USA Curling Team Brings Pieces of Sioux Falls With Them to Games

It wasn't that long ago when the US Olympic Trials for Curling came to the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls. Now, Team USA keeps parts of Sioux Falls with them on their Olympic journey.

4th graders from Discovery Elementary School were there when Team Casper pulled off the upset against Team Shuster. And Team Casper has not forgotten their favorite 4th-graders from South Dakota.

Get our free mobile app

Our news partners at Dakota News Now caught up with the 4th graders from Discovery Elementary School since their Olympic moment. Most of the students were learning about curling for the first time. Seeing curling teams like Team Casper helped these students fall in love with the game. Here's what some of the 4th graders said to Dakota News Now about their Olympic adventure:

“The sticks that they had to scrub, like that was entertaining, and like seeing if they could get the other one to get out or in the middle," said Sydney Lee.

“Just watching Team Casper and the experience was awesome, and it’s not every day that a USA Team Trials is coming to your city," said Rylan Payne.

Some of the loudest cheers at the trails came from 4th graders from Discovery Elementary School. Trust me, those cheers didn't go unnoticed. Sioux Falls Curling President Morgan Weber can confidently say those kids made trails so exciting.

“The teams loved their enthusiasm, the people in the stands loved their enthusiasm, and it was so wonderful to see the kids getting so excited for a sport we love as well."

Team Casper personally thanked the kids for their support by sending some autographed pictures. The 4th-grade classes returned the favor and sent them good luck cards. Those letters from Sioux Falls are now with Team Casper in Milan, Italy, for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games. The cards will remain hanging in their rooms in Italy as Team Casper battles for gold.

It's so awesome to see Sioux Falls is making an international impact on some of the best athletes in the nation. Go Sioux Falls and go Team USA!