We made it! Team Yale came 3rd at the National College Curling Championship in Eau Claire, WI.
Yale finished first in their pool going 2-1 against Harvard, Hamilton and University of Wisconsin - Green Bay and then defeated St Norbert College in the Championship round. In the Semi-Final Yale lost against the ultimate national champion (University of Wisconsin - Steven’s Point) but remained victorious against UPenn in the Bronze-Medal match.
Skip Michael Parker summarises his feelings of his last College Curling National Championships.: “It is hard to put into words the feelings of the past few days. I am of course ecstatic that we were able to accomplish one of the original goals I set for the Yale curling team when it was founded: To win a medal at Nationals. The level of competition has continued to increase every year and it is undoubtedly much harder to be successful in college curling than it was when I started four years ago.
That being said, here are a few of the accomplishments this team has achieved in the last four years:
1. Three college bonspiel championships
2. Approximately 15 event final wins
3. Made the Final Four at Nationals two consecutive years (2017, 2018), both times losing to the eventual National Champions in the semifinals, this year by one rock.
4. Won the Bronze medal at Nationals (2018)
To say that I am still in awe of what our team has been able to accomplish in such a short time is an understatement. Here’s a few reason’s why:
1. We have until now never been recognized as a club by our University.
2. None of us had ever curled before coming to Yale.
3. Our team’s combined years of curling experience at Nationals: 10 years.
I hope that the main takeaway from all of this for college curlers reading this is that you CAN start a club from scratch. You CAN have success with new curlers. You CAN achieve more than you ever believed was actually possible. If we can do it, so can you.
And for those in the process of starting or who are struggling to find success, don’t give up. Don’t become complacent. Don’t let failure limit your progress. In my first year, we went 0-4 at Nationals. In my second year we went 2-3, losing the fourth place game. In my third year we made the semifinals and left with nothing. We failed SO MANY times. But we never gave up and when I look back at all of it I am extremely proud of that resilience. It will serve the members of this team well far beyond the ice.
I expected to get really emotional and break down in front of everyone afterward, but was surprised that instead I just felt an overwhelming sense of calm. I think when this started I wanted all of this for somewhat selfish reasons, but in the end I instead wanted it for the legion that always stood behind me, supported me, and believed in me to bring this team here. And really, I think my own level of performance this weekend contained at least in part on playing for them rather than myself. To finally accomplish what we set out to do was an homage to my curling family more than it will ever be about my own personal success, and of that I am inexplicably proud. That is the beauty of the spirit of this game.
Also, special thank you’s to our coach, Ed Scimia for his exceptional guidance and support and our mentors and friends at Nutmeg Curling Club, without whom none of us would even know how to slide. “
Congratulations to all players who curled in Eau Claire (Michael Parker, Patrick Huang, Xiang Li, Gregory Dellis and Fabian Schrey) but also to all the other curlers of our team who worked hard all year to work that we qualify by attending and winning Bonspiels all season (Cecilia Wang, Elizabeth Coquillette and Xian Gu).