Mark Fenner

Mark Fenner
Curler
Born (1994-12-16) December 16, 1994 (age 31)
Bemidji, Minnesota
Team
Curling clubBemidji CC,
Bemidji, MN[1]
SkipKorey Dropkin
ThirdThomas Howell
SecondAndrew Stopera
LeadMark Fenner
Mixed doubles
partner		Delaney Strouse
Curling career
Member Association United States
World Championship
appearances		2 (2022, 2025)
Pan Continental Championship
appearances		2 (2022, 2023)
Medal record
Curling
Representing  United States
World Junior Championships
Silver medal – second place2016 Copenhagen
Pan Continental Curling Championships
Bronze medal – third place2022 Calgary
U.S. Men's Championship
Gold medal – first place2021 Wausau
Gold medal – first place2025 Duluth
Silver medal – second place2024 East Rutherford
Bronze medal – third place2023 Denver

Mark Fenner (born November 16, 1994) is an American curler originally from Bemidji, Minnesota.[2] He currently plays lead on Team Korey Dropkin. He is a two-time junior national champion and a two-time mens national champion.

Curling career

In juniors, Fenner played second for skip Korey Dropkin, medalling four years in a row at the United States Junior Curling Championships. This included two gold medals in 2013 and 2016. The team also consisted of Tom Howell at third and Alex Fenson at lead, except for the 2014–15 season when Andrew Stopera played lead. At the 2013 World Junior Curling Championships in Sochi, Russia, they finished in seventh place with a record of 4–5.[3] At their second trip to the World Juniors in 2016, they found more success, finishing the round-robin in first place with a record of 8–1. In the 1 vs 2 page playoff game they lost to Bruce Mouat's Team Scotland, but they defeated Switzerland's Yannick Schwaller in the semifinal to face Scotland again in the championship game. Fenner and Team United States lost to Mouat again in the final, to finish with the silver medal.

Upon moving from juniors to men's, Fenner and Alex Fenson played as the front end for Pete Fenson for two seasons. Pete Fenson, Alex's father, is also an Olympian and seven-time national champion.[4] During these two seasons, from 2016 to 2018, Dropkin and Howell played as the front end for Heath McCormick, but for the 2018–19 season Dropkin, Howell, Fenner, and Fenson reunited to compete together again.[5] The next season Team Dropkin brought on Joe Polo, a highly experienced curler who was the alternate on the gold medal-winning team at the 2018 Winter Olympics, as a fifth teammate and experimented with various lineups throughout the season. The five-person team found success at the 2021 US Men's Championship, finishing the round-robin in first place with a 7–2 record. In the playoffs, Team Dropkin defeated Jed Brundidge's team in the 1 vs 2 page playoff game and then again in the final to secure their first Men's National Championship.[6][7] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 Championship was conducted after the 2021 World Men's Championship so Team Dropkin will not represent the United States at World's, but they did secure a spot at the Olympic Trials in the fall of 2021.

The Dropkin team parted ways with Polo during the 2022–23 season, and picked up junior teammate Stopera. The team had good success, winning a bronze medal at the 2022 Pan Continental Curling Championships, and finishing fourth in 2023. The rink won their first men's national title together at the 2025 United States Men's Curling Championship, representing USA at the 2025 World Men's Curling Championship. At the 2025 Worlds, the team went 4-8 after the round robin, finishing a disappointing 11th place.

Personal life

Fenner currently works as a bartender and lives in Richfield, Minnesota.[8]

Teams

Men's

SeasonSkipThirdSecondLeadAlternateCoachEvents
2012–13Korey DropkinTom HowellMark FennerAlex FensonConnor HogeKeith Dropkin2013 USJCC 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2013 WJCC (7th)
2013–14Korey DropkinTom HowellMark FennerAlex Fenson2014 USJCC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)[9]
2014–15Korey DropkinTom HowellMark FennerAndrew StoperaLuc Violette2015 USJCC 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2015 USMCC (6th)
2015–16Korey DropkinTom HowellMark FennerAlex FensonQuinn EvensonWally Henry
(WJCC)		2016 USMCC (4th)
2016 USJCC 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2016 WJCC 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2016–17Pete FensonJared ZezelMark FennerAlex Fenson2017 USMCC (5th)
2017–18Pete FensonShawn RojeskiMark FennerAlex Fenson2018 USMCC (T6th)
2018–19Korey Dropkin (fourth)Tom HowellMark Fenner (skip)Alex Fenson2019 USMCC (4th)
2019–20Korey DropkinTom HowellMark FennerAlex FensonJoe Polo2020 USMCC (5th)
2020–21Korey DropkinJoe PoloMark FennerTom HowellAlex Fenson2021 USMCC 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2021–22Korey DropkinJoe PoloMark FennerTom HowellAlex FensonTim Solin2021 USOCT 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2022 WCC (4th)
2022–23Korey DropkinAndrew StoperaMark FennerTom HowellMark Lazar2022 PCCC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2023 USMCC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2023–24Korey Dropkin (Fourth)Andrew Stopera (Skip)Mark FennerTom HowellMark Lazar2023 PCCC (4th)
2024 USMCC 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2024–25Korey DropkinTom HowellAndrew StoperaMark FennerChris Plys (WMCC)Mark Lazar2025 USMCC 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2025 WMCC (11th)
2025–26Korey DropkinTom HowellAndrew StoperaMark FennerMark Lazar

Mixed doubles

SeasonMaleFemaleEvents
2014–15Mark FennerTina Persinger2015 USMDCC (SF)

References

  1. ^ "USA Curling National Team Athletes". USA Curling. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  2. ^ "Mark Fenner". Team USA. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  3. ^ Bardsley, Len (April 4, 2013). "St. Rose student makes most of Olympic experience". The Coast Star. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  4. ^ Monteith, Austin (March 7, 2018). "Fensons share family passion at USA Curling Nationals". Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  5. ^ Davis, Terry (May 18, 2018). "USA CURLING HIGH PERFORMANCE PROGRAM ATHLETES NAMED". USA Curling. Archived from the original on January 2, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  6. ^ "Next Gen Curling Stars Take 2021 U.S. Titles". Sports Illustrated. May 31, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  7. ^ "CURLING: 3 Bemidjians win men's national championship". Yahoo News. May 31, 2021. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  8. ^ "2025 World Men's Curling Championship Media Guide" (PDF). Curling Canada. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 March 2025. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
  9. ^ "2014 USA Junior Men's Championship - Playoffs". CurlingZone. Archived from the original on May 27, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2021.
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