Sun Devil Curling Club students represent Team USA at FISU World University Games
The Sun Devil Curling Club at the Coyotes Curling Club in Tempe, Arizona. Courtesy photo
When Andrea McDonald founded the Sun Devil Curling Club four years ago as a first-year Arizona State University student, she never dreamed her journey would lead her and teammate Riley Samarzja to Torino, Italy, where the two are representing Team USA at the FISU World University Games.
“This honor comes after our team’s undefeated performance at the trials in Lakeville, Minnesota, which secured our spot to represent our country on the international stage,” McDonald said. “We are incredibly proud of this opportunity, not just as Team USA athletes, but as ASU students.”
ASU’s athletic director, Graham Rossini, celebrated their accomplishment, saying, “Congrats on the terrific news and accomplishments on the Sun Devil Curling Club.”
For McDonald, curling's influence in her life began as a family affair. Originally from California and later moving to Wisconsin, McDonald spent her pre-college years playing the sport and supporting her father as he competed with Team USA for the Paralympics in curling.
“Curling is very accessible to everybody,” McDonald said. “My dad's a wheelchair curler; my mom curls with a stick because she has knee issues. And my brother — it's for kids as well. It's a sport that anybody can do.”
For those not familiar with the Olympic sport, McDonald describes curling as “basically shuffleboard on ice.”
When McDonald began her undergraduate journey at ASU — studying nutrition entrepreneurship with a minor in tourism — she was regularly curling at the Coyotes Curling Club with a friend. That’s when the idea for a Sun Devil club came to fruition.
“We got to chatting and we're like, why not have a curling college team?” McDonald said. “There's a whole collegiate-level curling that happens; let's just do it. It did take quite a long time for us to kind of get some retention.”
McDonald, now a graduate student studying leadership and management at Thunderbird School of Global Management, noted that many in the ASU community are unfamiliar with the ice sport, so the Sun Devil Curling Club hosts regular events that invite students to learn how to curl and get involved with the club.
Teammate Riley Samarzja was no stranger to curling before joining the Sun Devil club, having spent two years playing the sport recreationally with her family in North Dakota. She was pleasantly surprised when she found the sport again at ASU.
“I didn't even know that ASU had curling or there was a curling club in Arizona at all,” said Samarzja, who is set to graduate this spring with a degree in forensic psychology from the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. “I actually found it on Sun Devil Sync. And I was like, oh my gosh, no way!”
Finding more than just an ice sport in the desert — Samarzja said that the most rewarding part of joining the Sun Devil Curling Club is the community she gained.
“There was such a welcoming environment right away, and that is what propelled me to be here today, because I went there for one practice before we went to that college qualifier,” she said. “When I got to the curling club the first time, Andie was already on ice with her dad and her mom, and they were so welcoming; they helped me get set up with everything.”
Samarzja said having a variety of athletic opportunities for Sun Devils is crucial.
“Other sports like baseball, basketball, gymnastics — you have to be really good at it. To play at a collegiate level, you have to be a pro, you have to be one of the best people from your high school, and it's super hard to learn, super hard to pick up,” Samarzja said. “But curling, you can show up and if you put your mind to it, the first day you'll at least be throwing some rocks.”
Want to get involved?
Samarzja and McDonald said they encourage ASU students to try curling at least once.
To stay tuned for the next "learn to curl" events, visit the Sun Devil Sync page. You can also support the club by following their social media accounts.
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