Chris Plys

Curling career

Plys started curling in 1998, at the age of eleven.[1] He competed at seven Junior National Championships in a row, winning five of them, including four in a row as skip to finish his junior career. This gives him more junior national titles as skip than any other junior male. As US Champion he competed at four World Junior Championships. In his first, 2006, Plys took ninth place in Jeonju, South Korea. The next year, in 2007, he took fifth place in Eveleth, Minnesota. And finally in 2008, Plys won the gold medal in Ostersund, Sweden.[2] At his final Junior Worlds in 2009 he again medaled, taking the bronze. Plys also competed at the World University Games in 2007, in Pinerolo, Italy, playing second on John Shuster's gold medal team.

Early in his men's career Plys was twice invited to be alternate on Shuster's team at international events, at the World Championship in 2009 and the 2010 Winter Olympics. At the Olympics he was called in to skip the team (in place of Shuster) during draw 6 after the US team suffered four losses in a row, and led the team to a 4–3 victory over France after a 10th end steal. Following the Olympics, Plys was drafted onto Tyler George's team, where he threw third rocks (and sometimes fourth). The George team finished as runners-up in the 2011 and 2013 national championships. In 2014, Plys moved to third on Heath McCormick's team, which placed third in the 2014 and 2015 national championships, and second in both the 2017 Olympic Trials (to Shuster) and 2018 national championships.

After winning gold at the 2018 Olympics, Tyler George, who had moved to Shuster's team, took a hiatus from curling and Plys replaced him at third. Team Shuster then won the 2019 national championships and represented the US at the 2019 World Men's Curling Championship, where they finished in fifth place. They defended their United States title at the 2020 United States Men's Championship, defeating Rich Ruohonen in the final to finish the tournament undefeated.[3] The national title would have earned Team Shuster a spot at the final Grand Slam of the season, the Champions Cup,[4] as well as the chance to represent the United States at the 2020 World Men's Curling Championship, but both events were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] Their Champions Cup qualification will instead carry over to the 2021 Champions Cup.[6]

Personal life

Plys works as a manager at a food commodity business.[7]

Teams

Men's
Season Skip Third Second Lead Alternate Coach Events
2002–03 Jesse GatesJeff ThuneKevin JohnsonShane McKinlayChris PlysLarry Barott2003 USJCC
2003–04 Chris PlysAanders BrorsonKyle ColdagelliCarl BallMatt ZbylutSeppo Sormunen2004 USJCC (5th)
2004–05 Aanders BrorsonChris PlysMark MooreGrant RahnRyan BrownKent Brorson2005 USJCC (5th)
2005–06 Chris PlysMatt MielkeKevin JohnsonTommy KentAaron Wald2006 USJCC
2006 WJCC (9th)
2006–07 Chris PlysAanders BrorsonMatt PerushekJoel Cooper2007 USJCC
2007 WJCC (5th)
2007–08 Chris PlysAanders BrorsonMatt PerushekMatt Hamilton2008 USJCC
2008 WJCC
John ShusterJeff IsaacsonChris PlysShane McKinlayJason Smith2008 USMCC (6th)
2008–09 Chris PlysAanders BrorsonMatt PerushekMatt Hamilton2009 USJCC
2009 USOCT (8th)
2009 WJCC
John ShusterJason SmithJeff IsaacsonJohn BentonChris PlysBrian Simonson2009 WMCC (5th)
2009–10 John ShusterJason SmithJeff IsaacsonJohn BentonChris Plys2010 OG (10th)
2010–11 Tyler GeorgeChris PlysRich RuohonenPhill Drobnick2011 USMCC
2011–12 Tyler GeorgeChris PlysRich RuohonenColin Hufman2012 USMCC (8th)
2012–13 Chris Plys (Fourth)Tyler George (Skip)Rich RuohonenColin Hufman2013 USMCC
2013–14 Chris Plys (Fourth)Tyler George (Skip)Rich RuohonenColin HufmanCraig Brown2013 USOCT (4th)
Heath McCormickChris PlysRich RuohonenColin Hufman2014 USMCC
2014–15 Heath McCormickChris PlysJoe PoloColin HufmanRyan Brunt2015 USMCC
2015–16 Chris Plys (Fourth)Pete Fenson (Skip)Joe PoloJason Smith2016 USMCC (7th)
2016–17 Heath McCormickChris PlysKorey DropkinTom Howell2017 USMCC (6th)
2017–18 Heath McCormickChris PlysKorey DropkinTom HowellRich Ruohonen
(USOCT)		2017 USOCT (2nd)
2018 USMCC
Greg Persinger (Fourth)Rich Ruohonen (Skip)Colin HufmanPhilip TilkerChris PlysPhill Drobnick2018 WMCC (6th)
2018–19 John ShusterChris PlysMatt HamiltonJohn Landsteiner2019 USMCC
2019 WMCC (5th)
2019–20 John ShusterChris PlysMatt HamiltonJohn Landsteiner2020 USMCC
2020–21[8] John ShusterChris PlysMatt HamiltonJohn Landsteiner

Mixed doubles
Season Male Female Events
2016–17 Chris PlysAileen Geving2017 USMDCC (12th)
2017–18[9] Chris PlysAileen Geving
2018–19 Chris PlysVicky Persinger2019 USMDCC
2019–20 Chris PlysVicky Persinger2020 USMDCC (5th)
2020–21[10] Chris PlysVicky Persinger

References
  1. Blount, Rachel (January 14, 2009). "New face in curling already a mainstay". Star Tribune. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  2. "Curling: Duluth-based team wins world championship". Duluth News Tribune. March 10, 2008. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  3. Schneider, Angela (2020-02-15). "John Shuster caps unbeaten run through USA Curling Nationals with win over Rich Ruohonen in final". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  4. "Ruohonen Joins Shuster in Top Page Game". USA Curling. 2020-02-12. Retrieved 2020-02-13.
  5. "Canadian curling continues to get hammered by novel coronavirus cancellations". The Star. Mar 14, 2020. Retrieved Apr 27, 2020.
  6. "2020 Humpty's Champions Cup teams to keep spots for next season". Grand Slam of Curling. Mar 18, 2020. Retrieved Apr 27, 2020.
  7. 2019 Continental Cup Media Guide: Team Shuster
  8. "Team Shuster Returns". USA Curling. May 13, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  9. "Geving/Plys reach 2017 Twin Ports Mixed Doubles Classic Semifinals". CurlingZone. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  10. "Mixed Doubles Teams Announced". USA Curling. May 22, 2020. Retrieved May 22, 2020.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.