| Bill Stopera | |
| Birth Date: | 13 August 1968 |
| Birth Place: | Schenectady, New York |
| Curling Club: | Ardlsey CC, Irvington, NY |
| Skip: | Craig Brown |
| Third: | Bill Stopera |
| Lead: | Mark Lazar |
| World Championship Appearances: | 1 (2012) |
| Other Appearances: | World Senior Curling Championships 1 (2024) |
William Stopera (born August 13, 1968) is an American curler from Briarcliff Manor, New York.
Stopera began curling at the Schenectady Curling Club in 1977 as a junior in Schenectady, New York.
In 2009, Stopera teamed up with Matt Hames, Martin Sather, and Dean Gemmell, and finished 4th at the 2010 United States Men's Curling Championship. The next year, Heath McCormick joined the team, replacing Matt Hames, who retired as skip. That year Stopera and the team competed in the 2011 United States Men's Curling Championship, finishing fourth after a playoff loss to Todd Birr.[1]
Stopera returned with the team the next year to play in the 2012 nationals and went through the round robin undefeated, eventually securing their first national title with a win over defending champion Pete Fenson.[2] The team finished the event at 12–0. After winning the National Championship, the team played in the 2012 World Men's Curling Championship in Basel, Switzerland.[3] The team finished 8th with a record of 4–7.
In 2013, Stopera competed with team North America and won the Continental Cup of Curling.[1] He also competed in the 2013 US Men's National Championship and finished fourth after a playoff loss to eventual winner Brady Clark. The following season at the 2013 Olympic Trials, the team finished in 3rd place with a 4–4 record. McCormick left team midway through the 2013–14 season, and Tyler George was brought on to skip. The George rink played in the 2014 United States Men's Curling Championship, finishing with a 4–5 record. After the season, George left the team and was replaced with Gemmell as skip, with Sather playing lead and new addition Calvin Weber at second. Midway through the season, Mark Lazar was brought on to play lead and replace Calvin Weber, moving Martin Sather to second. The team qualified for the 2015 United States Men's Curling Championship where they finished 5th after losing in a tie-breaker. At the end of the 2015, Stopera went to the 2015 United States Club Men's Championship in Fargo, North Dakota with his son Andrew, Peter Austin and George Austin. There, the team won the bronze medal with a 7–5 record.
For the 2015-2016 curling season, Heath McCormick returned to the team as skip with Dean Gemmell moving back to second and Martin Sather leaving to form a new team. The rink retained Mark Lazar at lead and added Andrew Stopera as its alternate. Stopera and team qualified for the 2016 United States Men's Curling Championship in Jacksonville, Florida where they had a poor showing, coming in 10th place. Later in the year, Stopera returned to the Club National Championships, this time with Martin Sather replacing his son Andrew at skip. Despite losing second Peter Austin to a torn abdominal muscle he suffered while sweeping in the middle of the competition, Stopera and his 3-man team won the championship, defeating Illinois in the final.
Stopera grew up in Schenectady, New York, and studied at Northeastern University. He works as an insurance broker with Professional Group Marketing. He is married and has two children, Megan and Andrew.
| Season | Skip | Third | Second | Lead | Events | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009–10 | Bill Stopera | 2010 USNCC | ||||
| 2010–11 | Bill Stopera | Martin Sather | Dean Gemmell | 2011 USNCC | ||
| 2011–12 | Heath McCormick | Bill Stopera | Martin Sather | Dean Gemmell | 2012 USNCC, 2012 WCC | |
| 2012–13 | Heath McCormick | Bill Stopera | Martin Sather | Dean Gemmell | 2013 USNCC | |
| 2013–14 | Heath McCormick | Bill Stopera | Dean Gemmell | Martin Sather | 2013 USOCT | |
| Bill Stopera | Dean Gemmell | Martin Sather | 2014 USNCC | |||
| 2014–15 | Dean Gemmell | Bill Stopera | Martin Sather | 2015 USNCC | ||
| 2015–16 | Heath McCormick | Bill Stopera | Dean Gemmell | Mark Lazar | 2016 USNCC | |
| 2016–17 | Bill Stopera | Dean Gemmell | Mark Lazar |
| Year | Team | Position | Event | Finish | Record | Pct. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Hames | Third | 4th | 6–5 | – | ||
| 2011 | McCormick | Third | 4th | 6–4 | – | ||
| 2012 | McCormick | Third | 1st | 12–0 | – | ||
| 2012 | McCormick | Third | 2012 WCC | 8th | 4–7 | – | |
| 2013 | McCormick | Third | 4th | 7–5 | 78.0 [4] | ||
| 2013 | McCormick | Third | 2013 USOCT | 3rd | 4–4 | 78.0 [5] | |
| 2014 | George | Third | 6th | 4–5 | 81.8 [6] | ||
| 2015 | Gemmell | Third | 5th | 5–6 | 76.1 [7] | ||
| 2015 | Stopera | Third | 3rd | 7–5 | – | ||
| 2016 | McCormick | Third | 10th | 1–8 | 71.3 [8] | ||
| 2016 | Sather | Third | 1st | 8–3 | – | ||
| United States Men's Curling Championships | 41–33 | – | |||||