Teams skipped by Daniel Casper, John Shuster, Scott Dunnam and Korey Dropkin advanced to the men's playoffs at the USA Curling national championships, as round-robin play concluded Thursday in Denver.

Casper's Chaska-based rink finished atop the standings with a 6-1 record. Team Shuster, from Duluth, tied with Dunnam's Philadelphia-based foursome for second place at 5-2, while Dropkin, of Duluth, was fourth at 4-3. Shuster's team claimed the No. 2 seed by beating Dunnam in the round robin.

Team Jason Smith, which includes former Viking Jared Allen, tied for fifth place in the round robin with a 3-4 record.

The championship round uses the Page playoff format. Casper and Shuster will play Friday in the 1-2 game, with the winner advancing to Saturday's final. The loser will play the victor of the 3-4 game between Dunnam and Dropkin in a Friday semifinal to determine the second finalist. The Page playoff games will start at 3 p.m., with the semifinal at 8 p.m. and Saturday's championship match at 1 p.m.

In the women's round robin, Eagan native Tabitha Peterson led her team to a 7-0 record, claiming the top seed for a four-team playoff that also will begin Friday.

Peterson, a two-time Olympian, will face No. 2 seed Delaney Strouse in the 1-2 game of the Page playoffs on Friday.

Strouse, of Minneapolis, finished the round robin with a 6-1 record. The winner of the 1-2 game advances to Saturday's championship, while the loser will play the winner of Friday's game between two Chaska-based rinks — No. 3 seed Sarah Anderson (5-2) and No. 4 seed Madison Bear (4-3) — in a semifinal to determine the other finalist.

Friday's schedule will start with the Page playoff games at 3 p.m., followed by the semifinal at 8 p.m. Saturday's championship match will be at 5 p.m.

RACHEL BLOUNT

U gymnasts at Michigan

The Gophers gymnastics team will compete at No. 2 Michigan at 4:30 p.m. Friday (ESPNU). Minnesota (6-2-1, 2-0-1 Big Ten) is No. 19 in the RoadToNationals rankings and No. 7 in floor exercise.

The No. 2 Wolverines (6-2, 2-1) had a score of 198.300 — the second highest score in program history — in a quadrangular last week.

Etc.

  • The Gophers softball team opens its season with two games on Friday in the Northern Lights tournament in Leesburg, Fla. Minnesota will play Western Kentucky — picked to finish second in the C-USA Conference preseason poll — at 11 a.m. and two-time defending Big East champion Butler at 1:30 p.m. The Bulldogs were picked to finish fourth in their conference this season.
  • The Gophers women's indoor track and field team will compete in the two-day Windy City Invitational starting Friday at Gately Stadium in Chicago. The field includes nine Power 5 programs, including Indiana, Michigan State and Purdue. Minnesota is No. 3 in the Midwest Regional USTFCCCA rankings with three No. 1 Big Ten marks this season from Nyalaam Jok (high jump) and Amira Young (60-meter dash) and Shelby Frank (weight throw).
  • Bethany Lutheran and Carleton, both 18-3, were ranked Nos. 1-2 in the NCAA Division III Region IX men's basketball rankings this week.