Two Minnesota curling skips, John Shuster and Tabitha Peterson, led their teams to the men’s and women’s titles at the USA Curling national championships Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J.

Shuster, an Olympic gold medalist from Chisholm, rallied his team to an 11-6 win over Team Korey Dropkin in a final between two Duluth-based rinks. Shuster’s team went 7-1 to reach the title match, then took command of the final when the skip delivered an open hit for five points in the seventh end. Shuster’s current lineup, which includes Duluth residents Chris Plys and John Landsteiner, has won four U.S. titles in the past five years.

Peterson, a two-time Olympian from St. Paul, led her team to a 10-5 victory over Team Sarah Anderson in the final. Peterson’s group, which includes Tara Peterson of Eagan and Cory Thiesse of Duluth, won its final eight matches to earn its second consecutive U.S. championship.

Team Peterson will compete in the women’s world championships March 16-24 in Nova Scotia, while Team Shuster moves on to the men’s worlds March 30-April 7 in Switzerland.

RACHEL BLOUNT

Gophers’ McCauley sits in third place

The Gophers’ Isabella McCauley shot a one-under-par 71 and is tied for third place at four-under 140 after two rounds of the Purdue Puerto Rico Classic at Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. Kansas State’s Carla Bernat also had a 71 and is in the lead at six under. Furman’s Anna Morgan (71) is in second place at five under.

Minnesota’s Emma Carpenter shot a second-round 72 and is tied for 10th at two-under 142. The Gophers are in 12th place in the team competition at 13-over 589. LSU leads at four under, with Texas A&M one stroke back. The final round is Tuesday.