CURLING CLUB INITIATED
Student, Nik Geller, inspired others to become active in the sport of curling in 2006 and formed the Curling Club.
As curling was gaining popularity at BGSU, interested players completed regionally and nationally. In 2005 there were two teams consisting of four players; Divisions 3 and 1 who competed before officially becoming a club. The Division 3 team included players Matt Cary, Matt Sussman, Luke Dubin and Nik Geller, who finished fourth at the College Curling National Tournament. A Division 1 team also competed at the Chicago Curling Club, and included Mike Moore, Jordan Atherine, Tom Moore, and Nick Young.
The Curling Club was officially founded and led by Nik Geller and started off strong in the 2006 season; with 1 team winning gold at their regional event and 2 teams placing second and third in Divisions 3 and 4 in their national event at other universities. During this time, the sport was becoming more popular due to the success of the U.S. men’s and women’s curling teams at the 2006 Torino Olympics. Although curling has been a part of the Winter Olympics for years, in 2006 the United States men’s team placed third resulting in a boost in mainstream media, allowing more people to become aware of Curling, causing the spike in popularity. Club curlers possessed this same enthusiasm and sought ways to learn more about the sport and its fundamentals.
The students turned to Associate Professor of Biological Science, Dr. Mike McKay, who had been regularly teaching Physical Education General curling classes since 1999 at the University. Bowling Green represented the Great Lakes Region, where McKay was the co-chairman of the regional tournament. This affiliation helped with the club’s long-term success because he had the contacts to encourage other colleges and university clubs to compete when BGSU hosted events. Luke Dubin, a Division 3 team member, got his start in curling from a Canadian Studies class which took a trip to the BGSU Ice Arena and learned how to play the sport, as well as attending open curling and enrolling in Dr. Mike McKay’s class.
A distinguishing factor for BGSU is that it was the only university as of 2007 to have a dedicated curling sheet, making it easier for them to schedule consistent practices. Players from other universities have said that Bowling Green is lucky to have a class that teaches curling, as well as a designated rink in the ice arena.
Sources:
A Day in the Life of a Curling Student. (2006, March 31). [Newspaper article]. The B-G News. BGSU Student Newspaper. Bowling Green State University. (Book 7585). P. 9. http://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bg-news/7585/
Curling club goes to Chicago for nationals. (2007, March 16). [Newspaper article]. The B-G News. BGSU Student Newspaper. Bowling Green State University. (Book 7734). P. 3.
http://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bg-news/7734/
Ice Arena expands; new programs set. (1969, November 13). [Newspaper article]. The B-G News. BGSU Student Newspaper. Bowling Green State University. (Book 2387). P. 7, 12. http://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bg-news/2387/
BG’s club sports provide opportunity for athletes. (2007, July 18). [Newspaper article]. The B-G News. BGSU Student Newspaper. Bowling Green State University. (Book 7775). P. 5. http://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bg-news/7775/
BG curlers capture second place at nationals. (2005, March 23). [Newspaper article]. The B-G News. BGSU Student Newspaper. Bowling Green State University. (Book 7418). P. 8. http://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bg-news/7418/
More to ice than just hockey. (2005, April 7). [Newspaper article]. The B-G News. BGSU Student Newspaper. Bowling Green State University. (Book 7428). P. 9. http://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/bg-news/7428/
“You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby.” (1974). [Yearbook article]. Kamber, K. A. (ed.). The Key 1974. Bowling Green State University. (Book 133). P. 176. http://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/yearbooks/133/
[Curling Men]. (2006). Retrieved from http://www.olympic.org/curling/curling-men
