United States Men's Curling Championship


The United States Men's Curling Championship is the annual men's national curling championship for the United States. It is run by the United States Curling Association and typically held in conjunction with the Women's Championship. The champion is eligible to represent the United States at the World Men's Curling Championships if they also rank in the top 75 teams over the last two seasons in the World Curling Tour Order of Merit or have earned 40 points in the Order of Merit year-to-date rankings.

Qualification

Ten teams play in each championship. Two spots are awarded to participants in the High Performance Program, a National program that supports Top United States curlers, and is intended to prepare them for Olympic level play. Two additional spots are given to the two highest ranked United States teams on the Curling order of Merit. The remaining six positions are determined by the Challenge Round, open to all United States curlers, where the final six teams from this triple elimination tournament get spots in the National tournament.

Format

The current format begins with a complete nine game round robin where each of the ten teams to play every other team. At the end of the round robin the top four teams qualify for the playoffs; if there is a tie for fourth place then a tiebreaker game is played. The playoffs are conducted in the page playoff format, a common playoff format in curling. In a page playoff the 1 seed and 2 seed play with the winner advancing straight to the championship game. The 3 seed and 4 seed teams play and the winner of that match plays the loser of the 1 vs 2 game. The winner of this third game advances to the championship to face the winner of the 1 vs 2 game.

Past champions

The location and champion of every men's national championship since it began in 1957:
YearSiteWinning ClubSkipThirdSecondLeadFinish
at Worlds
1957Chicago, IL Hibbing, MNHarold LauberLouis LauberPeter BeasyMatt Berklich
1958Milwaukee, WI Detroit, MIMike SlyziukDouglas FiskErnest SlyziukMerritt Knowlson
1959Green Bay, WI Hibbing, MNDick BrownTerry KleffmanFran KleffmanNick Jerulle
1960Chicago, IL Grafton, NDOrvil GilleshammerGlenn GilleshammerWilmer ColletteDonald LaBonte
1961Grand Forks, ND Seattle, WAFrank CrealockKen SherwoodJohn JamiesonBud McCartneyBronze
1962Detroit, MI Hibbing, MNDick BrownTerry KleffmanFran KleffmanNick JerulleSilver
1963Duluth, MN Detroit, MIMike SlyziukNelson BrownErnest SlyziukWalter HubchickSilver
1964Utica, NY Duluth, MNRobert Magie Jr.Bert PayneRussell BarberBritton PayneBronze
1965Seattle, WA Superior, WIBud SomervilleBill StrumAl GagneTom WrightGold
1966Hibbing, MN Fargo, NDBruce RobertsJoe ZbacnikGerry ToutantMike O’LearyBronze
1967Winchester, MA Seattle, WABruce RobertsTom FitzpatrickJohn WrightDoug WalkerBronze
1968Madison, WI Superior, WIBud SomervilleBill StrumAl GagneTom WrightBronze
1969Grand Forks, ND Superior, WIBud SomervilleBill StrumFranklin BradshawGene OvesenSilver
1970Ardsley, NY Grafton, NDArt TallacksonGlenn GilleshammerRay HoltTrueman Thompson4th
1971Duluth, MN Edmore, NDDale DalzielDennis MellandClark SampsonRodney MellandBronze
1972Wilmette, IL Grafton, NDRobert LaBonteFrank AasandJohn AasandRay MorganSilver
1973Colorado Springs, CO Winchester, MACharles ReevesDoug CarlsonHenry SheanBarry Blanchard5th
1974Schenectady, N.Y. Superior, WIBud SomervilleBob NicholsBill StrumTom LockenGold
1975Detroit, MI Seattle, WAEd RislingCharles LundgrenGary SchneeDave TellvikSilver
1976Wausau WI Hibbing, MNBruce RobertsJoe RobertsGary KleffmanJerry ScottGold
1977Northbrook, IL Hibbing, MNBruce RobertsPaul PustovarGary KleffmanJerry Scott4th
1978Utica, NY Superior, WIBob NicholsBill StrumTom LockenBob ChristmanGold
1979Superior, WI Bemidji, MNScott BairdDan HaluptzokMark HaluptzokBob Fenson5th
1980Bemidji, MN Hibbing, MNPaul PustovarJohn JankilaGary KleffmanJerry Scott4th
1981Fairbanks, AK Superior, WIBob NicholsBud SomervilleBob ChristmanBob BuchananSilver
1982Brookline, MA Madison, WISteve BrownEd SheffieldHuns GustrowskyGeorge Godfrey6th
1983Colorado Springs, CO Colorado Springs, CODon CooperJerry Van Brunt Jr.Bill ShipstadJack McNelly6th
1984Hibbing MN Hibbing, MNJoe Roberts Bruce Roberts Gary KleffmanJerry Scott6th
1985Mequon, WI Wilmette, ILTim WrightJohn JahantJim WilsonRuss Armstrong3rd
1986Seattle, WA Madison, WISteve BrownWally HenryGeorge GodfreyRichard MaskelBronze
1987Lake Placid, NY Seattle, WAJim VukichRon SharpeGeorge PepelnjakGary Joraanstad5th
1988St. Paul, MN Seattle, WADoug JonesBard NordlundMurphy TomlinsonMike Grennan7th
1989Detroit, MI Seattle, WAJim VukichCurt FishBard Nordlund,
Jason Larway		James Pleasants8th
1990Superior, WI Seattle, WABard NordlundDoug JonesMurphy TomlinsonTom Violette6th
1991Utica, NY Madison, WISteve BrownPaul PustovarGeorge GodfreyWally Henry,
Mike Fraboni		Bronze
1992Grafton, ND Seattle, WADoug JonesJason LarwayJoel LarwayTom VioletteBronze
1993St. Paul, MN Bemidji, MNScott BairdPete FensonMark HaluptzokTim JohnsonBronze
1994Duluth, MN Bemidji, MNScott BairdPete FensonMark HaluptzokTim Johnson5th
1995Appleton, WI Superior, WITim SomervilleMike SchneebergerMyles BrundidgeJohn Gordon4th
1996Bemidji, MN Superior, WITim SomervilleMike SchneebergerMyles BrundidgeJohn Gordon5th
1997Seattle, WA Langdon, NDCraig DisherKevin KakelaJoel JacobsonPaul Peterson6th
1998Bismarck, ND Stevens Point, WIPaul PustovarDave VioletteGreg WilsonCory Ward6th
1999Duluth, MN Superior, WITim SomervilleDon Barcome Jr.Myles BrundidgeJohn Gordon4th
2000Ogden UT Madison, WICraig BrownRyan QuinnJon BruntJohn Dunlop4th
2001Madison, WI Seattle, WAJason LarwayGreg RomaniukJoel LarwayTravis Way,
Doug Kauffman		6th
2002Eveleth, MN Madison, WIPaul PustovarMike FraboniGeoff GoodlandRichard Maskel4th
2003Utica, NY Bemidji, MNPete FensonEric FensonShawn RojeskiJohn Shuster8th
2004Grand Forks, ND Seattle, WAJason LarwayDoug PottingerJoel LarwayBill Todhunter,
Doug Kauffman		9th
2005Madison, WI Bemidji, MNPete FensonShawn RojeskiJoe PoloJohn Shuster6th
2006Bemidji, MN Bemidji, MNPete FensonShawn RojeskiJoe PoloJohn Shuster4th
2007Utica, NY CaledonianTodd BirrBill TodhunterGreg JohnsonKevin BirrBronze
Hibbing, MN Madison, WICraig BrownRich RuohonenJohn DunlopPete Annis7th
Broomfield, CO Duluth, MNJohn ShusterJason SmithJeff IsaacsonJohn Benton5th
Kalamazoo, MI Bemidji, MNPete FensonShawn RojeskiJoe PoloTyler George4th
Fargo, ND Bemidji, MNPete FensonShawn RojeskiJoe PoloRyan Brunt10th
Philadelphia, PA Ardsley, NYHeath McCormickBill StoperaMartin SatherDean Gemmell8th
Green Bay, WI Seattle, WABrady ClarkSean BeightonDarren LehtoPhilip Tilker,
Steve Lundeen		9th
Philadelphia, PA Bemidji, MNPete FensonShawn RojeskiJoe PoloRyan Brunt10th
Kalamazoo, MI Duluth, MNJohn ShusterTyler GeorgeMatt HamiltonJohn Landsteiner5th
Jacksonville, FL Seattle, WABrady ClarkGreg PersingerColin HufmanPhilip TilkerN/A
Everett, WA Duluth, MNJohn ShusterTyler GeorgeMatt HamiltonJohn Landsteiner4th
Fargo, ND Seattle, WAGreg PersingerRich RuohonenColin HufmanPhilip Tilker6th
Kalamazoo, MI Duluth, MNJohn ShusterChris PlysMatt HamiltonJohn Landsteiner5th
Cheney, WA Duluth, MNJohn ShusterChris PlysMatt HamiltonJohn LandsteinerN/A
Cedar Rapids, IA


;Notes
  1. This column shows the results of the team representing the United States at the World Curling Championships. Based on the rules implemented by the United States Curling Association for the 2013–14 season, the United States team at the World Curling Championships is not necessarily the team that won the national championship.
  2. 2020 World Men's Curling Championship was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Champions by state

Sportsmanship Award

The Ann Brown Sportsmanship Award has been presented annually since 2007 to one male and one female athlete at the National Championships who are judged to best embody the USCA Spirit of Curling as voted on by their peers. The award is given in memory of Ann Brown, who was the first female president of the United States Curling Association and was the second female inductee into the USCA Hall of Fame.
YearRecipient
2007Joel Jacobson
2008Greg Romaniuk
2009Mike Farbelow
2010Kevin Kakela
2011Todd Birr
2012Kroy Nernberger
2013Mike Farbelow
2014Josh Bahr
2015Mark Haluptzok
2016Jason Smith
2017Hunter Clawson
2018Tucker Smith
2019Sam Strouse