | Stacey Liapis | Tracy Lindgren | Roberta Breyen | 1991 USJCC (SF) | |||
| 1991–92 | Kari Liapis | Stacey Liapis | Roberta Breyen | 1992 USJCC [8] | ||||
| 1992–93 | Erika Brown | Kari Liapis | Stacey Liapis | Debbie Henry | Analissa Johnson | 1993 USJCC [9] | ||
| 1997–98 | Kari Erickson | Stacey Liapis | Risa O'Connell | 1998 (9th)[10] | ||||
| 2000–01 | Kari Erickson | Debbie McCormick | Stacey Liapis | Ann Swisshelm | Mike Liapis | 2001 USWCC [11] (6th)[12] | ||
| 2001–02 | Kari Erickson | Debbie McCormick | Stacey Liapis | Ann Swisshelm | Joni Cotten | Mike Liapis | 2001 USOCT [13] 2002 USWCC [14] 2002 OG (4th)[15] |