FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPT. 13, 2023
SEPT. 13, 2023
Brenden, Nelson from Capital Curling Club To Represent Team USA at Youth Olympic Games in Korea
BISMARCK, ND – Capital Curling Club today announced Zach Brenden, Bismarck, and Owen Nelson, Mandan, with Team Ponzio came out on top at the Youth Olympic Games Trials, earning the right to represent Team USA at the Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon Province, Korea, in 2024.
Brenden and Nelson, along with their curling teammates Kenna Ponzio (skip) and Teegan Thurston achieved a 5-4 victory over Team Podhradsky in the final. Twenty-three teams competed in Denver in the Youth Olympic Games Trials for the chance to represent Team USA.
“Winning the final game of the tournament was a surreal feeling,” said Brenden. “I was so happy for our team and how we fought throughout the whole week.”
“The nerves were at an all-time high in Denver,” said Nelson, “but we kept our cool together as a team and stayed focus on what was next. Competing in Korea is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and we will take it all in.”
Brenden is a senior at Legacy High School in Bismarck and has been curling since he was 10 years old. Nelson is a senior at Mandan High School and has been curling since fifth grade. They have both competed in multiple state and national curling competitions.
Capital Curling Club members Miles Grabow, Heidi Holt and Rilee Kraft also competed at the Youth Olympic Games Trials in Denver, with Grabow and Holt making it to the final eight teams. Brenden and Nelson will compete with Team Ponzio at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in South Korea, January 19 through February 1, 2024.
ABOUT CAPITAL CURLING CLUB
Capital Curling Club is a four-sheet curling club in Bismarck, ND, boasting over 300 members. It started in Bismarck in 1982 and has been in its current location next to the VFW Sports Center since 1986. Capital Curling Club is a proud member of the Dakota Territory Curling Association and the US Curling Association. More info can be found at capitalcurlingclub.org.
CONTACT INFO
Jillian Lagasse
Capital Curling Club
jillian.lagasse@gmail.com
(701) 710-0570
Jamie Vetter
Capital Curling Club
jmvttr@gmail.com
(701) 202-7987
Brenden and Nelson, along with their curling teammates Kenna Ponzio (skip) and Teegan Thurston achieved a 5-4 victory over Team Podhradsky in the final. Twenty-three teams competed in Denver in the Youth Olympic Games Trials for the chance to represent Team USA.
“Winning the final game of the tournament was a surreal feeling,” said Brenden. “I was so happy for our team and how we fought throughout the whole week.”
“The nerves were at an all-time high in Denver,” said Nelson, “but we kept our cool together as a team and stayed focus on what was next. Competing in Korea is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and we will take it all in.”
Brenden is a senior at Legacy High School in Bismarck and has been curling since he was 10 years old. Nelson is a senior at Mandan High School and has been curling since fifth grade. They have both competed in multiple state and national curling competitions.
Capital Curling Club members Miles Grabow, Heidi Holt and Rilee Kraft also competed at the Youth Olympic Games Trials in Denver, with Grabow and Holt making it to the final eight teams. Brenden and Nelson will compete with Team Ponzio at the Winter Youth Olympic Games in South Korea, January 19 through February 1, 2024.
ABOUT CAPITAL CURLING CLUB
Capital Curling Club is a four-sheet curling club in Bismarck, ND, boasting over 300 members. It started in Bismarck in 1982 and has been in its current location next to the VFW Sports Center since 1986. Capital Curling Club is a proud member of the Dakota Territory Curling Association and the US Curling Association. More info can be found at capitalcurlingclub.org.
CONTACT INFO
Jillian Lagasse
Capital Curling Club
jillian.lagasse@gmail.com
(701) 710-0570
Jamie Vetter
Capital Curling Club
jmvttr@gmail.com
(701) 202-7987
Photo credit: USA Curling / Becky Duffy