Dropkin rink takes top spot in round robin

WAYLAND, Mass. – The Korey Dropkin rink of Massachusetts, which includes Bemidji curlers Mark Fenner and Alex Fenson, leads the National Junior Men’s Curling Championship meet with a 6-1 record.

The rink won its only game on Wednesday, stopping Tony Wright of Minnesota 8-4.

Owning a 5-2 record going into Wednesday’s late round was Scott Dunnam of Pennsylvania while Jeremy Stubbe of Wisconsin and Jake Vukich of Washington were 4-2.

Wright stood at 4-3 while Tim Hodek of North Dakota was 3-3 and Ethan Meyers of Minnesota was 3-4.

Trailing the leaders were Ryan Flippo of Alaska at 2-4, Wesley Pedersen of Michigan at 1-5 and Preston Kramer of Colorado at 0-6.

In Wednesday’s game Dropkin took a 2-0 lead after the first end and owned a 5-4 advantage after seven ends.

Dropkin blanked the eighth end and used the hammer to score three in the decisive ninth.

The teams did not finish the 10th end.

In today’s action Dropkin will complete his round-robin schedule by facing Stubbe in the morning draw and Meyers in the afternoon session.

Any tiebreakers will be played Friday, as will the first round of the page playoffs.

Saturday’s schedule includes the page semifinals and the tournament final.

The winner will represent the United States at the Junior Men’s World Championships later this winter in Sochi, Russia.

Junior Men’s Championships

Standings

Dropkin (Mass) 6-1, Dunnam (Penn) 5-2, Stubbe (Wis) 4-2, Vukich (Wash) 4-2, Wright (Minn) 4-3, Hodek (ND) 3-3, Meyers (Minn) 3-4, Flippo (Alaska) 2-4, Pedersen (Mich) 1-5, Kramer (Colo) 0-6

Wednesday’s Results

Dropkin 8, Wright 4; Dunnam 8, Meyers 7, 11 ends

Wednesday’s Late Games

Stubbe vs. Kramer; Pedersen vs. Flippo; Hodek vs. Vukich

Thursday’s Morning Draw

Dropkin vs. Stubbe; Vukich vs. Wright; Kramer vs. Dunnam; Meyers vs. Flippo

Thursday’s Afternoon Draw

Dropkin vs. Meyers; Hodek vs. Pedersen; Flippo vs. Stubbe

End of round-robin