Curlers Head to Rockefeller

The 2010 U.S. Olympic Team for Curling and three members from the 2010 Paralympic Team for Wheelchair Curling will take part in the United States Olympic Committee's Olympic Winter Festival on Wednesday at New York's Rockefeller Center. All eight Olympic sports will be represented with many demonstrations, including curling, taking place. In addition, the curling Olympians and Paralympians as well as other 2010 Olympic sport hopefuls will appear on NBC's "The Today Show" to mark the 100-day countdown to the opening ceremony of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Athletes slated to take part include: Debbie McCormick (Rio, Wis.), Allison Pottinger (Eden Prairie, Minn.), Nicole Joraanstad (Madison, Wis.), Natalie Nicholson (Bemidji, Minn.), John Shuster (Duluth, Minn.), Jason Smith (Duluth, Minn.), Jeff Isaacson (Gilbert, Minn.), John Benton (St. Michael, Minn.), Augusto Perez (East Syracuse, N.Y.), James Joseph (New Hartford, N.Y.) and Jackie Kapinowski (Point Pleasant, N.J.).

On Tour- The *2010 U.S. Olympic Team for Women's Curling heads to Ontario Friday for the Royal Lepage Women's Fall Classic in Kemptville. This is the fifth World Curling Tour event for the Debbie McCormick team so far this season. The team is coming off a successful trip to Switzerland in which they made the playoffs at both events. Also competing at the Ontario event are American teams skipped by Monica Walker (Sudbury, Mass.) and Sandra McMakin (Washington, D.C.). The *2010 U.S. Olympic Team for Men's Curling will compete at the Duluth Cashspiel this weekend in Duluth, Minn., against some of the top American teams including 2006 Olympic bronze medalist Pete Fenson (Bemidji, Minn.), 2008 national champion Craig Brown (Madison, Wis.) and 2007 world bronze medalist Todd Birr (Mankato, Minn.). The men's team will play without John Shuster at this event with alternate Chris Plys (Duluth, Minn.) filling in at the skip position.