Teen curlers to represent Fargo area and North Dakota at National Curling Championship

FARGO — A group of younger ladies, considered one of them not but a young person, will tackle older athletes in a nationwide curling match in a suburb of Denver this week.

Referred to as Crew Karjalainen, the North Dakota women will compete within the fifth annual USA U18 (underneath age 18) Nationwide Curling Championship at Rock Creek Curling in Lafayette, Colorado from January 12-15.

The group is made up of Lia Karjalainen, 14, of West Fargo, Heidi Holt, 14, of Bismarck, Makenzie Vangstad, 14, of Fargo and Lily Rokke, 12, of Fargo.

One other group member, Christabella Clairmont, 15, of Fargo, injured her arm not too long ago in a college wrestling match, so Rokke goes in her place.

Coach Rachel Workin mentioned her group is 4 to 5 years youthful than many of the rivals.

“It is undoubtedly a reasonably stacked area, particularly on the ladies facet,” Workin mentioned.

The North Dakota group is amongst 12 ladies’s groups and 12 males’s groups who will vie for the nationwide title. They’ve all performed in varied territory or convention competitions all through the nation to earn the fitting to get to the championship.

Crew Karjalainen performed within the Dakota Territory and was defeated by older athletes, Crew Black out of Bismarck, however was nonetheless chosen as a second group out of the territory.

Every group is assured to play 5 video games on the nationwide match. Crew Karjalainen, beforehand sponsored by The Discussion board, has its first sport on Thursday, Jan. 12 at 10 p.m. CST.

Lia Karjalainen, the “skip” or captain of the group, has practical hopes.

“I am not anticipating us to win most of our video games, actually, however I believe it will be a superb studying expertise and simply an opportunity to satisfy new individuals,” she mentioned.

Her dad, Neil Karjalainen, mentioned they’ve performed a number of of the groups earlier than however by no means at this degree of a match.

“(To) have an outdoor likelihood at getting right into a playoff for a medal can be actually wonderful,” he mentioned.

Lia began within the sport of curling round age 7 in a youngsters program on the F-M Curling Membership and by no means appeared again.

“She’s been with it ever since,” her dad mentioned.

Lia performs in a doubles league along with her dad and a women league on Tuesdays and in one other league with boys on Thursdays.

Weekends are spent training or taking part in in tournaments, or bonspiels.

Her mother, Lyn Karjalainen, mentioned watching Lia is enjoyable, for essentially the most half.

“Each on occasion it will get to be just a little nerve wracking however I really feel like that is with any sport,” she mentioned.

Lia’s dad mentioned it’s undoubtedly extra annoying watching her compete than taking part in the sport himself.

“She’s aggressive. She expects so much out of herself and out of her teammates,” he mentioned.

Lia has a aim of qualifying to twist subsequent yr on the Youth Olympic Video games 2024 in Gangwon Province, South Korea.

The curling season runs from November via March, so within the low season, Lia runs monitor and cross nation at school.

Fargo has a sturdy youth curling program, the biggest in North Dakota, Neil Karjalainen mentioned.

Workin mentioned the FM Curling Membership has attracted a variety of aggressive gamers from all around the nation who transfer right here to attend North Dakota State College and curl on the Fargo facility.

Getting youngsters concerned in curling at a younger age is essential.

“Then they only appear to keep it up and need to return yr after yr,” Workin mentioned.