The athletes competed in team and individual skills events as well as personality interviews to choose the best combination to ensure success at the 2006 Paralympics, March 10-19 in Torino, Italy, as wheelchair curling makes its debut as a Paralympic medal event.

Player positions will be determined at a later date by Team Coach Steve Brown (Madison, Wis.). Tom Hansen (Yorkville, N.Y.) and Melissa Keiser (New Hartford, N.Y.) were selected as alternates for Team USA.

The top eight nations from the past three World Wheelchair Championships make up the field for the 2006 Paralympics. In addition to the U.S., the field features Scotland, Switzerland, Denmark, Canada, Sweden, Italy and Norway. Scotland has won the World Championship title each year since the event's inception in 2002. In fact, the team has yet to lose a game at the World Championships and enters the Paralympics as the heavy favorite.

Of the five-person team, four have world wheelchair championship experience with Smith and Libby competing at the 2002 and 2004 world events. Pierce and Joseph most recently competed at the 2005 Wheelchair Worlds finishing eighth and securing Team USA's berth in the Paralympics. Perez, who just took up wheelchair curling this year, has yet to compete internationally but has been working hard to hone his curling skills.

USA Curling is sponsored by AIT Worldwide Logistics, AmerAust Technologies, Hilton and Nike as well as by AT&T, General Motors, The Home Depot, and Bank of America through a joint marketing program with the U.S. Olympic Committee.