When the 12 teams take to the ice on Saturday, Mar. 28 in Halifax, NS for the Men's World Curling Championship, there will be a Wisconsin connection on the US Men's team. Two members of the five person team hail from the Madison area and curl in the Madison Curling Club.
Winning the US Championship in Kalamazoo, MI on Feb. 21 was the Duluth based team skipped by John Shuster. Playing second on the championship rink is Matt Hamilton, from McFarland. Hamilton, at age 26, has already acquired an impressive curling resume. He broke onto the National Championship scene at Utica New York, in 2007. At age 17, Matt is one of the youngest competitors to ever compete in the Men's National Championship. Matt is twice a Junior National Champion and was on the World Junior National Championship team in 2008, at Ostersund, Sweden, where he also won the Sportsmanship Award.
The 2015 Men's National Championship in Kalamazoo, MI was his 7th appearance in the Men's Championship.
Also, selected as alternate for the Shuster team is Craig Brown, age 39, from Madison. Craig has competed 18 times in the National Championship, winning the event twice in 2000 and 2008. He was on the US Olympic Team in Sochi, and finished second this year to Shuster in the Men's Nationals.
Competing as Team USA, Shuster and his team will take the ice at 6:30PM on Mar. 28 taking on the home favorite, Canada. The 9 event is scheduled to culminate in the World Championship game on Apr.5.