CURLING: Christensen, Shuster stay alive at Mixed Doubles Nationals

By Pioneer Staff Report

February 28, 2020 at 11:19 PM

BEMIDJI -- Defending champions Cory Christensen and John Shuster kept their playoff hopes alive Friday by topping Becca and Matt Hamilton 7-3 in a round-robin match at the USA Curling Mixed Doubles National Championship at the Bemidji Curling Club.

Through four games played, the three playoff teams have already been decided in Pool A, while all six Pool B teams remain in the hunt with one match to go in the round-robin.

Sarah Anderson and Korey Dropkin are undefeated at 4-0 after edging Vicky Persinger and Chris Plys 7-6 Friday night. Persinger/Plys and Monica Walker/Alex Leichter have each clinched playoff berths and sit at 3-1 in Pool A.

Katherine Gourianova and Eli Clawson lead Pool B with a 3-1 mark, while Christensen/Shuster, the Hamiltons, Tabitha Peterson/Joe Polo, and Kim Rhyme/Jason Smith are bunched together in a four-way tie for second at 2-2. At 1-3, Alex Agre and Derrick McLean are still eligible for a playoff spot.

Polo is one of two Bemidji natives competing this weekend, along with Riley Fenson. Fenson and Christine McMakin were eliminated from playoff contention Friday as they fell to 0-4.

Cristin Clark/Chris Bond and Madison Bear/Andrew Stopera were also eliminated from contention after falling to 1-3.

The round-robin concludes at 10 a.m. Saturday. A tiebreaker match, if needed, would be played at 2:30 p.m. with the quarterfinals set for 7 p.m.

Lakeland PBS is streaming all the feature matches online at teamusa.org/USA-Curling/webstream.

Sunday's semifinal and final matches will be televised on Lakeland PBS.

Draw 3 Results

Rhyme/Smith def. Hamilton/Hamilton, 5-4

Gourianova/Clawson def. Agre/McLean, 5-4 (7 ends)

Walker/Leichter def. Clark/Bond, 7-5 (7 ends)

Persinger/Plys\u0009 def. Bear/Stopera, 12-7 (7 ends)

Anderson/Dropkin def. McMakin/Fenson, 6-4

Peterson/Polo def. Christensen/Shuster, 6-5

Draw 4 Results