LOHJA, FINLAND

12/19/2023

The USA Junior Men’s curling team took silver medals at the World B Junior Men’s curling championships today in Lohja, Finland.

The team, led by Wausau’s Wes Wendling, lost to Canada 7-4 in the championship match.

Trailing 5-4 in the last end, the Americans were unable to tie it up, and the Canadians scored two to win the tournament.

In the third-place game, Denmark defeated New Zealand 7-5.

All told the US team went 7-2 over the week-long event, and their final four finish qualified them for a spot in the Junior Men’s World Championships, to be held in Finland, beginning Feb. 17.

Curling with Wendling were Jackson Armstrong of Appleton, Kevin Tuma of St. Paul, MN, and Jackson Bestland and Caden Hebert of Eau Claire.

Boy’s and girl’s U18 teams crowned champs in Wausau curling meet.

Curlers from Wausau, Stevens Point, Poynette and Portage won the U18 curling competition at the Wausau Curling Center this weekend, earning the right to represent Wisconsin at the national U18 tournament in Lafayette, Colorado, next month.

In the girl's meet, the team of Ella Wendling and Adriana Fisher of Wausau, Savannah Koch (Poynette) and Emily Rubenzer (Stevens Point) went undefeated in pool play to win the tournament.

On the boy's side, the team of Matthew Lannoye and Brody Welchman from Poynette, along with Ethan Macomber of Portage and Joey Dobbs of Stevens Point, also went undefeated to win.

A total of three girl's teams and five boys' teams entered and competed Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday morning. Jim Wendling, curling coach at Wausau West H.S., coordinated the event.

Wausau West high school curler Ella Wendling and her teammate Benji Paral (Eau Claire) won the U.S. Youth Mixed Doubles Curling competition November 2-5, 2023 in Bemidji, Minnesota.

The win earned the pair a spot on Team USA at the 2024 Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea, beginning January 19, 2024.

The two defeated Team Giroux-Podhradsky (St. Paul) in the final match after going 4-1 in round-robin play which involved 23 teams.

Wausau West High School curling coach Jim Wendling, who also organizes the annual Tietge High School curling bonspiel and the Wisconsin state high school curling championships at the Wausau Curling Center, has been named “Breakout Coach of the Year” by USA Curling.

He was one of four US curling coaches and athletes honored by the curling organization, whose CEO Dean Gemmell said “as the new curling season gets underway, it’s great to recognize athletes and coaches who performed so well last year.”

Wendling had been a coach of two runner-up finishes at the U-18 (under 18 years of age) national championships, but in 2023 his team—led by son Wes—went on an undefeated run to win the Men’s U-21 Junior National Championship

Wendling credits many others with helping and influencing him along the way.

“Marcia and Cal Tillisch, Dennis Tietge, Lucas Ostrowski, and many others have helped me learn the game and grow as a coach,” he says.  “I also need to mention Scott Armstrong from Appleton.  He and I coached Wes's team for the last seven years and have pushed each other to find the next thing that would make our team better.”

The other USA Curling individual awards went to Cory Thiesse, female athlete of the year; Korey Dropkin, male athlete of the year; Cathy Overton-Clapham, coach of the year, and Pam Wilson, wheelchair athlete of the year.

The USA Men's Junior National curling team seeks supporters for its upcoming season.

The team, consisting of Wes Wendling, Kevin Tuma, Caden Hebert, Jack Armstrong, and Jackson Bestland, will be representing the United States at the 2023-24 World Junior Curling B Championships in Lohja, Finland.  Additionally, the team will be competing at numerous high-level events in both the US and Canada from September to March.

Please consider this request letter of financial sponsorship for the USA’s Men’s Junior National curling team. Wes Wendling, Kevin Tuma, Caden Hebert, Jack Armstong, and Jackson Bestland will be representing the United States at the 2023-24 World Junior Curling B Championships in Lohja, Finland. They are seeking your assistance in funding the upcoming season.

The Wausau-based team of Wes Wendling (skip), Jackson Armstrong, Chris Kirsch, and Kevin Tuma brought home the coveted first-place trophy from the U.S. Junior National Curling Championships, held at the Broomstones Curling Club in Wayland, Mass, in early April 2023.

Wendling and Kirsch are Wausau West graduates, Armstrong is from Appleton, and Tuma is from St. Paul. All are currently attending college.

The Wendling rink went undefeated through the tournament and bested the rival Hebert rink from Eau Claire in the final match, 8-5 in nine ends.

“I’ve been curling for 13 years,” says Wes, “and this is my greatest achievement so far. He attributed the victory to good play by his teammates and a good strategy. “It made the game and my shots a lot easier when we set up the house well. I would have to throw easy shots like guards instead of run-backs against a couple of points.”

Wendling, who’s twice finished second in the Under 18 nationals, and won two Wisconsin High School state championships, is getting ready for the next challenge. They’ll be representing the U.S. at the World’s next spring, but first, they’ll be participating in the World Junior Bs in December 2023.

“To prepare for this, we will be joining the national team program,” he explains. “That includes a physical fitness program at the Training Haus located at the Vikings practice facility in Minnesota, along with more opportunities for more ice access throughout the summer in the Twin Cities, and some competitive US and Canadian bonspiels.”

Rinks from Ardsley, NY, and Denver, CO, Won the USA Curling Club National Championships in Wausau

Wausau, WI, 3/19/23

The Politano rink from Ardsley, NY, won the women’s competition, and the Mansell rink from Denver, CO, won the men’s at the USA Curling 2023 National Club Championships at the Wausau Curling Center.

The Politano rink defeated the Swisshelm rink from Detroit, 8 to 4, completing a 6-2-0 record for the four-day tournament and taking home the women's gold medal. The winners laid five stones in the second end to take a solid lead. The rink included Sere Politano, Megan Stopera, Amber Will, Elizabeth Harmon, and coach Bill Stopera.

In the men’s division, the Mansell rink defeated the Ward rink from Eau Claire, WI, 5-3 in a close match, to go undefeated throughout the tournament and claim the gold. On the Mansell team were Elliott Mansell, Aaron Johnson, Simon Jarrett, Cameron Cabrera, and Sean Franey.

Twenty-four men’s and women’s teams competed in the tournament beginning Thursday, March 16 and curling in pool play through Saturday, March 18. Tie-breakers, semi-finals and finals were Sunday, March 19.

Scottish Women and US Curlers Compete in Wausau

Release:  10/28/2022

Curling came to America from Scotland, and on October 27, 2022 the Scottish Women’s Curling team came to Wausau.

The Scots curled morning and afternoon matches against U.S teams made up of women curlers from the Wausau Curling Club, and clubs in Rice Lake and Madison. Competition was keen, with teams essentially breaking even in the 10 games played.

More important than games won or lost were the points accumulated by each team. The Scots are on a tour of 14 U.S. curling clubs from Denver to New England. If they score more points across all matches, they’ll win the Marguerite Roberts Quaich, a shallow vessel that is a symbol of trust and friendship.

Junior Women earn Gold, Junior Men earn Bronze

Wausau’s junior curlers brought home medals in the National Junior Curling Championships which concluded Saturday, April 30, at the new Sentry Curling Center in Plover.

The women’s Team Tamboli, with Wausau West High School curler Amelia Hintz, defeated the Sophia Ryhorchuk team from Minnesota, 9-8. The gold-medal game came down to the final end as Tamboli—leading by two—took out the opponents’ second rock with the final shot, limiting them to one.

Others on the winning team were Jordan Hein of Portage, and Miranda Scheel and Tessa Thurlow from North Dakota.

It was the second close win over the Minnesotans. Team Tamboli edged them 6-5 in the playoff game on Friday.

In the men’s competition, the Wes Wendling team from Wausau, with John Wilkerson and Chris Kirsch also from Wausau, took the bronze medal. After advancing to the final four, they lost 5-4 to Team Sampson from Fargo, N.D., Saturday morning.

Sampson won the championship with another nail-biter over the Kauffman team from Blaine, Minn., 9-8.

Fort Wayne, IN – The Wendling rink from Wausau earned silver medals in the National U-18 curling competition in Fort Wayne, Ind., March 30-April 2, 2022.

Congratulations to team members skip Wes Wendling, third Chris Kirsch, second Carson Kirsch, and lead Nolan O’Keefe.

After winning their first two matches in the early rounds, Wendling lost to St. Paul in the 13^th draw, 12-3, then came back strong two draws later to score two in the seventh end and defeat Lowell, Mass., 6-4.

The win set up the championship match, once again against the St. Paul team. They lost 9-2, but the climb into the final draw earned them a second place and the silvers.

According to coach Jim Wendling, two of the team members—Wes Wendling and Chris Kirsch—will be participating in the U21 (under 21) competition in Stevens Point at the end of this month.

Good Curling, Matt!
All the best to Matt Thums, skip of the USA Wheelchair Curling team, at the Paralympics March 4-13, 2022 in Beijing.

Matt is a member of the Wausau Curling Club and a resident of Weston, Wisconsin.

He and the team of Dave Samsa of Green Bay, Steve Emt from Connecticut, Pam Wilson from Denver, and Batoyun Uranchimeg from the Twin Cities are taking on the world’s best wheelchair teams in the “Ice Cube” used for curling at the recent Olympic Games.

You can follow Matt and Team USA on NBC, Peacock, and USA TV. First games are Saturday, March 5. See the schedule below.

Go Matt and Team USA!

Teams skipped by Kim Susens and Ann Werth won the first and second events, respectively, at the All American bonspiel at the Wausau Curling Center over the January 15 weekend.

The first event winning Susens rink included Lisa Schroeder (lead), Brooke Ewert (second) and Maureen Noteboom (vice).

First event runnerup was the team skipped by Lisa Landon, with Chrissy Kaupie (lead), Judy Fries (second), and Patti Todd (vice).

The second event winning Werth rink included Kimberly Taylor (lead), Annette Esselman (second), and Samantha Diedrich (vice).

The Jane Christianson rink was second event runnerup, and included Kat BeBeau (lead), Tracey Manock (second), and Valerie Gorichs (vice).

The next major event at the Curling Center will be the curling competition at the Badger State Winter Games, Jan. 29-30.

Wausau West high school rinks won both the boys and girls championships at the Tietge High School Curling Championship Bonspiel held January 8-9, 2022 at the Wausau Curling Center.

The Wendling rink was the boys winner and the Hintz rink won the girls competition.

The Tietge is the largest and longest-running high school Bonspiel in the United States and is named for former Wausau high school curling coach Dennis Tietge.

The popular Tietge High School Bonspiel returns to the Wausau Curling Center Friday and Saturday, January 7 and 8, after a year off because of the pandemic.

It is the largest high school curling bonspiel in the United States, and also is the longest-running, according to event coordinator Jim Wendling. It is named in honor of retired Wausau High School curling coach Dennis Tietge.

Well over 100 student curlers are expected to compete. “We have 36 teams signed up, from 15 different high schools,” said Wendling.  “There will be 20 girls’ teams and 16 boys’ teams.” The teams from Wausau East and West and D.C. Everest high schools will be among the participants. 

Competition will begin Friday morning and continue through to the final games on Saturday evening. Due to COVID restrictions attendance will be limited to players and coaches. Some of the competition will be viewable on the Wendling Rink page of Facebook.

Located on Wausau’s southeast side, the Wausau Curling Center features eight sheets of ice and is one of finest curling facilities in the United States.

A team from the Wausau Curling Club won the third at the U.S. Women’s Curling Association’s Senior National Championships December 1-5, 2021.

Skipped by Lisa Landon, the team members included Terri Gleason, Valerie Gorichs, and Kim Susens.

You’ve watched it on TV during the Winter Olympics. Now try it with your friends, family, or co-workers!

The Wausau Curling Club hosts public Learn-to-Curl events throughout the season, giving people of all ages the opportunity to experience “Chess on Ice” for themselves.

Whether you’re a skilled athlete or simply looking to try something new, our experienced members will make sure you have a fun and memorable introduction to the sport of curling. Curling is also a great team-building activity for businesses, organizations, and groups.

If you or your group would like to get out on the ice and give curling a try, we offer two types of Learn-to-Curl events.

Public, Large-Group Learn-to-Curl Events

Several times throughout the season, the Wausau Curling Club offers Learn-to-Curl events open to the general public.

During these events, experienced club members will introduce you to the basics of curling, including:

1. The History of Curling: Learn about the history of the sport, the sportsmanship that drives the game, and common curling terminology.
2. Ice Safety: Learn how to safely walk on the ice and deliver a curling stone.
3. Proper Delivery Technique: Learn the fundamentals of delivering a stone.
4. How to Curl: Learn how to put the “curl” into curling.
5. Sweeping: Learn how and when to sweep a stone.
6. Scoring: Learn how to score an end.

You’ll also learn about becoming a Wausau Curling Club member and the leagues available to new curlers.

Don't worry if you can't deliver like an Olympian!

If getting down into a traditional curling delivery position isn't for you, we can teach you how to stick-curl! Stick delivery is a great option for participants who have difficulty bending or simply prefer to remain more upright.

Upcoming Learn-to-Curl Events

Registration will open soon for our 2026 Learn-to-Curl events!

Saturday, October 24, 9am-noon

Sunday, October 25, 11am-2pm

Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Groups of four or more should register together to guarantee that they are placed on the same group.

Private, Small-Group Learn-to-Curl Events

Want to organize something specifically for your group? We are happy to host a private Learn-to-Curl event.

Private events are especially popular for:

• Corporate outings
• Employee team-building activities
• Organization and club outings
• Family and friend gatherings
• Group celebrations

Private Learn-to-Curl events can be scheduled during the curling season, generally mid-October through mid-March, on weekdays, weeknights, or Saturdays, depending on ice availability.

There is no set limit on group size, although the size and timing of your event will depend on available ice.

For more information about private events, including fees and scheduling, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

What to Expect

Age

Curling is a sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. At the Wausau Curling Club, our members range from approximately 8 to 80 years old.

Minors must have an adult sign the required waiver on their behalf before stepping onto the ice.

Instruction

All participants will learn the basics of:

• Safely getting a stone from one end of the sheet to the other
• Delivering a stone
• Sweeping
• Scoring

After learning the fundamentals, participants will play a few ends of curling to experience what it's like to play an actual game.

Hospitality

Hospitality and camaraderie are hallmarks of curling.

The Wausau Curling Club has a large hospitality area where participants can relax and socialize before or after being on the ice.

For private events, we can discuss options for food and refreshments as part of your event.

The Ice

Curling ice is different from hockey or skating ice. Instead of being completely smooth, curling ice has a pebbled surface created by spraying tiny droplets of water onto the ice.

The pebble allows the curling stone to travel properly down the sheet and also provides additional traction for curlers walking on the ice.

The Rocks

Curling stones, also called rocks, weigh approximately 42 pounds each.

Don't worry—you'll never have to pick one up! Curling stones are designed to slide easily across the ice.

If you have difficulty bending down to deliver a stone, we can teach you how to use a delivery stick. Stick delivery has extended the curling careers of countless curlers and is regularly used in recreational leagues and competitions.

Clothing

The temperature inside the ice house is approximately 40°F, so dress warmly!

We recommend:

• Wear layers
• Comfortable, flexible pants
• A clean pair of athletic shoes with rubber soles

Street shoes are not permitted on the ice.

Equipment

The Wausau Curling Club will provide all necessary curling equipment.

If you wish, you may also wear a bicycle helmet while on the ice. A limited number of helmets are available at the club.

Waiver

All participants must sign a waiver before stepping onto the ice.

Want to Learn More?

If you want to learn more about the basics of curling before coming out to the club, check out our Curling 101 information page.

The Wausau Curling Club is extremely excited to be hosting this year’s 2020 U18 Curling National Championships.