Joe Polo
{{short description|American curler}}
{{Infobox curler
| name = Joseph Polo
| image =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|12|10}}
| birth_place = Duluth, Minnesota
| image_size = 200
| Curling club = Bemidji CC, Bemidji, Minnesota
| Third = Rich Ruohonen
| Second = Matt Mellin
| Lead = Derek Benson
| Alternate =
| Mixed doubles partner = Tabitha Peterson
| Member Association = {{USA}}
| World Championship appearances = 7 ({{WMCC|2005}}, {{WMCC|2006}}, {{WMCC|2010}}, {{WMCC|2011}}, {{WMCC|2014}}, {{WMCC|2017}}, {{WMCC|2022}})
| World Mixed Doubles Championship appearances = 2 ({{WMDCC|2016}}, {{WMDCC|2021}})
| Olympic appearances = 2 (2006, 2018)
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport|Curling}}
{{MedalCountry|{{USA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition| Winter Olympics}}
{{MedalGold| 2018 Pyeongchang|Team}}
{{MedalBronze| 2006 Turin|Team}}
{{MedalCompetition| World Mixed Doubles Championship}}
{{MedalBronze| {{WMDCC|2016|2016 Karlstad}}|}}
{{MedalCompetition| US Men's Championship}}
{{MedalGold| {{USMCC|2005|2005 Madison}}|}}
{{MedalGold| {{USMCC|2006|2006 Bemidji}}|}}
{{MedalGold| {{USMCC|2010|2010 Kalamazoo}}|}}
{{MedalGold| {{USMCC|2011|2011 Fargo}}|}}
{{MedalGold| {{USMCC|2014|2014 Philadelphia}}|}}
{{MedalGold| {{USMCC|2017|2017 Everett}}|}}
{{MedalGold | 2021 Wausau | }}
{{MedalSilver| {{USMCC|2012|2012 Philadelphia}}|}}
{{MedalBronze| {{USMCC|2015|2015 Kalamazoo}}|}}
{{MedalCompetition| US Olympic Trials}}
{{MedalGold| 2005 Madison|}}
{{MedalGold| 2017 Omaha|}}
{{MedalSilver| 2013 Fargo|}}
{{MedalCompetition| US Mixed Doubles Championship }}
{{MedalGold| {{USMDCC|2020|2020 Eau Claire}}|}}
{{MedalSilver| {{USMDCC|2017|2017 Blaine}}|}}
{{MedalBronze| {{USMDCC|2016|2016 Denver}}|}}
}}
Joseph Polo (born December 10, 1982) is an American curler who is best known for winning a bronze medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics and being the alternate on the gold-medal winning United States men's team at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Polo was raised in Floodwood, Minnesota before moving to Cass Lake. He learned to curl in nearby Bemidji at the age of 10 in the Bemidji Curling Club's Sunday Night Junior League.{{Cite news|last=Monteith|first=Austin|date=February 28, 2020|title=Bemidji's golden boy: Olympic gold medalist Joe Polo back home for Mixed Doubles Nationals|work=The Bemidji Pioneer|url=https://www.bemidjipioneer.com/sports/4974614-Bemidji%E2%80%99s-golden-boy-Olympic-gold-medalist-Joe-Polo-back-home-for-Mixed-Doubles-Nationals|access-date=April 16, 2021}}
Curling career
= Men's =
When Polo transitioned from juniors to men's, he joined Pete Fenson's team at second. The team also consisted of John Shuster at lead and Shawn Rojeski at third. Team Fenson won the United States Olympic trials ahead of the 2006 Winter Olympics, which also counted as the 2005 National Championships. As a result, they represented the United States at the 2005 World Men's Curling Championship, where they just missed the playoffs when they lost a tiebreaker game to Norway's Pål Trulsen. At the Olympics they lost to Canada, skipped by Brad Gushue, in the semifinals and then defeated David Murdoch's Team Great Britain to take the bronze medal. Shortly after the Olympics completed they successfully defended their United States National Title at the 2006 National Men's Championship, which earned them another trip to the World Championship. At the 2006 World Men's Championship, held in Lowell, Massachusetts, they finished in fourth place when they lost the 3 vs 4 page playoff game to Norway's Thomas Ulsrud. On January 16, 2007, the team was named the 2006 USOC Team of the Year.USOC honors top U.S. athletes for 2006, http://www.usolympicteam.com/117_50738.htm
Polo continued to play second on Fenson's team for another eight seasons, winning the United States Men's Championship three more times. The only year they didn't compete at the National Championship was in 2009, when they ended up one win short of earning a spot at the play-in tournament, and missed the combination National Championship and Olympic Trials.{{Cite news|date=February 3, 2009|title=Fenson rink falls short in Olympic trials bid|work=The Bemidji Pioneer|url=https://www.bemidjipioneer.com/news/228271-fenson-rink-falls-short-olympic-trials-bid|access-date=April 16, 2021}}
After participating at the 2010 Worlds and finishing in fourth place,{{Cite news|date=April 12, 2010|title=Curling: U.S. men fall in third-place match|work=Duluth News Tribune|url=https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/sports/curling-us-men-fall-third-place-match|access-date=April 16, 2021}} Polo, Fenson, Rojeski, and Ryan Brunt went to the 2011 Continental Cup of Curling, where Team North America defeated Team World. The team then headed to the 2011 US Nationals, where they again won gold when they finished the tournament undefeated. They represented the United States at the 2011 Ford World Men's Curling Championship in April at Regina, Saskatchewan, finishing in 10th place with a 3–8 win–loss record after a series of close losses.
Starting in the 2016–17 season, Polo joined John Shuster's team as a full-time alternate; the rest of the team included Tyler George, Matt Hamilton, and John Landsteiner. Polo won his sixth US title with Team Shuster at the 2017 United States Men's Championship and then the team finished the 2017 World Championship in fourth place when they lost to Switzerland in the bronze medal match.{{Cite web|title=Ford World Men's Curling Championship 2017|url=http://results.worldcurling.org/Championship/Details/580|access-date=May 14, 2020|website=World Curling Federation|archive-date=February 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215033112/http://results.worldcurling.org/Championship/Details/580|url-status=dead}} At the 2017 United States Olympic Curling Trials, Team Shuster beat Heath McCormick's team in a best-of-three final series, setting up Polo's second Olympics appearance.{{cite magazine|last=Peters|first=Justin|date=February 22, 2018|title=Somebody Needs to Make a Movie About John Shuster and His Ragtag Team of Curling Rejects|url=https://slate.com/culture/2018/02/john-shuster-and-the-underdog-us-mens-curling-team-will-play-for-gold-in-pyeongchang.html|magazine=Slate Magazine|access-date=February 22, 2018}} At the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, the US team lost four of its first six matches and needed to win all of its three remaining matches to qualify for the playoffs, but all of its remaining opponents (Canada, Switzerland, and Great Britain) were then among the top four teams. Nevertheless, the US team won all three matches to finish the round-robin in third place with a record of 5–4. In the semifinals they defeated Canada's Kevin Koe, a two-time world champion, to reach the gold-medal match versus Niklas Edin's team representing Sweden. The gold-medal game was close through seven ends, with the score tied 5–5, but the United States scored five in the eighth end to set up a 10–7 victory.{{cite news|last=Estes|first=Gentry|date=February 23, 2018|title=Morning Coffee: To John Shuster of USA Curling: I'm sorry for doubting you|newspaper=Louisville Courier-Journal|url=https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/2018/02/23/john-shuster-usa-curling-im-sorry-doubting-you/363123002/|access-date=February 23, 2018}}{{cite news|last=Hendricks|first=Maggie|date=February 28, 2018|title=Olympic curler John Shuster on the mantra that brought his team back from brink of elimination|newspaper=USA Today|url=http://ftw.usatoday.com/2018/02/olympic-curler-john-shuster-on-the-mantra-that-brought-his-team-back-from-brink-of-elimination|access-date=March 3, 2018}} This was the first Olympic gold medal in curling for the United States.
Polo joined a team of four younger curlers, Korey Dropkin, Tom Howell, Mark Fenner, and Alex Fenson, at the start of the 2018–19 season and the team rotated line-ups throughout the season.
= Mixed doubles =
In 2016, Polo teamed up with Tabitha Peterson to compete at the United States Mixed Doubles World Trials, a tournament to determine the US representative at the 2016 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in Karlstad, Sweden. They finished with an impressive 9–1 record, earning them the spot at Worlds. Peterson and Polo finished the round-robin group play undefeated, losing to Russia's Alexander Krushelnitskiy and Anastasia Bryzgalova in the semifinals. In the bronze medal match they defeated Team Scotland, Bruce Mouat and Gina Aitken, 9–7.{{Cite web|title=World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship 2016: Tournament details|url=http://results.worldcurling.org/Championship/Details/531|access-date=2019-06-06|website=results.worldcurling.org}}
Polo has continued to compete in mixed doubles with Peterson since that first success. At the 2017 US Mixed Doubles Championship Polo and Peterson earned the silver medal losing to the brother and sister duo of Matt and Becca Hamilton in the final. Later in 2017 Polo and Peterson competed at the first United States Mixed Doubles Olympic Trials, where they finished tied for fifth with a record of 3–4.
At the 2019 United States Mixed Doubles Championship, Polo and Peterson went undefeated through the round-robin section of the tournament but ultimately lost in the semifinal to eventual champions Cory Christensen and John Shuster.{{Cite web|title=USA Curling Mixed Doubles National Championship: Team Peterson – St. Paul, MN|url=http://www.curlingzone.com/event.php?view=Team&eventid=5799&teamid=133030&profileid=11856#1|access-date=2019-06-06|language=en-US}} The next year, Polo and Peterson again faced Christensen and Shuster, but this time in the final and Peterson and Polo won 7–4.{{Cite news|last=Monteith|first=Austin|date=March 1, 2020|title=CURLING: Bemidji native Polo, Peterson win Mixed Doubles National Championship|work=The Bemidji Pioneer|url=https://www.bemidjipioneer.com/sports/4978044-CURLING-Bemidji-native-Polo-Peterson-win-Mixed-Doubles-National-Championship|access-date=April 16, 2021}} This was their first mixed doubles national title, and earned them a spot at the 2020 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship and the 2021 United States Mixed Doubles Olympic Trials. But about a month before the World Championship was supposed to begin the World Curling Federation announced its cancellation due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite news|last1=Potenteau|first1=Doyle|date=March 14, 2020|title=Coronavirus: World mixed doubles, seniors curling championships in Kelowna cancelled|publisher=Global News|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/6678027/coronavirus-world-championships-curling-kelowna/|access-date=March 15, 2020}} The next year the United States Curling Association announced that the 2021 US Mixed Doubles Championship would be postponed until after the 2021 World Mixed Doubles due to the pandemic, and so as 2020 national champions Polo and Peterson were invited to represent the United States at the 2021 Worlds.{{Cite web|title=PETERSON/POLO TO REPRESENT UNITED STATES AT 2021 WORLD MIXED DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP|url=https://www.usacurling.org/press-releases/peterson-polo-to-represent-united-states-in-aberdeen|access-date=April 16, 2021|website=USA Curling}}
Personal life
Polo attended Bemidji State University and University of North Dakota, earning an engineering degree. He is employed as a project manager.2017 Ford Worlds Media Guide: Team USA
Polo has a wife, Kristin, and a daughter, Ailsa. His daughter is named after Ailsa Craig, an island off of Scotland and one of only two places that granite is quarried to make curling stones.{{Cite news|last=Gelineau|first=Kristen|date=February 20, 2018|title=Premature baby named after curling rock island defies odds|work=The Washington Times|url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/feb/20/premature-baby-named-after-curling-rock-island-def/|access-date=April 16, 2021}}
Teams
=Men's=
| class="wikitable" | ||||||
| scope="col"| Season
! scope="col"| Skip ! scope="col"| Third ! scope="col"| Second ! scope="col"| Lead ! scope="col"| Alternate ! scope="col"| Coach ! scope="col"| Events | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope="row"| 2002–03
| Kristopher Perkovich || Jason Smith || Jeff Isaacson || Tom Scott || Joe Polo || John Lesnak || 2003 WJBCC {{Bronze3}}{{cite web |title=World Junior "B" Curling Championships 2003 |url=http://results.worldcurling.org/Championship/Details/35 |website=World Curling Federation |access-date=April 14, 2021}} | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2003–04
| Jason Smith || Joe Polo || Jeff Isaacson || Tom Scott || || John Lesnak || 2003 USJCC (5th){{cite web |title=Teams |url=http://www.broomstones.com/jr-nationals/ |website=Broomstones Curling Club |access-date=April 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021203112432/http://www.broomstones.com/jr-nationals/ |archive-date=December 3, 2002}}{{cite web |title=Final Standings |url=http://www.curlingrocks.net/broomstones/main.htm |website=Curling Rocks |access-date=April 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030212074959/http://www.curlingrocks.net/broomstones/main.htm |archive-date=February 12, 2003}} | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2003–04
| Zach Jacobson || Joe Polo || Jeff Thune || Zane Jacobson || || Joel Jacobson || 2004 USJCC {{Silver2}}{{cite web |title=Minnesota teams golden at Junior Nationals |url=http://www.usacurl.org/events/2004JrNationals/News/finals-rel.html |website=USA Curling |access-date=Mar 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050312092517/http://www.usacurl.org/events/2004JrNationals/News/finals-rel.html |archive-date=Mar 12, 2005 |date=Feb 7, 2004}} | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2004–05
| Pete Fenson || Shawn Rojeski || Joe Polo ||John Shuster || Scott Baird | ||||||
| scope="row" rowspan=2| 2005–06
| Pete Fenson || Shawn Rojeski || Joe Polo ||Doug Pottinger || || || 2006 Cont. Cup | ||||||
| Pete Fenson | Shawn Rojeski | Joe Polo | John Shuster | {{USMCC|2006|2006 USMCC}} {{Gold1}} 2006 OG {{Bronze3}} {{WMCC|2006|2006 WMCC}} (4th) | ||
| scope="row"| 2006–07
| Pete Fenson || Shawn Rojeski || Joe Polo || Doug Pottinger || || || {{USMCC|2007|2007 USMCC}} (5th){{cite web |title=U.S. National Championships – Teams |url=https://www.curlingzone.com/event.php?eventid=1526&eventtypeid=2&view=Teams#1 |website=CurlingZone |access-date=March 24, 2021}} | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2007–08
| Pete Fenson || Shawn Rojeski || Joe Polo || John Shuster || || || {{USMCC|2008|2008 USMCC}} (6th) | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2009–10
| Pete Fenson || Shawn Rojeski || Joe Polo ||Tyler George || || || {{USMCC|2010|2010 USMCC}} {{Gold1}} | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2010–11
| Pete Fenson || Shawn Rojeski || Joe Polo ||Ryan Brunt || || || 2011 Cont. Cup, | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2011–12
| Pete Fenson || Shawn Rojeski || Joe Polo || Ryan Brunt || || || 2012 Cont. Cup, | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2012–13
| Pete Fenson || Shawn Rojeski || Joe Polo || Ryan Brunt || || || {{USMCC|2013|2013 USMCC}} (7th) | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2013–14
| Pete Fenson || Shawn Rojeski || Joe Polo || Ryan Brunt || Jared Zezel | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2014–15
| Heath McCormick || Chris Plys || Joe Polo ||Colin Hufman || Ryan Brunt || || {{USMCC|2015|2015 USMCC}} {{Bronze3}} | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2015–16
| Chris Plys (fourth) || Pete Fenson (skip) || Joe Polo ||Jason Smith || || || {{USMCC|2016|2016 USMCC}} (5th) | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2016–17
| John Shuster || Tyler George || Matt Hamilton || John Landsteiner || Joe Polo || || {{USMCC|2017|2017 USMCC}} {{Gold1}} | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2017–18
| John Shuster || Tyler George || Matt Hamilton || John Landsteiner || Joe Polo || || 2017 USOCT {{Gold1}} | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2018–19
| Joe Polo || Jeff Currie || Jared Zezel || Derek Benson || || || | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2019–20
|Korey Dropkin||Tom Howell||Mark Fenner||Alex Fenson|| Joe Polo || || {{USMCC|2020|2020 USMCC}} (5th) | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2020–21{{cite web |title=Team Dropkin Returns |url=https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Curling/Features/2020/May/06/Team-Dropkin-Returns |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200507165633/https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Curling/Features/2020/May/06/Team-Dropkin-Returns |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 7, 2020 |website=USA Curling |access-date=May 8, 2020 |date=May 6, 2020}}
| Korey Dropkin || Joe Polo || Mark Fenner || Thomas Howell || Alex Fenson || || {{USMCC|2021|2021 USMCC}} {{Gold1}} | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2021–22
| Korey Dropkin || Joe Polo || Mark Fenner || Thomas Howell || Alex Fenson || || |
=Mixed doubles=
| class="wikitable" |
| scope="col"| Season
! scope="col"| Male ! scope="col"| Female ! scope="col"| Events |
|---|
| scope="row"| 2015–16
| Joe Polo || Tabitha Peterson || {{WMDCC|2016|2016 WMDCC}} {{Bronze3}} |
| scope="row"| 2016–17
| Joe Polo || Tabitha Peterson || {{USMDCC|2017|2017 USMDCC}} {{Silver2}} |
| scope="row"| 2017–18
| Joe Polo || Tabitha Peterson || 2017 USMDCOT (5th) |
| scope="row"| 2018–19
| Joe Polo || Tabitha Peterson || {{USMDCC|2019|2019 USMDCC}} (SF) |
| scope="row"| 2019–20
| Joe Polo || Tabitha Peterson || {{USMDCC|2020|2020 USMDCC}} {{Gold1}} |
| scope="row"| 2020–21{{cite web |title=Mixed Doubles Teams Announced |url=https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Curling/Features/2020/May/20/Mixed-Doubles-Teams-Announced |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200520160906/https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Curling/Features/2020/May/20/Mixed-Doubles-Teams-Announced |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 20, 2020 |website=USA Curling |access-date=May 20, 2020 |date=May 20, 2020}}
| Joe Polo || Tabitha Peterson || {{WMDCC|2021|2021 WMDCC}} (8th) |
| scope="row"| 2021–22
| Joe Polo || Tabitha Peterson || |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Sports links}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20061119035348/http://www.teamfenson.com/ Official site of Team Fenson]
{{Footer Olympic Champions Curling Men}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polo, Joe}}
Category:American male curlers
Category:Olympic curlers for the United States
Category:Curlers at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Category:Curlers at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in curling
Category:Sportspeople from Duluth, Minnesota
Category:Medalists at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Category:Continental Cup of Curling participants
Category:People from Cass Lake, Minnesota
Category:Sportspeople from St. Louis County, Minnesota
Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in curling
Category:Medalists at the 2018 Winter Olympics