Cassandra Johnson
Encyclopedia
Cassandra "Cassie" Potter (née Johnson) (born October 30, 1981) is an American
curler best known for skipping
the United States Women's Curling Team at the 2006 Winter Olympics
and the 2005 Women's World Curling Championships
.
, a curling hotbed. She began playing the game at age 5, and honed the strategic elements of her game by watching Canadian curling competitions on television. After playing as an alternate at the 1998 World Junior Curling Championships
for the 5th-place U.S. team skipped (captained) by Hope Schmitt, Cassandra returned to the Junior Championships in 2002, this time as the skip of the team; she and her United States squad went on to capture the gold medal with a win over Matilda Mattsson of Sweden
. In 2003, Cassie returned once again to the World Junior Championships, and once again made it to the final. However, this time she lost, with Marliese Miller
of Canada
winning the gold. In 2005, Johnson competed in the U.S. 2006 Olympic Trials/National Championships, which she won, thus gaining the right to represent the USA at both the 2006 Winter Olympics
and the 2005 World Women's Curling Championship
. At the 2005 World Championships, she again won a silver medal, this time losing to Anette Norberg
's Swedish
rink in the final. For her efforts, Cassie was named USA Curling's Female Athlete of the Year in 2005. During competition, Cassie is known for her strong sense of strategy, her leadership, her patience, and her ability to perform in the clutch
(a trait that earned her the nickname "Automatic" during the 2005 World Championships). Cassie made a difficult, pressure-packed shot in the 11th end of the final match of the 2006 Olympic Trials to qualify for the Turin Games.
Cassie comes from a rich curling heritage. Her grandparents and great-grandparents were curlers, her parents, Tim and Liz Johnson, won the U.S. national mixed curling title in 1980, and Cassie's older sister, Jamie Johnson, joined her on the United States Olympic team in Turin. Since their first competition together, Cassie has always been the skip of the Johnson girls' rink, despite being 15 months younger than Jamie. Both attribute this to the fact that Cassie was the more precocious of the two growing up. "I was a little brat when I was younger," Cassie says. "I was just like, 'I’m going to be skip and you’re going to be third' and that’s just how it ended up." One of the first times she skipped a game, at about age 10, Cassie's team was beaten badly ("she got creamed," in her mom's words) and she vowed to never skip again, but it wasn't long before she was back on the sheet, more determined to win than ever. "I'm happy [that Cassie took over for me as skip]," Jamie says. "She does a good job with the pressure shots, the strategy... I have total confidence in Cassie that she can do last rocks."
Cassie's first Winter Olympics experience was a difficult one, though, as she and her United States team lost five of their first six matches en route to a mediocre 2-7 record in the round-robin stage of the tournament. The U.S. "Curl Girls"' showing at Turin was made that much more disappointing by both the hype surrounding them going into the Games (she and her teammates were media darlings in the weeks leading up to the Olympics -- Sports Illustrated
even picked the then Team Johnson to win the bronze medal), and by the success of the alternatively unheralded United States men's curling team (who actually won bronze). Still, Cassie was unwaveringly upbeat despite the poor performance.
On a personal note, Cassie became engaged the week after the Olympics ended. She recently graduated from Bemidji State University
with a degree in graphic design
(her fiancé also attended Bemidji State and studied in the same field.). She got married in 2007. She enjoys fishing
and listening to music when she's not curling, and is a big fan of the Minnesota Twins
. When she was 12, Cassie was diagnosed with a heart murmur
due to a congenital heart defect in her tricuspid valve
, but the condition is not severe and does not interfere with her daily life.
Potter unintentionally became a bit of a sex symbol
during the Turin Games. Her biography page at NBC
's Winter Olympics website was among the most-viewed of any U.S. athlete, and she received countless marriage proposals from men all over the world at the U.S. Women's Curling Team's official blog, which crashed early in the Games after receiving 12.9 million hits in one day. "We were getting e-mails from Germany and Belgium saying, 'I love you,'" laughed Potter. "I said, 'What? You just saw me on TV.'"
Immediately after the 2006 Olympics, a re-arrangement occurred on the team's roster for the 2006 U.S. World Team Trials. Due to an extended travel schedule in Europe (and her recent engagement), Cassie would become the team's alternate, while Jessica Schultz
skipped the team. At the trials, the team finished in fourth place, losing the 3-4 page game to Margie Smith. The team went back to their Olympic lineup for later events, however; Cassie returned to action as the team's skip on March 23, 2006, at the House Of Hearts Bonspiel
in Duluth, Minnesota
.
Teammates at the 2006 Winter Olympics
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
curler best known for skipping
Skip (curling)
The skip, in conjunction with the team, determines strategy. Based on the strategy, the skip holds the broom indicating where the player throwing must aim . When it is the skip's turn to throw, the vice-skip holds the broom...
the United States Women's Curling Team at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics was held in the town of Pinerolo, Italy from February 13 to February 24. It proved to be the sleeper hit in terms of television ratings in Italy. According to a CBC feature, curling at the 2006 Winter Games drew 5 million viewers, eclipsing ice hockey and figure...
and the 2005 Women's World Curling Championships
2005 World Women's Curling Championship
The 2005 World Women's Curling Championship was held from March 19-27, 2005 at the Lagoon Leisure Centre in Paisley, Scotland. The tournament was the first since the 1988 event to be held separately from the 2005 Ford World Men's Curling Championship....
.
Biography
Potter was born in Bemidji, MinnesotaBemidji, Minnesota
Bemidji is a city in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was at 13,431 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Beltrami County. Bemidji is the most major city in North Central Minnesota and the largest commercial center between Grand Forks, North Dakota and Duluth,...
, a curling hotbed. She began playing the game at age 5, and honed the strategic elements of her game by watching Canadian curling competitions on television. After playing as an alternate at the 1998 World Junior Curling Championships
World Junior Curling Championships
The World Junior Curling Championships is an annual curling tournament featuring the world's best curlers who are 21 years old or younger. The competition for both men and women occur at the same venue. The men's tournament has occurred since 1975 and the women's 1988...
for the 5th-place U.S. team skipped (captained) by Hope Schmitt, Cassandra returned to the Junior Championships in 2002, this time as the skip of the team; she and her United States squad went on to capture the gold medal with a win over Matilda Mattsson of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. In 2003, Cassie returned once again to the World Junior Championships, and once again made it to the final. However, this time she lost, with Marliese Miller
Marliese Kasner
Marliese Kasner is a Canadian curler from Shellbrook, Saskatchewan. She plays lead for her sister, Stefanie Lawton.-Career:Kasner is a two-time Canadian Junior Champion, having won the title in 2000 playing third for her sister, and winning it in her own right as skip in 2003...
of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
winning the gold. In 2005, Johnson competed in the U.S. 2006 Olympic Trials/National Championships, which she won, thus gaining the right to represent the USA at both the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
and the 2005 World Women's Curling Championship
2005 World Women's Curling Championship
The 2005 World Women's Curling Championship was held from March 19-27, 2005 at the Lagoon Leisure Centre in Paisley, Scotland. The tournament was the first since the 1988 event to be held separately from the 2005 Ford World Men's Curling Championship....
. At the 2005 World Championships, she again won a silver medal, this time losing to Anette Norberg
Anette Norberg
Anette Norberg is a Swedish curler from Nacka. She and her team are the current Olympic women's curling champions, having won the 2010 Women's Curling tournament in Vancouver...
's Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
rink in the final. For her efforts, Cassie was named USA Curling's Female Athlete of the Year in 2005. During competition, Cassie is known for her strong sense of strategy, her leadership, her patience, and her ability to perform in the clutch
Clutch (sports)
In American sports terminology, "clutch" means performing well under extreme pressure. It often refers to high levels of production in a critical game, such as Game 7 of a best-of-seven series, the last hole of a Major Championship golf tournament, or the final minute in a close match...
(a trait that earned her the nickname "Automatic" during the 2005 World Championships). Cassie made a difficult, pressure-packed shot in the 11th end of the final match of the 2006 Olympic Trials to qualify for the Turin Games.
Cassie comes from a rich curling heritage. Her grandparents and great-grandparents were curlers, her parents, Tim and Liz Johnson, won the U.S. national mixed curling title in 1980, and Cassie's older sister, Jamie Johnson, joined her on the United States Olympic team in Turin. Since their first competition together, Cassie has always been the skip of the Johnson girls' rink, despite being 15 months younger than Jamie. Both attribute this to the fact that Cassie was the more precocious of the two growing up. "I was a little brat when I was younger," Cassie says. "I was just like, 'I’m going to be skip and you’re going to be third' and that’s just how it ended up." One of the first times she skipped a game, at about age 10, Cassie's team was beaten badly ("she got creamed," in her mom's words) and she vowed to never skip again, but it wasn't long before she was back on the sheet, more determined to win than ever. "I'm happy [that Cassie took over for me as skip]," Jamie says. "She does a good job with the pressure shots, the strategy... I have total confidence in Cassie that she can do last rocks."
Cassie's first Winter Olympics experience was a difficult one, though, as she and her United States team lost five of their first six matches en route to a mediocre 2-7 record in the round-robin stage of the tournament. The U.S. "Curl Girls"' showing at Turin was made that much more disappointing by both the hype surrounding them going into the Games (she and her teammates were media darlings in the weeks leading up to the Olympics -- Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
even picked the then Team Johnson to win the bronze medal), and by the success of the alternatively unheralded United States men's curling team (who actually won bronze). Still, Cassie was unwaveringly upbeat despite the poor performance.
On a personal note, Cassie became engaged the week after the Olympics ended. She recently graduated from Bemidji State University
Bemidji State University
Bemidji State University is a public state university in Bemidji, Minnesota, USA, located on the shores of Lake Bemidji. It is a part of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities .-History:BSU was founded in 1919 as Bemidji State Normal School...
with a degree in graphic design
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
(her fiancé also attended Bemidji State and studied in the same field.). She got married in 2007. She enjoys fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and listening to music when she's not curling, and is a big fan of the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. When she was 12, Cassie was diagnosed with a heart murmur
Heart murmur
Murmurs are extra heart sounds that are produced as a result of turbulent blood flow that is sufficient to produce audible noise. Most murmurs can only be heard with the assistance of a stethoscope ....
due to a congenital heart defect in her tricuspid valve
Tricuspid valve
The tricuspid valve, or right atrioventricular valve, is on the right dorsal side of the mammalian heart, between the right atrium and the right ventricle. The normal tricuspid valve usually has three leaflets and three papillary muscles. They are connected to the papillary muscles by the chordae...
, but the condition is not severe and does not interfere with her daily life.
Potter unintentionally became a bit of a sex symbol
Sex symbol
A sex symbol is a celebrity of either gender, typically an actor, musician, supermodel, teen idol, or sports star, noted for their sex appeal. The term was first used in the mid 1950s in relation to the popularity of certain Hollywood stars, especially Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte...
during the Turin Games. Her biography page at NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Winter Olympics website was among the most-viewed of any U.S. athlete, and she received countless marriage proposals from men all over the world at the U.S. Women's Curling Team's official blog, which crashed early in the Games after receiving 12.9 million hits in one day. "We were getting e-mails from Germany and Belgium saying, 'I love you,'" laughed Potter. "I said, 'What? You just saw me on TV.'"
Immediately after the 2006 Olympics, a re-arrangement occurred on the team's roster for the 2006 U.S. World Team Trials. Due to an extended travel schedule in Europe (and her recent engagement), Cassie would become the team's alternate, while Jessica Schultz
Jessica Schultz
Jessica Schultz is an American curler from Richfield, Minnesota. She currently plays lead for Erika Brown...
skipped the team. At the trials, the team finished in fourth place, losing the 3-4 page game to Margie Smith. The team went back to their Olympic lineup for later events, however; Cassie returned to action as the team's skip on March 23, 2006, at the House Of Hearts Bonspiel
Bonspiel
A bonspiel is a curling tournament, traditionally held outdoors on a frozen freshwater loch. The word comes from the Scottish Gaelic and means league match . Though not mandatory, curling teams involved in bonspiels often wear theme costumes...
in Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
.
Teammates at the 2006 Winter Olympics2006 Winter OlympicsThe 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
- Jamie Johnson (third)
- Jessica SchultzJessica SchultzJessica Schultz is an American curler from Richfield, Minnesota. She currently plays lead for Erika Brown...
(second) - Maureen BruntMaureen BruntMaureen Brunt is an American curler. She began curling at the age of 5 at the Portage Curling Club, a few short blocks from her home.-Career:...
(lead) - Courtney GeorgeCourtney GeorgeCourtney George is an internationally elite curler from Duluth, Minnesota.Courtney George made her major competition debut at the 2006 Torino Olympic Games. She was asked to serve as the Alternate for the United States women's team skipped by Cassandra Johnson...
(alternate/fifth)
Awards
- U.S. Olympic Team Trials: 2006 (gold), 2002 (bronze)
- Frances Brodie Award: 2005
- USA Curling Female Athlete of the Year: 2005
- USA Curling Team of the Year: 2005, 2002
- World Curling Championships: 2005 (silver)
- U.S. World Team Trials/Nationals: Silver (2007), Champion (2005), semifinalist (2004, 2003, 2002)
- WJCC All-Star Skip: 2002
- Medalist, Junior World Championships: 2003 (silver), 2002 (gold)
- U.S. Junior Nationals: Gold medal (2003, 2002), Silver medal (2001, 1998), Bronze medal (2000, 1999, 1996)
- Minnesota State Women's Championship: 2004 (champion)
- Wisconsin State Women's Championship: 2003 (champion)
- Minnesota State Junior Women's Championship: 6-time champion
- Karuizawa, Japan International BonspielBonspielA bonspiel is a curling tournament, traditionally held outdoors on a frozen freshwater loch. The word comes from the Scottish Gaelic and means league match . Though not mandatory, curling teams involved in bonspiels often wear theme costumes...
: 2005 (silver medalist) - Winner, Curtis Cup (team sportsmanship award) at U.S. Junior Nationals in 1999 and 2000