Andrew Stopera
Curler
Born (1997-09-30) September 30, 1997
Briarcliff Manor, New York
Team
SkipAndrew Stopera
FourthKorey Dropkin
SecondMark Fenner
LeadThomas Howell
AlternateBen Richardson
Mixed doubles
partner		Sarah Anderson
Curling career
Member Association United States
Pan Continental Championship
appearances		2 (2022, 2023)
Medal record
Men's Curling
Representing  United States
World Junior Championships
Silver medal – second place 2017 Gangneung
Pan Continental Curling Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Calgary
US Men's Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Denver
United States Mixed Doubles Championship
Silver medal – second place 2021 Wausau
Silver medal – second place 2022 Middleton
Silver medal – second place 2023 Kalamazoo
United States Olympic Curling Trials
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Omaha

Andrew Stopera (born September 30, 1997) is an American curler from Briarcliff Manor, New York.[1] He currently throws third rocks and skips Team Korey Dropkin. He is a three-time United States Junior Champion and won the silver medal at the 2017 World Junior Championships.

Career

Stopera had a prolific junior curling career, playing in the United States Junior Championships seven straight years, 2013–2019, and medaling every time. The first two seasons of his junior career Stopera played third for Scott Dunnam's team. They earned bronze at the 2013 Junior Nationals[2] and improved to silver at the 2014 Junior Nationals.

Dunnam aged out of juniors after the 2013–14 season and Stopera joined the United States Curling Association's (USCA) Junior High Performance Program.[3] Stopera was added to the Korey Dropkin rink at the lead position, joining Tom Howell, Mark Fenner, and alternate Luc Violette. Despite the new team, the result at the 2015 Junior Nationals was a familiar one, another silver medal. The team also competed in the United States Men's Championship, where they finished 7th. The next season, Stopera formed a new team, adding Luc Violette at third, Steven Szemple at second, and William Pryor at lead. The new lineup earned bronze at the 2016 Junior Nationals.

For the 2016–17 season, Team Stopera got a new front end, with Ben Richardson joining at second and Graem Fenson at lead. This line-up won the next three United States Junior Championships, 2017–2019.[4][5] Winning Junior Nationals earned them the chance to represent the United States at the World Junior Championships.[6] At their first appearance, the 2017 Worlds, they earned the silver medal when they lost to Lee Ki-jeong's South Korean team in the final. At the 2018 Worlds they made it to the bronze medal match but lost to Team Switzerland.[7] Stopera finished fifth at his final Worlds in 2019.[8]

Stopera played at the Winter University Games (WUG) twice as a junior, in 2017 and 2019. He played as alternate for Alex Leichter's team at the 2017 Games, finishing in sixth place. Two years later, Stopera returned to the WUG as skip but again came up short, finishing in eighth place.[9]

After aging out of juniors Stopera joined Todd Birr's team for the 2019–20 season, playing third.[10] For that season he also remained in the USCA's High Performance Program as a mixed doubles athlete competing with Madison Bear.[11] For the 2020–21 season Stopera joined Rich Ruohonen's men's High Performance Program team as vice-skip.[12] Stopera also was selected, along with teammate Madison Bear, to be the first U-25 mixed doubles national team. The U-25 team program, which stands for under 25 years old, was added in 2020 as a new part of the High Performance Program with the intention of bridging the development gap between juniors and adult-level curling.[13]

Personal life

Stopera's father Bill is also a curler, and won the United States Men's Championship in 2012.[3] Andrew graduated from Northwestern University. [14]

Teams

Men's

Season Skip Third Second Lead Alternate Coach Events
2012–13 Scott DunnamAndrew StoperaSteven SzempleAndrew Dunnam2013 USJCC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2013–14 Scott DunnamAndrew StoperaSteven SzempleAndrew Dunnam2014 USJCC 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2014–15 Korey DropkinTom HowellMark FennerAndrew StoperaLuc Violette2015 USJCC 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2015 USMCC (7th)
2015–16 Andrew StoperaLuc VioletteSteven SzempleWilliam Pryor2016 USJCC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Heath McCormickBill StoperaDean GemmellMark LazarAndrew Stopera2016 USMCC (10th)
2016–17 Andrew StoperaLuc VioletteBen RichardsonGraem FensonMark Lazar2017 USJCC 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2017 WJCC 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Alex LeichterNate ClarkChris BondCalvin WeberAndrew StoperaFrederick Leichter2017 WUG (6th)
2017–18 Andrew StoperaLuc VioletteBen RichardsonGraem FensonCaleb ClawsonMark Lazar2018 USJCC 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2018 WJCC (4th)
2018–19 Andrew StoperaLuc VioletteBen RichardsonGraem FensonRiley FensonMark Lazar2019 USJCC 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2019 WJCC (5th)
Andrew StoperaLuc VioletteAlex FensonGraem FensonMark Lazar2019 WUG (8th)
2019–20 Todd BirrAndrew StoperaHunter ClawsonTom O'Connor2020 USMCC (8th)
2020–21 Rich RuohonenAndrew StoperaColin HufmanKroy NernbergerPhilip TilkerPete Annis2021 USMCC (7th)
2021–22 Rich RuohonenAndrew StoperaColin HufmanPhilip TilkerKroy NernbergerPete Annis2021 USOCT 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2022–23 Korey DropkinAndrew StoperaMark FennerTom Howell2022 PCCC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2023 USMCC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2023–24 Korey Dropkin (Fourth)Andrew Stopera (Skip)Mark FennerTom Howell2023 PCCC (4th)

Mixed doubles

Season Female Male Events
2019–20 Madison BearAndrew Stopera2020 USMDCC (8th)
2020–21 Madison BearAndrew Stopera2021 USMDCC 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2021–22 Madison BearAndrew Stopera2021 USMDOT (9th)
Monica WalkerAndrew Stopera2022 USMDCC 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2022–23 Sarah AndersonAndrew Stopera2023 USMDCC 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2023–24 Sarah AndersonAndrew Stopera

Grand Slam record

Key
C Champion
F Lost in Final
SF Lost in Semifinal
QF Lost in Quarterfinals
R16 Lost in the round of 16
Q Did not advance to playoffs
T2 Played in Tier 2 event
DNP Did not participate in event
N/A Not a Grand Slam event that season
Event 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24
Tour Challenge T2 DNP N/A N/A T2 Q
The National DNP DNP N/A DNP SF QF
Masters DNP DNP N/A Q Q Q
Canadian Open DNP DNP N/A N/A QF
Players' DNP N/A DNP DNP Q
Champions Cup DNP N/A DNP DNP QF N/A

References

  1. ↑ "Andrew Stopera". USA Curling. Archived from the original on January 1, 2016. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  2. ↑ Bruttell, Nathan (2013-02-06). "Briarcliff Teen Earns National Junior Curling Medal". Briarcliff Daily Voice. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  3. 1 2 LoPriore, Danny (2014-08-08). "Ardsley Curling Club's Stopera Invited To Training Program". Rivertowns Daily Voice. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  4. ↑ Jung, Tristan (2019-03-15). "High-level curlers face thin margins, tough travel schedule". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  5. ↑ Haggerty, Nancy (2019-02-01). "Curling: Briarcliff's Stopera leads his team to third straight U.S. Junior National title". lohud.com. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  6. ↑ Patterson, Nick (2017-02-12). "Local youth ushers in start of USA curling nationals in Everett". HeraldNet.com. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  7. ↑ Monteith, Austin (2018-03-10). "CURLING: Sinclair, Persinger teams win Nationals". The Jamestown Sun. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  8. ↑ "World Junior Curling Championships 2019". World Curling Federation. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  9. ↑ "U.S. men finish eighth at World University Games". USA Curling. 2019-03-08. Archived from the original on February 4, 2020. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  10. ↑ "Qualified teams, 2020 USA Curling National Championships". USA Curling. Archived from the original on January 14, 2020. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  11. ↑ Davis, Terry (2019-07-30). "HPP mixed doubles teams and athlete additions announced". USA Curling. Archived from the original on December 27, 2019. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  12. ↑ "CHANGES TO TEAM RUOHONEN". Team USA. April 21, 2020. Archived from the original on April 30, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  13. ↑ "U-25 NATIONAL TEAM PROGRAM". Team USA. June 24, 2020. Archived from the original on July 17, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Team USA". Team USA. Archived from the original on January 1, 2016.
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