Andrew Stopera
American male curler

Andrew Stopera

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American male curler
Gender:
Male
Work field:
Birth:
30 September 1997(Briarcliff Manor, USA)
Star sign:
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Biography

Introduction

Andrew Stopera (born September 30, 1997) is an American curler from Briarcliff Manor, New York. He is a three-time United States Junior Champion and won the silver medal at the 2017 World Junior Championships.

Curling career

Stopera had a prolific junior curling career, playing in the United States Junior Championships seven straight years, 2013–2019, and medaling every time. The first two seasons of his junior career Stopera played third for Scott Dunnam's team. They earned bronze at the 2013 Junior Nationals and improved to silver at the 2014 Junior Nationals.

Dunnam aged out of juniors after the 2013-14 season and Stopera joined the United States Curling Association's Junior High Performance Program. Stopera was added to the Korey Dropkin rink at the lead position, joining Tom Howell, Mark Fenner, and alternate Luc Violette. Despite the new team, the result at the 2015 Junior Nationals was a familiar one, another silver medal. The team also competed in the United States Men's Championship, where they finished 7th. The next season, Stopera formed a new team, adding Luc Violette at third, Steven Szemple at second, and William Pryor at lead. The new lineup earned bronze at the 2016 Junior Nationals.

For the 2016-17 season, Team Stopera got a new front end, with Ben Richardson joining at second and Graem Fenson at lead. This line-up won the next three United States Junior Championships, 2017–2019. Winning Junior Nationals earned them the chance to represent the United States at the World Junior Championships. At their first appearance, the 2017 Worlds, they earned the silver medal when they lost to Lee Ki-jeong's South Korean team in the final. At the 2018 Worlds they made it to the bronze medal match but lost to Team Switzerland. Stopera finished fifth at his final Worlds in 2019.

Stopera played at the Winter University Games (WUG) twice as a junior, in 2017 and 2019. He played as alternate for Alex Leichter's team at the 2017 Games, finishing in sixth place. Two years later, Stopera returned to the WUG as skip but again came up short, finishing in eighth place.

After aging out of juniors Stopera joined Todd Birr's team for the 2019-20 season, playing third. He also is still in the High Performance Program, but now as a mixed doubles athlete competing with Madison Bear.

Personal life

Stopera's father Bill is also a curler, and won the United States Men's Championship in 2012.

Teams

Season Skip Third Second Lead Alternate
Events
Men's curling
2012-13 Scott Dunnam Andrew Stopera Steven Szemple Andrew Dunnam 2013 USJCC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2013-14 Scott Dunnam Andrew Stopera Steven Szemple Andrew Dunnam 2014 USJCC 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2014-15 Korey Dropkin Tom Howell Mark Fenner Andrew Stopera Luc Violette 2015 USJCC 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2015 USMCC (7th)
2015-16 Andrew Stopera Luc Violette Steven Szemple William Pryor 2016 USJCC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Heath McCormick Bill Stopera Dean Gemmell Mark Lazar Andrew Stopera 2016 USMCC (10th)
2016-17 Andrew Stopera Luc Violette Ben Richardson Graem Fenson Steven Szemple 2017 USJCC 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2017 WJCC 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Alex Leichter Nate Clark Chris Bond Calvin Weber Andrew Stopera
2017 WUG (6th)
2017-18 Andrew Stopera Luc Violette Ben Richardson Graem Fenson Caleb Clawson
2018 USJCC 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2018 WJCC (4th)
2018-19 Andrew Stopera Luc Violette Ben Richardson Graem Fenson Riley Fenson
2019 USJCC 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2019 WJCC (5th)
Andrew Stopera Luc Violette Alex Fenson Graem Fenson
2019 WUG (8th)
2019-20 Todd Birr Andrew Stopera Hunter Clawson Tom O'Connor 2020 USMCC (8th)
Mixed doubles curling
2019-20 Andrew Stopera Madison Bear 2020 USMDCC (7th)