USA selects team for 2012 World Championships

The five athletes who will represent USA at the 2012 World Championships in South Korea next February 18-25, have been announced though playing positions have not yet been decided.

The players are:

Patrick McDonald (Madison, Wis.)
James Joseph (New Hartford, N.Y.)
Penny Greely (Green Bay, Wis.)
David Palmer (Mashpee, Mass.)
and Tim Kelly (Rockford, Ill.) chosen as alternate.

Players were chosen based on their performance at an open-call training camp and at the US Open and Cathy Kerr Spiel.

USA lost their skip Augusto Pérez, 3rd Jim Pierce and lead Jacqueline Kapinowski to retirement after a tough 2011 Worlds campaign that saw them finish just one win above the relegation zone. This season they'll be led by Patrick McDonald who returns from shoulder surgery that kept him out of last year's championships. Experienced Jimmy Joseph and Penny Greely, last year's rookie alternate, return to the squad which has two newcomers; David Palmer and Tim Kelly.

Rockford's Channel 13 TV station interviewed Kelly after he made the team.

USA team pool announced after tryout camp

Eight US wheelchair curlers have been selected to form the playing pool from which Team USA 2012 will be chosen after a 14 candidate three-day individual tryout competition at the Madison CC in McFarland, Wis.

Patrick McDonald (Madison, Wis.)
James Joseph (New Hartford, N.Y.)
Penny Greely (Green Bay, Wis.)
Bob Prenoveau (Chittenango, N.Y.)
David Palmer (Mashpee, Mass.)
Meghan Lino (East Falmouth, Mass.)
Tim Kelly (Rockford, Ill.)
Gerald Wynne Jr. (Plover, Wis.) who received a donated wheelchair from Ki Mobility of Stevens Point, Wis., to assist in his quest to make Team USA.

The first four all have previous international experience.

The selection was based on individual skills testing, game participation and strategy assessment as well as interviews to determine team/player compatibility.  The squad will participate in the several highly competitive wheelchair curling events in November to help determine Team USA at the 2012 World Wheelchair Curling Championship Feb. 18-25 in Chuncheon City, South Korea.

And Goose makes three, leaving USA 2012 wide open

Augusto 'Goose' Perez was the third Tam USA member, with Jacqui Kapinowski and James Pierce, to quit the program over the summer. This throws team selection wide open as 14 candidates gather at the Madison CC in McFarland, Wisconsin, the new centre for wheelchair curling in America, for the annual selection camp October 20-23.

Jimmy Joseph (49, New Hartford, NY) is the one survivor from the 2006 and 2010 Paralympic team and he will be joined by 2010 Paralympian Pat McDonald (44, Madison WI) who has moved his family from California to be more involved with the program. Penny Greely (40, Green Bay WI) returns from the 2011 team, and Bob Prenoveau (46, Chittanango NY), who was a part of  the 2005 and 2007 World Championship teams, is the other athlete with international wheelchair curling experience.

The 3-day camp will select eight who will then compete at two November events before the five person team for the 2012 Worlds is announced. National coach Steve Brown heads a five person selection committee looking for individual skills, game participation, strategic understanding and that catchall loved by coaches, "team/player compatibility." The eventual five will also have impressed in cumulative performance, on/off ice behaviour, team dynamics and training regimen.

Joining Jimmy, Pat, Penny and Rob are:

Catherine Cummins - 47, Portland, OR
Tyler Halatek - 40, Green Bay, WI
Stephen Hart -  62, Portland, OR
Tim Kelly -  38, Rockford, IL
Jimmy Kenner - 50, Green bay, WI
Megan Lino - 27, East Falmouth, MA
David Palmer - 51, Mashpee, MA
Steven Roberts - 16, Vancouver, WA
Pam Wilson - 56,  Westminster, CO
Gerald Wynne Jnr. - 45, Plover, WI