Our Team: 2012 US Men's National Bronze Medalists
John Shuster - 2-time Olympian, 4-time US Men's National Champion
Jeff Isaacson - 2010 Olympian, 2009 US Men's National Champion
Jared Zezel - 2011 US Junior National Champion and All-Star Second
John Landsteiner - 2011 US Junior National All-Star Skip
Team Background:
The 2012-2013 curling season is nearly upon us, and it proves to be a very important one for Team Shuster. With the 2014 Olympic Trials to take place in December of 2013, this year’s USA Men’s National Championships will not only crown this year’s National Champion, it will also determine the final 2 spots at the Olympic Trials.
Last season, Team Shuster narrowly missed capturing one of the first two Olympic Trials berths by finishing 3rd at the 2012 USA National Championships. Thus, the team looks forward to the upcoming season with lofty goals. Building off that 3rd place finish in our inaugural campaign, we will be traveling across North America looking for the best training and competitive opportunities to better that finish.
Why we need your help:
With John L. and Jared being full-time students, and Jeff and John S. only working part time jobs to leave time for training and travel, competing expenses are difficult to come by.
There are limited resources allocated to elite athletes by USA Curling, however, teams like ours who are not already qualified for the Olympic Trials are forced to bear most of the burden of those competing costs ourselves. (John L. and Jared each receive a small amount from USA Curling's Project 2018 Program)
Last season, our competing costs, which include entry fees, lodging, and travel, topped $10,000. This upcoming season, our competing costs will be over $11,000. With just a few sponsors already onboard, we are looking to raise $7000 more so we can put together a competition schedule that can prepare us to win a National Championship, putting us in the 2014 Olympic Trials.
Where we will be Playing this Season:
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Event
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Location
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Dates
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Point Optical Curling Classic
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Saskatoon, SK Canada
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Sept. 21-24
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Manitoba Lotteries Men's Classic
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Brandon, MB, Canada
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Oct. 5-8
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St. Paul Cashpiel
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St. Paul, MN
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Oct. 12-14
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Bernick’s Miller Lite Open
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Bemidji, MN
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Oct. 26-28
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Courtesy Freight Superspiel
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Thunder Bay, ON, Canada
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Nov. 9-11
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Coors Light Cashspiel
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Duluth, MN
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Nov. 23-25
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Curl Mesabi Cashspiel
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Eveleth, MN
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Dec. 14-16
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US Men's Qualifying Round
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Hibbing, MN
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Jan. 2-6
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MCA Bonspiel
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Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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Jan. 17-21
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2013 USA National Championships*
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Green Bay, WI
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Feb. 9-16
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2013 World Curling Championships*
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Victoria, BC, Canada
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Mar. 30-Apr. 7
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*denotes events we must qualify for to attend
Webstreaming:
This upcoming season, Team Shuster will be webstreaming many of our games at www.veetle.com, where you can follow our progress along with the thousands who tuned in at the US National Championships last year.
Thank You:
We would like to thank all of you in advance for your support of our team and our dream!
