EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) – Four Eau Claire curlers didn\u2019t make the Winter Olympics this year, but they\u2019re far from finished.<\/p>\n
Team Hebert competed at the U.S. Olympic trials just three months ago as the youngest team in the field. Now they\u2019re packing for Denmark to represent Team USA at the World Junior Curling Championships.<\/p>\n
The team competed at the U.S. Olympic trials in Sioux Falls last November, facing Olympic legends like John Shuster. While Milan Cortina wasn\u2019t in the cards this time, the experience proved invaluable.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a different atmosphere than any tournament we\u2019ve ever done. The crowds were big, the ice was amazing, and we had a bunch of fans there to support us,\u201d said Jackson Bestland, Team Hebert\u2019s vice skip.<\/p>\n
Team Hebert has been together for seven years, longer than many teams in the sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were the youngest team there, but we\u2019d been together the longest actually. Seven years together as a team is something that doesn\u2019t always happen in our sport. It was a really cool moment. It\u2019s kind of a pinnacle for us,\u201d said Benji Paral, the team\u2019s second.<\/p>\n
Skip Caden Hebert said the team played well against top-caliber competition but couldn\u2019t quite pull-out victories.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing there with that caliber of teams, we played some really good games to be quite frank and just didn\u2019t quite pull them out,\u201d Hebert said.<\/p>\n
The team is using the Olympic trials as motivation for what\u2019s next. They faced Team Casper, the USA team competing in Milan Cortina, during the trials.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor us, seeing that commitment that they had and just understanding that in two years, that\u2019s the commitment we\u2019re going to have to take on if we really want to make a run at going to the Olympics,\u201d Hebert said.<\/p>\n
Coach Mike Peplinski believes the team has medal potential at the World Championships.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re great kids, they\u2019re great people, and to watch them compete on an international stage is a pleasure,\u201d Peplinski said. \u201cI really think that they have a good chance of coming back with a medal at the World Championships. And the idea of the Olympics in the future is certainly something that will drive us to continue to push for more.\u201d<\/p>\n
The team flies out Feb. 21 for the Denmark competition and competes starting Feb. 24.<\/p>\n
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