Tara Peterson
{{short description|American curler}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Infobox curler
| name = Tara Peterson
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1991|5|28}}
| birth_place = {{nowrap|Burnsville, Minnesota, U.S.}}
| Curling club = St. Paul CC,
St. Paul, MN{{Cite web |url=https://www.usacurling.org/national-team |title=USA Curling National Team Athletes |website=USA Curling |access-date=May 17, 2024}}
| Skip = Tabitha Peterson
| Third = Cory Thiesse
| Second = Tara Peterson
| Lead = Taylor Anderson-Heide
| Alternate = Vicky Persinger
| Member Association = {{USA}}
| World Championship appearances = 6 ({{WWCC|2014}}, {{WWCC|2015}}, {{WWCC|2021}}, {{WWCC|2023}}, {{WWCC|2024}}, {{WWCC|2025}})
| Pan Continental Championship appearances = 3 ({{PCCC|2022}}, {{PCCC|2023}}, {{PCCC|2024}})
| Olympic appearances = 1 (2022)
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Women's Curling }}
{{MedalCountry | {{USA}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | World Championships }}
{{MedalBronze | 2021 Calgary | }}
{{MedalCompetition | Pan Continental Championships }}
{{MedalBronze | 2023 Kelowna | }}
{{MedalCompetition | World Junior Championships }}
{{MedalBronze | 2010 Flims | }}
{{MedalCompetition | United States Women's Championship }}
{{MedalGold | 2014 Philadelphia | }}
{{MedalGold | 2020 Cheney | }}
{{MedalGold | 2023 Denver | }}
{{MedalGold | {{USWCC|2024|2024 East Rutherford}} | }}
{{MedalGold | 2025 Duluth | }}
{{MedalBronze | 2015 Kalamazoo | }}
}}
Tara S. Peterson (born May 28, 1991) is an American curler from Shoreview, Minnesota.{{cite web |url=https://www.curling.ca/files/2020/03/2020-World-Womens-Curling-Championship-media-guide.pdf |title=2020 World Women's Curling Championship Media Guide |author= |date= |website= |publisher=Curling Canada |access-date=2020-03-09 |quote=}} She currently plays second for her sister Tabitha.{{Cite web |url=https://www.usacurling.org/2022-team-trials-standings |title=2022 Team Trials Standings}}
Career
As a junior curler, Peterson won three United States Junior Curling Championships, qualifying her to play in the 2009, 2010, and 2011 World Junior Curling Championships. At the 2009 World Junior Curling Championships, Peterson played second for the Alexandra Carlson team and finished in 5th place. The following season, Peterson remained on the Carlson rink, and at the 2010 World Junior Curling Championships, the team won the bronze medal for the United States. The following year, Peterson joined the Wisconsin-based Rebecca Hamilton team at third. At the 2011 World Junior Curling Championships, the team finished in 5th. In 2012, they finished in third place at the U.S. Junior Championships.
After juniors, Peterson continued to play with Hamilton for one season (at second) until joining the Nina Roth rink in 2013 as her second. Peterson competed at the 2014 Ford World Women's Curling Championship as the alternate on team USA, skipped by Allison Pottinger (finished 6th). In 2014, she joined the Aileen Sormunen rink. With Sormunen, Peterson won her first World Curling Tour event at the 2014 St. Paul Cash Spiel. She also played in her first Grand Slam event that season, going all the way to the semifinals of the 2014 Colonial Square Ladies Classic. The team acquired enough WCT Order of Merit Points to qualify as the U.S. National team for the 2015 World Women's Curling Championship.
At the 2020 United States Women's Championship, Peterson earned her second national title, as second for her sister Tabitha. In the round robin, Team Peterson's only loss came against Jamie Sinclair, but they then beat Team Sinclair in the 1 vs. 2 page playoff game and again in the final.{{Cite news |last=Schneider |first=Angela |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/feb/15/tabitha-peterson-takes-aggressive-approach-to-deth/ |title=Tabitha Peterson takes aggressive approach to dethrone Jamie Sinclair in women's title match of USA Curling Championships |date=February 15, 2020 |work=The Spokesman-Review |access-date=February 19, 2020}} As United States Champions Team Peterson would have represented the United States at the 2020 World Women's Curling Championship, but they lost that opportunity when the Championship was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web |url=https://www.tsn.ca/cp-newsalert-world-women-s-curling-championship-cancelled-1.1456723 |title=World women's curling championship cancelled |last= |first= |date=March 12, 2020 |website=TSN |language=en |access-date=April 27, 2020}} They also earned a spot at the final Grand Slam of the season, the Champions Cup,{{Cite web |url=https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Curling/Features/2020/February/12/Peterson-Locks-Down-Playoff-Spot |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213214904/https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Curling/Features/2020/February/12/Peterson-Locks-Down-Playoff-Spot |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |title=Peterson Locks Down Playoff Spot |last= |first= |date=February 12, 2020 |website=USA Curling |url-status=dead |access-date=February 13, 2020}} which was also cancelled due to the pandemic. Their qualification will instead carry over to the 2021 Champions Cup.{{Cite web |url=https://thegrandslamofcurling.com/2020-humptys-champions-cup-teams-to-keep-spots-for-next-season/ |title=2020 Humpty's Champions Cup teams to keep spots for next season |last= |first= |date=March 18, 2020 |website=Grand Slam of Curling |access-date=April 27, 2020}}
During the 2020 off-season, the team announced that Tabitha Peterson would remain as skip when Roth returned from maternity leave. Roth re-joined the team as vice-skip at third, with Hamilton moving to second, Tara Peterson to lead, and Geving to alternate.{{Cite web |url=https://www.usacurling.org/?fbclid=IwAR05mZc31IcjNebv3TzGwkcZG0PgHz2Ln3mzWtuhLBue3twyv7scHQBWqss |title=Team Peterson Announced |last= |first= |date=April 27, 2020 |website=USA Curling |access-date=April 28, 2020}} Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Peterson team did not compete in events for most of the 2020–21 season until entering a bio-secure bubble held in Calgary, Alberta in the spring of 2021 for three events in a row. The first two events were the Champions Cup and Players' Championship grand slams, with the team missing the playoffs at both. The third event in the Calgary bubble for Team Peterson was the 2021 World Women's Championship, in which they earned a spot as 2020 National Champions after the 2021 National Championship was moved to later in the spring due to the pandemic. They finished the 13-game round-robin in fifth place with a 7–6 record, earning them a spot in the playoffs and securing a 2022 Olympic berth for the United States. In the playoffs, Team Peterson defeated Denmark's Madeline Dupont but lost to Switzerland's Silvana Tirinzoni to end up in the bronze medal game. There, Peterson faced off against Sweden's Anna Hasselborg and won with a score of 9–5, including scoring five points in the seventh end.{{Cite news |date=May 9, 2021 |title=United States beat Sweden to win women's world curling bronze |work=Sportsnet |url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/curling/article/eight-ends-swiss-reign-resumes-world-womens-curling-championship/ |access-date=May 10, 2021}} Team Peterson's bronze medal finish was the first World Women's medal for the United States in 15 years, and the first-ever bronze medal.
The Peterson rink won their first two events of the 2021–22 season, the US Open of Curling and the 2021 Curlers Corner Autumn Gold Curling Classic.{{Cite news |url=https://torontosun.com/sports/curling/american-peterson-hopes-autumn-gold-curling-classic-win-sign-of-things-to-come |title=American Peterson hopes Autumn Gold Curling Classic win sign of things to come |publisher=Toronto Sun |author=Todd Saelhof |date=October 11, 2021 |access-date=June 19, 2022}} The following week, they played in the 2021 Masters where they made it as far as the quarterfinals. The team then played in the 2021 United States Olympic Curling Trials, where they attempted to return to the Olympics. Through the round robin, the team posted a 9–1 record, putting them into the best-of-three final against Cory Christensen. The Peterson rink beat Christensen in two-straight games, booking their tickets to the 2022 Winter Olympics.{{Cite news |url=https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2021/11/21/curling-olympic-trials-women-tabitha-peterson/ |title=Tabitha Peterson wins U.S. Olympic women's curling trials, eyes ending another drought |publisher=NBC Sports |date=November 21, 2021 |access-date=June 19, 2022}} After the Trials, the team played in one event before the Olympics, the Curl Mesabi Classic, which they won, beating Christensen again in the final.{{Cite web |url=https://www.curlingzone.com/event.php?eventid=6606&eventtypeid=82&view=Main#1 |title=2021 Curl Mesabi Classic |website=CurlingZone |access-date=June 19, 2022}} At the Olympics, the team finished the round robin with a 4–5 record, missing the playoffs.{{Cite news |url=https://www.usacurling.org/press-releases/2022-us-women-4-5-at-olympics |title=U.S. Women conclude Olympics at 4–5 |publisher=USA Curling |date=February 16, 2022 |access-date=June 19, 2022}} The team finished off the season by playing in two Slams, the 2022 Players' Championship and the 2022 Champions Cup, missing the playoffs in both events.
Following the 2021–22 season, Nina Roth retired from competitive curling and the team added Cory Thiesse (née Christensen) as their new third.{{Cite news |url=https://www.teamusa.com/news/2023/march/17/curling-teammates-sisters-tabitha-and-tara-peterson-back-for-another-run-at-worlds |title=Curling teammates, sisters Tabitha and Tara Peterson back for another run at Worlds |publisher=Team USA |author=Todd Kortemeier |date=March 17, 2023 |access-date=August 24, 2023}} After a semifinal finish at the US Open of Curling, the team missed the playoffs at both the 2022 National and the 2022 Tour Challenge Slam events.{{Cite news |url=https://thegrandslamofcurling.com/lawes-defeats-einarson-to-secure-hearinglife-tour-challenge-playoff-spot/ |title=Lawes defeats Einarson to secure HearingLife Tour Challenge playoff spot |publisher=Grand Slam of Curling |author=Jonathan Brazeau |date=October 22, 2022 |access-date=August 24, 2023}} They represented the United States at the 2022 Pan Continental Curling Championships where they finished first in the round robin with a 7–1 record.{{Cite news |url=https://worldcurling.org/2022/11/pccc-sf-women/ |title=Women's round-robins draw to a close |publisher=World Curling Federation |date=November 5, 2022 |access-date=August 24, 2023}} They then lost to South Korea and Canada in the semifinal and bronze medal game respectively, finishing fourth.{{Cite news |url=https://worldcurling.org/2022/11/women-final-pccc/ |title=Japan women claim first Pan Continental title |publisher=World Curling Federation |date=November 7, 2022 |access-date=August 24, 2023}} In their next event, Team Peterson reached the semifinals of the Red Deer Curling Classic where they lost to Rachel Homan.{{Cite news |url=https://www.tsn.ca/curling/matt-dunstone-rachel-homan-red-deer-classic-curling-1.1881830 |title=Dunstone enters winner's circle at Red Deer Classic; Homan wins again |publisher=TSN |date=November 21, 2022 |access-date=August 24, 2023}} At the 2022 Masters, the team made it to the semifinals before losing to the Einarson rink.{{Cite news |url=https://thegrandslamofcurling.com/homan-vs-einarson-mouat-vs-retornaz-set-for-wfg-masters-finals/ |title=Homan vs. Einarson, Mouat vs. Retornaz set for WFG Masters finals |publisher=Grand Slam of Curling |author=Jonathan Brazeau |date=December 10, 2022 |access-date=August 24, 2023}} The following week, they won the Curl Mesabi Classic.{{Cite web |url=https://curlingzone.com/event.php?view=Main&eventid=7376 |title=2023 Curl Mesabi Classic |website=CurlingZone |access-date=August 24, 2023}} In the new year, the team went undefeated to claim the 2023 United States Women's Curling Championship, defeating Delaney Strouse 8–5 in the final.{{Cite news |url=https://www.usacurling.org/press-releases/womensnationalsfinal-et563 |title=2023 USA Curling women's national champions crowned |publisher=USA Curling |date=February 11, 2023 |access-date=August 24, 2023}} This qualified them for the 2023 World Women's Curling Championship where they finished just outside the playoffs with a 6–6 record.{{Cite news |url=https://worldcurling.org/2023/03/dayseven-wwc/ |title=Live Blog: Day seven at the WWCC |publisher=World Curling Federation |date=March 24, 2023 |access-date=August 24, 2023}} The team ended their season at the 2023 Players' Championship and the 2023 Champions Cup Grand Slam events where they reached the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively.{{Cite news |url=https://thegrandslamofcurling.com/einarson-faces-homan-in-kioti-tractor-champions-cup-womens-final/ |title=Einarson faces Homan in KIOTI Tractor Champions Cup women's final |publisher=Grand Slam of Curling |author=Jonathan Brazeau |date=May 7, 2023 |access-date=August 24, 2023}}
Team Peterson won their second event of the 2023–24 season, losing just one game en route to claiming the US Open of Curling.{{Cite web |url=https://www.curlingzone.com/event.php?view=Team&eventid=8049&teamid=170922 |title=2023 US Open of Curling |website=CurlingZone |access-date=April 7, 2024}} They also had a semifinal finish at the 2023 Stu Sells Oakville Tankard and a quarterfinal appearance at the 2023 Curlers Corner Autumn Gold Curling Classic. For the 2023 Pan Continental Curling Championships, the team changed their lineup with Peterson and Becca Hamilton switching positions to second and lead on the team respectively.{{Cite web |url=https://livescores.worldcurling.org/pccc/aspnet/teamdetail?EventID=2&TeamID=20 |title=Team Profile: Women A-Division: United States |website=World Curling Federation |access-date=April 7, 2024}} The move worked as they finished 6–1 through the round robin. After a semifinal loss to Japan's Satsuki Fujisawa, Team Peterson bounced back to claim the bronze medal, stealing in an extra end to defeat Canada's Kerri Einarson.{{Cite news |url=https://worldcurling.org/2023/11/womens-bronze/ |title=United States win Pan Continental bronze |publisher=World Curling Federation |date=November 4, 2023 |access-date=April 7, 2024}} In Grand Slam play, they only qualified in one of the four events they played in, the 2023 Masters, losing in the quarterfinals to Silvana Tirinzoni.{{Cite news |url=https://thegrandslamofcurling.com/defending-champ-einarson-steals-spot-in-wfg-masters-semifinals-from-gim/ |title=Defending champ Einarson steals spot in WFG Masters semifinals from Gim |publisher=Grand Slam of Curling |author=Jonathan Brazeau |date=December 16, 2023 |access-date=April 7, 2024}} At the 2024 United States Women's Curling Championship, the Peterson rink lost their first game to Sarah Anderson before running the table the rest of the event. In the final, they doubled up on Team Anderson 10–5 to defend their title as national champions and qualify for the 2024 World Women's Curling Championship.{{Cite news |url=https://www.usacurling.org/press-releases/2024nationalswinners |title=Peterson, Shuster defend national titles |publisher=USA Curling |date=February 5, 2024 |access-date=April 7, 2024}} At Worlds, the team struggled to find consistency, ultimately finishing 6–6 and failing to reach the playoffs for a second year in a row.{{Cite news |url=https://worldcurling.org/2024/03/play-off-teams-2/ |title=Saturday's World Women's play-off matchups set |publisher=World Curling Federation |date=March 23, 2024 |access-date=April 7, 2024}}
Personal life
Peterson's sister is fellow curler Tabitha Peterson.{{Cite web |url=https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Curling/Features/2014/March/08/Spatola-rink-wins-gold-at-Nationals?p=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402132700/http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Curling/Features/2014/March/08/Spatola-rink-wins-gold-at-Nationals?p=1 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |title=Spatola team wins gold at USA Curling Nationals presented by Labatt |last= |first= |date=March 8, 2014 |website=USA Curling |url-status=dead |access-date=April 29, 2020}} She is employed as a dentist and is married.{{Cite web |url=https://www.curling.ca/files/2021/04/2021-LGT-World-Womens-Curling-Championship-media-guide1.pdf |title=2021 World Women's Curling Championship Media Guide |website=Curling Canada |access-date=April 30, 2021}}
Teams
| 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"| 2005–06
| Alex Carlson || Tabitha Peterson || Tara Peterson || Sophie Brorson || || || 2006 USJCC (SF) | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2006–07
| Alex Carlson || Tabitha Peterson || Tara Peterson || Sophie Brorson || || || {{USWCC|2007|2007 USWCC}} (4th) | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2007–08
| Alex Carlson || Tabitha Peterson || Tara Peterson || Sophie Brorson || || || 2008 USJCC {{Silver2}} | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2008–09
| Alex Carlson || Tabitha Peterson || Tara Peterson || Sophie Brorson || Molly Bonner || Howard Restall || 2009 USJCC {{Gold1}} | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2009–10
| Alex Carlson || Tabitha Peterson || Tara Peterson || Sophie Brorson || Miranda Solem || Howard Restall || 2010 USJCC {{Gold1}} | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2010–11
|Becca Hamilton|| Tara Peterson || Karlie Koenig || Sophie Brorson || Rebecca Funk (WJCC) || Neil Doese (WJCC) || 2011 USJCC {{Gold1}} | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2011–12
| Becca Hamilton || Tara Peterson || Karlie Koenig || Sophie Brorson || || || 2012 USJCC {{Bronze3}} | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2012–13
| Becca Hamilton || Molly Bonner || Tara Peterson || Sophie Brorson || || || {{USWCC|2013|2013 USWCC}} (8th) | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2013–14
|Allison Pottinger||Nicole Joraanstad||Natalie Nicholson|| Tabitha Peterson || Tara Peterson || Derek Brown || {{USWCC|2014|2014 USWCC}} {{Silver2}} | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2014–15
|Aileen Sormunen|| Tara Peterson ||Vicky Persinger||Monica Walker|| Becca Hamilton (WWCC) || Scott Baird || {{USWCC|2015|2015 USWCC}} {{Bronze3}} | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2015–16
|Jamie Sinclair|| Tabitha Peterson || Becca Hamilton ||Jenna Haag|| Tara Peterson || || {{USWCC|2016|2016 USWCC}} (4th) | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2018–19
|Nina Roth|| Tabitha Peterson || Becca Hamilton || Tara Peterson || || || {{USWCC|2019|2019 USWCC}} {{Silver2}} | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2019–20
| Tabitha Peterson || Becca Hamilton || Tara Peterson || Aileen Geving || || Natalie Nicholson || {{USWCC|2020|2020 USWCC}} {{Gold1}} | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2020–21
| Tabitha Peterson || Nina Roth || Becca Hamilton || Tara Peterson || Aileen Geving || Laine Peters|| {{WWCC|2021|2021 WWCC}} {{Bronze3}}{{Cite news |last=Blount |first=Rachel |date=May 9, 2021 |title=Minnesotans help U.S. women's curling team earn Olympics berth |work=Star Tribune |url=https://www.startribune.com/minnesotans-help-u-s-women-earn-2022-olympics-berth-win-bronze-medal-at-world-championships/600055389/ |access-date=May 10, 2021}} | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2021–22
| Tabitha Peterson || Nina Roth || Becca Hamilton || Tara Peterson || Aileen Geving || Laine Peters, Phill Drobnick || 2021 USOCT {{Gold1}} | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2022–23
| Tabitha Peterson || Cory Thiesse || Becca Hamilton || Tara Peterson || Vicky Persinger (PCCC/WWCC) || Laine Peters || {{PCCC|2022|2022 PCCC}} (4th) | ||||||
| scope="row"| 2023–24
| Tabitha Peterson || Cory Thiesse || Tara Peterson || Becca Hamilton || Vicky Persinger (PCCC/WWCC) || Cathy Overton-Clapham || {{PCCC|2023|2023 PCCC}} {{Bronze3}} | ||||||
| scope="row" rowspan=2| 2024–25
| Tabitha Peterson || Cory Thiesse || Tara Peterson || Taylor Anderson-Heide || Vicky Persinger || Cathy Overton-Clapham || {{USWCC|2025|2025 USWCC}} {{Gold1}} | ||||||
| Cory Thiesse | Vicky Persinger | Tara Peterson | Taylor Anderson-Heide | Aileen Geving | Cathy Overton-Clapham | {{PCCC|2024|2024 PCCC}} (5th) |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{World Curling}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20150329043129/http://www.teamusa.org/usa-curling/athletes/Tara-Peterson Tara Peterson] at the United States Curling Association (archived)
- {{Team USA|new_id=tara-peterson-815645|old_id=PE/Tara-Peterson|archive=20221123143442}}
- {{Olympedia}}
- {{Olympics.com}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20220315070009/https://results.beijing2022.cn/beijing-2022/olympic-games/en/results/curling/athlete-profile-n1034644-tara-peterson.htm Tara Peterson] at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics (archived)
- {{Instagram}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Peterson, Tara}}
Category:American female curlers
Category:Sportspeople from Burnsville, Minnesota
Category:Sportspeople from Eagan, Minnesota
Category:People from Shoreview, Minnesota
Category:Sportspeople from Ramsey County, Minnesota
Category:Sportspeople from Minnesota
Category:American curling champions
Category:21st-century American sportswomen