Madison Bear (photo: Rich Harmer) of Chaska, Minnesota booked their place in November's Olympic qualifier with an undefeated weekend at the Seattle Qualifier. Bear with Annmarie Dubberstein at third, Taylor Drees at second, and Allison Howell at lead went 4-0, winning their final game Sunday against Christine McMakin (Fargo, ND) 11-2.
The undefeated record set Bear ahead in the competition, a double-knockout requirement meant they had to sit back and wait for completion of the final round-robin draw. McMakin entered with a 2-1 record and could have forced a playoff where Bear would need to be beaten twice, but fell 6-5 to Rachel Workin, also of Fargo. The result left Bear as the only team without two losses and their spot booked into the USA Curling Olympic Team Trials held in Omaha, Nebraska, from November 12-21 at Baxter Arena. Bear joins Tabitha Peterson (Chaska), Jamie Sinclair (Charlotte, NC) and Cory Christensen (Duluth, MN) as the first four qualifiers, with two remaining berths up for grabs. Bear opened with a 7-6 win over Kim Rhyme of Minneapolis, then won 10-5 over Delaney Strouse, also of Minneapolis. Bear won 11-8 against Workin, setting up the final round-robin game. |