NDSU curler places second at nationals
With the winter Olympics coming up, some events such as curling take on added importance in the world of sports.
However, for one NDSU student, the sport has already paid large dividends.
Tucker Smith, a junior electrical engineering major, recently placed second in the national junior championships in Duluth, Minn.
Smith, the skipper for his team, was also the skipper on the NDSU club team that won the state title two weeks ago with a win over UND.
The skipper is the leader of the team who throws the last rocks of a competition.
Smith has been involved in curling from a young age.
“ My dad started curling when he attended NDSU,” Smith said. “He taught me how to play when I was young, and I’ve been doing it ever since.”
At the national tournament, Smith’s team defeated the Wisconsin champions in the semi-finals.
Then the team lost to the champion team from Minnesota 6-5 in the finals.
That, however, was not the most difficult part of the journey.
“ Winning state juniors was maybe more difficult than nationals,” Smith said.
“ There are so many of the nation’s best teams in North Dakota.”
One such team that included NDSU students Zack Jacobson and Jeff Thume squared off against Smith’s team in the state final.
“ Beating them was great,” Smith said. “I think that they were ranked No. 1 in the nation at the time, so obviously it was amazing.”
NDSU sophomore Christina Schwartz also competed in the girl’s portion of the junior nationals.
What Smith really loves about curling is he can continue to compete for years to come.
“ It’s really a life-long sport, unlike in football or basketball when your body gives out you really can’t play anymore,” Smith said. “You can compete in curling for life.”
In fact, one of the curlers Smith just met started when we was 73 years old.
“ He’s 91 now, and he’s still going,” Smith said.
After graduation, Smith hopes he can get a job in a state where there is curling in order to stay active in the sport.
“ I want to do this as long as I’m around,” Smith said. “Junior nationals is just a stepping stone. Someday I would like to win men’s nationals — that would be the ultimate.”
In the near future, an NDSU graduate such as Smith may appear in places like Torino, Italy, curling in the Olympics.
“You never know,” Smith said.