After securing a podium spot at the USA Curling U-18 Nationals, Kalina Petrova ‘27 has done it again. This April in Bismarck, North Dakota, Petrova and her team competed in the 2026 USA Curling Junior Men’s & Junior Women’s National Championships, where they won their division in the U-20 Nationals. With this accomplishment, Petrova, who is part of Team Pekowitz, will have the opportunity to represent the United States at the 2027 World Junior Curling Championships.
“The accomplishment doesn’t feel real,” said Petrova. “I see my medal hanging in my room, and I get reminded of what happened.”
However, this success was not an easy win. In the preliminary round-robin games, Team Pekowitz had two losses. Later in the Playoff Game, Pekowitz was trailing by one point, but was later able to secure two points to be able to compete in the final game.
“We did badly during the round-robin, but then we won the Playoff game on Friday, guaranteeing a medal,” said Petrova. “It was then that I started thinking we might actually win this.”
In the final championship game, the team started off with a strong 4-1 lead and continued that momentum in a 5-3 victory.
“Winning this game that gave us the gold medal is my most memorable moment of the season so far,” said Petrova. “Everything before was very up in the air. This win boosted my confidence and made me feel proud that I’ve come this far.”
Petrova attributes much of the team’s success to the culture they’ve built throughout the season, from hours of practicing to group line-dancing.
“Having a lot of trust allowed us to lose but still come back. We played a lot of games together before and have connected both on and off the field,” said Petrova.
With this win, Petrova will have the opportunity to represent the county at the international stage.
“I’m super excited to go to different places in the world since I enjoy travelling,” she said. “It’s great to now have the support system of Team USA, and I’ll also get better resources like access to physical trainers and better facilities.”
As Petrova preps for her next curling endeavour, she also reflects on her growth and journey as a curler. She mentions that while she has maintained the same focused and positive mindset throughout the season, she has grown stronger mentally, learning how to manage high-pressure situations.
“Over time, I think I got stronger mentally. I got to know what it was like to be in high-pressure situations, and those past games taught me to be calmer and more collected,” said Petrova.
This perspective better enables her to thrive, even after facing setbacks or losses. “After a loss, we’ll talk about what we could do better and what is fixable,” she said. “We remind each other that we are doing it more than just for ourselves, which allows us to connect as a team and keep going.”
Her overall success throughout the season has solidified her personal goal of pursuing the sport in the long-term.
“These wins have instilled my goal of wanting to continue curling, especially at the world levels,” said Petrova. “I could see myself as a professional curler for as long as I am able to.”
Petrova’s ultimate goal is to represent the United States at the Winter Olympics, and placing well at the world championships could help earn their spot.
“I am really excited to represent the US for the first time on an international level, and I’m also excited to meet others across the world who are passionate about curling,” she said.
The next step is a culmination of years of hard work and dedication. But beyond that, Petrova notes the fun she’s had along the way, which has kept her curling. She aims to keep that joy in mind as she preps for her next journey: world championships.
“Something I would have told myself right before my first big tournament would be to have fun,” she said. “I remember my teammates who started chest-bumping after we won, and eating cereal out of the winning championship bowl. Those small moments matter most.”
