Photos: USA Curling

Duluth, MN: On Sunday Feb. 2nd, Ardsley curlers Danny Casper (left) and Andrew Stopera (right) will be squaring off for the 2025 U.S. Men's National Championship. Casper and Stopera both grew up curling at Ardsley, where their familes still curl, before relocation to Minnesota when they were selected for the U.S. national team. Team Casper made it to the Gold Medal game by going undefeated for the week, including a playoff victory over Stopera's Team Dropkin (on which he throws second) in a battle of the first and second place teams. Team Dropkin earned their berth in the Gold Medal game by defeating 9 time U.S. National Champion and 2018 Olympic Gold Medalist John Shuster in the semifinal game. 

Both Danny and Andrew are former U.S. Junior National Champions, U.S. Men's Silver Medalists, and U.S. Men's Bronze Medalists. Both are seeking their first U.S. Men's National Championship. 

Call it fate, destiny, or a Cinderella story, but this matchup happens to come during the first National Championships held after USA Curling commissioned Ardsley member and former president Derek Kayser to rebuild the Men's National Championship trophy. The new trophy was renamed the Kaytaro Sugahara Cup after long time Ardsley member Kay Sugahara in honor of his lifetime contributions to the sport of curling not only in the United States, but world wide. Kay was a key proponent in getting Curling reinstated as an Olympic event in Nagano in 1998. It seems only fitting that the first ever Kaytaro Sugahara Cup is guaranteed to be won an Ardsley curler.
Read more about Kay's contributions to the sport HERE.