Jim Vukich

James R. Vukich (December 15, 1945 – August 6, 2002) was an American curler and two-time national champion.[1]

Jim Vukich
Curler
Born(1945-12-15)December 15, 1945
Chisholm, Minnesota
DiedAugust 6, 2002(2002-08-06) (aged 56)
Team
Curling clubGranite CC, Seattle, WA
Curling career
Member Association United States
World Championship
appearances		2 (1987, 1989)
Medal record
Curling
United States Men's Championship
Gold medal – first place 1987 Lake Placid
Gold medal – first place 1989 Detroit

Career

Vukich curled while growing up in Minnesota, even winning the Minnesota schoolboy curling state title in 1963. He later stepped away from the sport for a while, until picking it back up while living in Seattle.[2] He then went on to, as skip of his team, win four Washington state championships and two national championships, the latter in 1987 and 1989. Vukich defeated the defending champion Steve Brown to win his first national title in 1987.[3] At the 1987 World Men's Championship they missed the playoffs when they lost a tiebreaker to Germany's Rodger Schmidt, leaving Team Vukich in fifth place in the final standings.[4] Also in 1987 Vukich competed at the first United States Olympic Curling Trials, to decide the team that would represent the United States at the 1988 Winter Olympics where curling would be a demonstration sport. The trials were a triple-elimination tournament, and Vukich's third loss came against fellow Seattle curler Roger Schnee.[5]

In 1989, Vukich earned his second national title when he again defeated Steve Brown in the finals of the National Championship.[6] At the 1989 World's, they finished last out of the ten teams with only one win.

Personal life

Vukich met his wife Sharon while curling.[7] She is also a multi-time national champion, having won the Women's Championship in 1980 and 1987, the Mixed Doubles Championship in 2010, and the Senior Championship in 2009 and 2010.[8] Vukich's stepdaughter Emily and son Jake are also successful competitive curlers, Emily having competed at the 2016 World Mixed Curling Championship and Jake at the 2014 World Junior Curling Championships.[9][10]

Teams
Season Skip Third Second Lead Alternate Events
1986–87 Jim Vukich Ron Sharpe George Pepelnjak Gary Joraanstad 1987 USMCC 1st place, gold medalist(s)
1987 WMCC (5th)[11]
1988–89 Jim Vukich Curtis Fish Bard Nordlund Jim Pleasants Jason Larway 1989 USMCC 1st place, gold medalist(s)
1989 WMCC (10th)[12]

References
  1. "James R. Vukich". Duluth News Tribune. August 9, 2002. p. 05B.
  2. Weiner, Jay (April 8, 1987). "Curling's new exposure may take it out of the closet". Star Tribune. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  3. "Curling title decided". El Paso Times. March 8, 1987. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  4. "Germans earn playoff berth the hard way". Calgary Herald. April 4, 1987. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  5. "St. Paul team wins in curling tourney". Star Tribune. April 12, 1987. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  6. Fiorito, Matt (March 12, 1989). "Curling finals: Vukich beats clock; Lagasse bakes Alaska". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  7. "Curlers turn up from far and near for bonspiel". The Desert News. May 1, 1999. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  8. "Sharon Vukich". USA Curling. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  9. "Em Good". USA Curling. Archived from the original on December 31, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  10. "Jake Vukich". USA Curling. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  11. "Hexagon World Curling Championships 1987". World Curling Federation. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  12. "World Curling Championships 1989". World Curling Federation. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
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