Duluth Curlers Rule The National Championships

A couple of Duluth Curlers took home the National Championship prize and in an exciting fashion.

Team Sinclair came in the team to beat and wanted to win with a perfect record, it entered the Championship Final with the hammer, which means they throw last. Sinclair started slow and only scored a single point even though they threw last.

Looking to finish the Championship with a perfect record, Team Sinclair entered the Championship final with the hammer.

Scoring only a single in the first end, Sinclair passed the hammer to Cory Christensen, who made good use of it removing a Sinclair rock to score three in the second end.

Trailing by two points in the fourth end, Jamie Sinclair faced three opponent stones when she got in the hack to throw the final rock of the end. Making a hit and stick, Sinclair scored a single point with the hammer.

After blanking the fifth end, Team Christensen added two points to the board by making a short runback.

In the seventh end, a draw attempt by Cory Christensen slid to the back of the rings. Already sitting one counter, Jamie Sinclair used Christensen’s rock as backing to execute her draw for two.

Trailing by one point without hammer in the eighth end, Team Sinclair guarded their rock on the four-foot. A missed runback attempt from Team Christensen opened the door for Sinclair to draw another rock into the house. Team Sinclair sat two rocks in the eight-foot when Cory Christensen attempted a hit and roll to score a single point. Not rolling far enough, Team Sinclair successfully stole a point to tie up the game at 5-5.

In the ninth frame of the Championship final, one red Sinclair rock sat in the house under coverage when Team Christensen elected to draw for a single point. Drawing the four-foot on her last, Cory Christensen scored one point, putting team Christensen ahead 6-5 without hammer in the tenth.

A freeze followed by a draw to the four-foot in the tenth end by Cory Christensen forced Team Sinclair to take a single point to go into an extra end.

In the extra end, Jamie Sinclair froze to Cory Christensen’s rock that sat on the back of the button. With their stones sitting second and third count, Christensen was able to throw a pick on her last rock to remove Sinclair’s stone and win the 2021 U.S. Women’s National Championship title.

“I’m so incredibly proud of the girls and it’s so great to be back out here,” said Cory Christensen after her first Women’s National Championship title.

“We definitely felt like we were in control and that it was our game to win,” Christensen added.