Montana Curlers: Headed To First-Ever National Championship

Montana has a way of producing people who go out and do big things. That fierce, competitive spirit is just part of who Montanans are. While we might not be churning out pro surfers anytime soon, we do have a new first to brag about—a group of Montana women just became the first from our state to qualify for a national curling championship.

The group of women have qualified for the USA Curling Arena Club National Championship. It's a huge honor to make the cut, and now they will have the opportunity to compete on center stage in Las Vegas.

Jamie Conne (from Laurel) and Mary Johnson (from Red Lodge), both part of the Billings Curling Club, joined forces with Amanda Opitz and Abbie Ebert from the Last Chance Curling Club near Helena. Together, they formed Team Montana. They headed to the Dakota Territory Regional Qualifier, came out on top, and punched their ticket to nationals in Vegas.

Now, I'll be honest—I don't know a ton about curling. Like a lot of us, I really only see it when the Winter Olympics roll around every four years. It's one of those sports you watch and think, "How hard can it be?" But the more you look into it, the more you realize it takes serious skill. It's a game of offense, defense, strategy, and a whole lot of precision. The kind of sport that's way tougher than it looks on TV.

Get our free mobile app

Congratulations to Team Montana, and we will be cheering them on as they head to the Women's USA Curling Arena Club National Championship in Las Vegas from October 14-19!