CURLING: Wisconsin's Pam Oleinik wins third senior women's national title

Terry Kolesar	(715) 344-1199 ext. 202
December 04, 2011 4:05 PM	terry.kolesar@usacurl.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Dec. 4, 2011

 

Oleinik rink captures 2012 Senior Women's title

 

(STEVENS POINT, Wis.) - Wisconsin's Pam Oleinik found her way back to the top of the podium as she clinched her third senior women's title this afternoon with a 6-4 defeat of Seattle's Sharon Vukich rink at the 2012 USA Curling Senior Women's National Championship at the Grafton Curling Club in Grafton, N.D.

 

This is also the third title for Oleinik's longtime vice skip Laurie Rahn (Lake Forest, Ill.). The two also teamed up to win titles in 2008 and 2007. Along with teammates Julie Denten (Northbrook, Ill.) and Stephanie Martin (Barrington, Ill.), the Oleinik rink now becomes Team USA for the 2012 World Senior Championships April 14-21 in Tärnby, Denmark.

 

After Oleinik's team stole a single to start the game, Vukich and teammates Miyo Konno (Monroe, Wash.), Linda Cornfield (Seattle) and Cathie Tomlinson (Seattle) scored two points over the next two ends. The lead was quickly taken back by Oleinik's team as they scored a deuce to grab a 3-2 advantage. Vukich answered with a deuce as well but it was Oleinik's rink that put points on the scoreboard in the next three ends to secure the win.

 

Men's teams skipped by Ian Journeaux (Plover, Wis.) and Paul Pustovar (Hibbing, Minn.) moved on to the championship final after posting semifinal wins. That game is set for 7 tonight at the Capital Curling Club in Bismarck, N.D. Still undefeated, Journeaux and teammates David Carlson (Portage, Wis.), Timothy Funk (McFarland, Wis.) and Ken Spatola (McFarland, Wis.) have two tries to win the title with the double knockout provision in place. That means Pustovar's 2010 world senior champions have to win two big games to become champs. Pustovar, who won U.S. senior titles in 2010 and 2009, has teammates that know how to win as Brian Simonson (Hibbing, Minn.), John Kokotovich (Hibbing, Minn.) and Don Mohawk (Nashwauk, Minn.) have won three senior titles and three medals at the subsequent world senior championships.

 

Both semifinal games were won by 6-3 scores. Journeaux's team broke open a 2-2 tie in the sixth end with three points against Ross Litman's Minnesota rink. A steal of one in the seventh had Litman and teammates Sam Perrella (Duluth, Minn.), David Johnson (Duluth, Minn.) and Mike Kniffin (Hibbing, Minn.) chasing, and they would not score again as the Journeaux rink earned the win.

 

Pustovar's team struck for points first against Craig Disher's North Dakota rink with a deuce in the second end. Disher (Rolla, N.D.) and teammates Kevin Kakela (Rolla, N.D.), Kelby Smith (Minot, N.D.) and Gary Garceau (Saint John, N.D.) momentarily took the lead with three points in the fourth end, but it would prove to be the only points scored for the North Dakota team as Pustovar's squad scored four unanswered points for the win.

 

Follow along online as the 2012 Senior Nationals concludes at www.usacurl.org/curlingrocks with scores in the Scoreboard section, courtesy of USA Curling partner CurlingZone. Live webstreaming from Bismarck can be found at http://www.livestream.com/northdakotacurling?t=169243.

 

Line scores:
Women's tiebreaker:
Oleinik  100 201 11 - 6
*Vukich  011 020 00 - 4

 

Men's semifinals:
Journeaux 010 103 10 - 6
*Litman 001 010 01 - 3

 

Disher  000 300 00 - 3
*Pustovar 020 011 02 - 6
*last stone in first end

 

USA Curling is sponsored by AtomAmpd, Brooms Up Curling Supplies, Nike and RAM Brewery and Restaurant.

 

Visit the USA Curling website at www.usacurl.org and connect with USA Curling on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Foursquare.

 

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For more information: Terry Kolesar, USA Curling, terry.kolesar@usacurl.org, 715-344-1199, Ext. 202 or 608-338-9900 (cell).