Nov. 10—SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — A Bemidji curler has a chance to compete on the world stage once again this winter.

Bemidji’s Mark Fenner will compete with Team Dropkin at the

U.S. Olympic Curling Team Trials,

Tuesday through Sunday in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The winner will represent Team USA and compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

As a member of Team Dropkin, Fenner won the U.S. Men’s Curling National Championship in 2021 and 2025.

Fenner and Team Dropkin were two wins away from competing in the 2022 Winter Olympics in China as well. At the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials, the team finished with a 7-3 record, runner-up to Team Shuster, who finished 9-1. Team Shuster went on to compete in the 2022 Winter Olympics, finishing fourth.

Team Shutster’s only loss at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials came aginst Team Dropkin,

6-1.

Team Shuster’s skip, John Shuster, has competed in every Olympics for Team USA since 2006, when he won the bronze medal with Bemidji’s Pete Fenson. Shuster has skipped the Olympic men’s team since 2010, winning Team USA’s only curling gold medal in 2018.

The last Bemidji native on an Olympic curling team was Joe Polo, who served as an alternate in 2018.