The United States Women's Curling Championship is the annual women's national curling championship for the United States. It is run by the United States Curling Association (USCA) and typically held in conjunction with the Men's Curling Championship. The champions are eligible to represent the United States at the World Women'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.
History The 2021 Championship was originally planned to be held February 6–13 at the ImOn Ice Arena in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and it would have been the first time the Women's National Championship was held in Iowa. But in August, 2020 the arena was damaged during a severe derecho storm. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused delays in repairing the arena and in November, 2020 the USCA announced that an alternative host site would be found. Only a month later, the USCA announced another change to the 2021 Championship when they declared that all remaining 2020–21 events would be either cancelled or postponed until late spring 2021. This postponement delayed the Women's National Championship until after the 2021 World Women's Championship and so the 2020 champions, Tabitha Peterson's team, were selected to represent the United States. This gave the team the opportunity to compete at Worlds which they missed the previous year when the 2020 World Women's Championship was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 29, 2021 it was announced that the 2021 Women's Championship will be held in conjunction with the Men's Nationals and Mixed Doubles Nationals in a bio-secure bubble at Wausau Curling Club in Wausau, Wisconsin in May, 2021.
Qualification The qualification methods and format of the championship has changed over time, but currently eight teams play in each championship. Four spots are awarded to the top American teams in the World Curling Federation (WCF) World Team Ranking System at a particular date roughly two months out from the championship. Three spots are awarded to the top teams from a Challenge Round, open to all United States curlers. The final spot is awarded to a team from that year's Junior Championships, selected by the USCA.
For the 2021 Championship the qualification methods were modified slightly due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The field of eight teams included the 2020 champion and runner-up, the top three teams in the WCF World Team Ranking System on September 1, 2020, and the top three teams from the Challenge Round.
Format The current format begins with a complete round robin where each team plays every other team. The playoff format depends on the rankings at the end of the round robin. If one team finishes the round robin at least one win ahead of the other teams then that team advances directly to the final and faces the winner of a game between the 2nd and 3rd ranked teams. If two or three teams are tied for first place after the round robin then the top three teams play a version of a page playoff. The 1st and 2nd ranked teams play each other with the winner advancing to the championship game. The loser of the 1st vs 2nd game plays the 3rd place team with the winner of this game advancing to the championship game. If four teams are tied for first place after the round robin then all four advance to a single elimination style playoff. The 1st ranked team plays the 4th while the 2nd ranked team plays the 3rd. The winners of these two games play in the championship.
Past champions The site and winner of every women's national championship since it began in 1977: Year Site Winning club Skip Third Second Lead Alternate Finish at Worlds 1977 Wilmette, IL Hastings, NY Margaret Smith Cynthia Smith Jackie Grant Eve Switzer 1978 Duluth, MN Wausau, WI Sandy Robarge Elaine Collins Jo Shannon Virginia Morrison 1979 Winchester, MA Seattle, WA Nancy Langley Dolores Wallace Leslie Frosch Nancy Wallace 5th 1980 Seattle, WA Seattle, WA Sharon Kozai Joan Fish Betty Kozai Aija Edwards 5th 1981 Kettle Moraine, WI Seattle, WA Nancy Langley Carol Dahl Leslie Frosch Nancy Wallace 8th 1982 Bowling Green, OH Oak Park, IL Ruth Schwenker Stephanie Flynn Donna Purkey Kathleen Wilson 8th 1983 Grafton, ND Seattle, WA Nancy Langley Dolores Campbell Nancy Wallace Leslie Frosch 6th 1984 Wauwatosa, WI Duluth, MN Amy Hatten Terry Leksell Karen Leksell Kelly Sieger 9th 1985 Hershey, PA Fairbanks, AK Bev Birklid Peggy Martin Jerry Evans Katrina Sharp 9th 1986 Chicago, IL St. Paul, MN Gerri Tilden Linda Barneson Barb Polski Barb Gutzmer 7th 1987 St. Paul, MN Seattle, WA Sharon Good Joan Fish Beth Bronger-Jones Aija Edwards 5th 1988 Darien, CT Seattle, WA Nancy Langley Nancy Pearson Leslie Frosch Mary Hobson 7th 1989 Detroit, MI Rolla, ND Jan Lagasse Janie Kakela Cooky Bertsch Eileen Mickelson 9th 1990 Superior, WI Denver, CO Bev Behnke Dawna Bennett Susan Anscheutz Pam Finch 8th 1991 Utica, NY Houston, TX Maymar Gemmell Judy Johnston Janet Hunter Brenda Jancic 9th 1992 Grafton, ND Madison, WI Lisa Schoeneberg Amy Wright Lori Mountford Jill Jones Silver 1993 St. Paul, MN Denver, CO Bev Behnke Dawna Bennett Susan Anscheutz Pam Finch 8th 1994 Duluth, MN Denver, CO Bev Behnke Dawna Bennett Susan Anscheutz Pam Finch 6th 1995 Appleton, WI Madison, WI Lisa Schoeneberg Erika Brown Lori Mountford Marcia Tillisch Allison Darragh 5th 1996 Bemidji, MN Madison, WI Lisa Schoeneberg Erika Brown Lori Mountford Allison Darragh Debbie McCormick Silver 1997 Seattle, WA Arlington, WI Patti Lank Analissa Johnson Joni Cotten Tracy Sachtjen 6th 1998 Bismarck, ND Wilmette, IL Kari Erickson Lori Kreklau Stacey Liapis Ann Swisshelm Risa O'Connell 8th 1999 Duluth, MN Madison, WI Patti Lank Erika Brown Allison Darragh Tracy Sachtjen Silver 2000 Ogden, UT Omaha, NE Amy Wright Amy Becher Joni Cotten Natalie Simenson Corina Marquardt 6th 2001 Madison, WI Highland Park, IL Kari Erickson Debbie McCormick Stacey Liapis Ann Swisshelm 5th 2002 Eveleth, MN Madison, WI Patti Lank Erika Brown Allison Pottinger Natalie Nicholson Nicole Joraanstad 7th 2003 Utica, NY Chicago, IL Debbie McCormick Allison Pottinger Ann Swisshelm Silver Tracy Sachtjen Gold 2004 Grand Forks, ND Madison, WI Patti Lank Erika Brown Nicole Joraanstad Natalie Nicholson 4th 2005 Madison, WI Bemidji, MN Cassie Johnson Jamie Johnson Jessica Schultz Maureen Brunt Silver 2006 Bemidji, MN Madison, WI Debbie McCormick Allison Pottinger Nicole Joraanstad Natalie Nicholson Silver 2007 Utica, NY Madison, WI Debbie McCormick Allison Pottinger Nicole Joraanstad Natalie Nicholson 4th Hibbing, MN Madison, WI Debbie McCormick Allison Pottinger Nicole Joraanstad Natalie Nicholson 7th Broomfield, CO Madison, WI Debbie McCormick Allison Pottinger Nicole Joraanstad Natalie Nicholson 9th Kalamazoo, MI Madison, WI Erika Brown Nina Spatola Ann Swisshelm Laura Hallisey 5th Fargo, ND Lewiston, NY Patti Lank Caitlin Maroldo Jessica Schultz Mackenzie Lank 7th Philadelphia, PA St. Paul, MN Allison Pottinger Nicole Joraanstad Natalie Nicholson Tabitha Peterson 5th Green Bay, WI Madison, WI Erika Brown Debbie McCormick Jessica Schultz Ann Swisshelm 4th Philadelphia, PA Madison, WI Nina Spatola Becca Hamilton Tara Peterson Sophie Brorson 6th (Allison Pottinger) Kalamazoo, MI Madison, WI Erika Brown Alex Carlson Becca Funk Kendall Behm 10th (Aileen Sormunen) Jacksonville, FL Madison, WI Erika Brown Allison Pottinger Nicole Joraanstad Natalie Nicholson 6th Everett, WA Blaine, MN Jamie Sinclair Alexandra Carlson Vicky Persinger Monica Walker 5th (Nina Roth) Fargo, ND Blaine, MN Jamie Sinclair Alexandra Carlson Vicky Persinger Monica Walker 4th Kalamazoo, MI Chaska, MN Jamie Sinclair Sarah Anderson Taylor Anderson Monica Walker 7th Cheney, WA St. Paul, MN Tabitha Peterson Becca Hamilton Tara Peterson Aileen Geving 3rd (2021) Wausau, WI Chaska, MN Cory Christensen Sarah Anderson Vicky Persinger Taylor Anderson 5th (2022) Denver, CO Chaska, MN Tabitha Peterson Cory Thiesse Becca Hamilton Tara Peterson 7th East Rutherford, NJ St. Paul, MN Tabitha Peterson Cory Thiesse Tara Peterson Becca Hamilton 7th Duluth, MN St. Paul, MN Tabitha Peterson Cory Thiesse Tara Peterson Taylor Anderson-Heide Vicky Persinger 12th Charlotte, NC Traverse City, MI Delaney Strouse Anne O'Hara Sydney Mullaney Madison Bear Notes 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. Beginning in 2018, the winner will once again represent the US at the World Championships, provided they have a high enough ranking on the World Curling Tour. 2020 World Women's Curling Championship was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic The 2020 Champions represented the US at the 2021 World Women's Curling Championship. The 2022 US Championship was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 Champions represented the US at the 2022 World Women's Curling Championship.
Champions by state (As of 2026)
RankStateChampionships1 Wisconsin 172 Minnesota 123 Washington 64 Illinois 45 Colorado 36 New York 27 Alaska 17 Michigan 17 Nebraska 17 North Dakota 17 Texas 1
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. +Female recipients:YearRecipient2007Caitlin Maroldo2008Ann Swisshelm2009Laura Roessler2010Gabrielle Coleman2011Chrissy Haase2012Tara Peterson2013Sarah Anderson2014Theresa Hoffoss2015Kate Bert2016Katie Sigurdson2017Donna Umali2018Rebecca Andrew2019Kim Rhyme2020Ariel Traxler
See also Scottish Women's Curling Championship Scotties Tournament of Hearts (Canada) United States Men's Curling Championship
References
External links United States Curling Association