The Wildcats have hit the ice running in the first year of curling.

Wayne State is the second college in Nebraska to have a curling team. For anyone reading this who has never heard of the sport; curling is when you sweep across the ice to control the speed and course of a puck (stone) trying to get it to stop on the bullseye (target.) This sport takes both the mental game of chess and the finesse needed to speed skate across the ice.

So far, there are seven members, including five juniors and two freshman.

Camron Groenke, president of the curling team, leads the team and holds practice every Sunday. Curling is going well with the team, currently ranked 14th and the top 16 college teams get to go to the national tournament.

“I’ve been really happy with how the season has gone down. All of the traveling and teamwork has made this a close knit group,” Groenke said.

The team has already competed in multiple games against other colleges. The curling club took on the University of Denver and came in second.

They won 8 -2 against Barron county. The team is traveling to colleges in places like Minnesota and Wisconsin.

“College is about trying new things, and with curling, it could be a once in a lifetime thing,” Groenke said.

He is happy with all of the progress the team has made this year and is excited to see what the future holds in store.

Despite all of the excitement, this year is not over yet. The Curling Club’s next event is coming up this Saturday and the team is headed to Ralston.

The match is being held here in Nebraska so the team is especially excited and ready to compete in front of familiar faces.

This year’s Wildcats should keep their eyes on the ice. To see pictures and updates of the team, check out the Facebook Page: Wayne State Curling Club.

Curling Members
Juniors:
Camron Groenke
Ryan Sousek
Bryan Carlson
Kendra Nelson
Jamie Wendt

Freshman:
Kalan Rogers
Lily Roberts