Greg Romaniuk rebounded from his morning loss to beat Kevin Deeren’s Chicago team 7-6 to stay in playoff contention at the U.S. Curling Trials.

Mark Johnson’s team blew a two-point lead in the tenth end on Wednesday night before falling 10-8 to Craig Brown’s Wisconsin Team in the extra end.

Both Seattle teams are 4-4 in pool play, with their final match tomorrow.

Mark Johnson’s team won this morning solidifying his chances of making the playoffs at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Broomfield, Colo.

Johnson’s Seattle team beat Kevin Deeren’s Chicago team 8-5 and improved to 4-3 in pool play. With two games to play Johnson is in a four-way tie for second.

The Greg Romaniuk team didn’t have a good morning. Romaniuk became the first team at trials to get shutout, losing 7-0 in five ends to Craig Disher’s North Dakota team. Romaniuk is 3-4 in pool play.

Both teams play again at 3 p.m. Johnson plays defending national champ Craig Brown of Wisconsin and Romaniuk plays Team Deeren.

Greg Romaniuk and Mark Johnson, skips of Seattle's two teams at U.S. Olympic trials, both won their matches today.

Romaniuk defeated Christopher Plys' Minnesota team 5-4.

Johnson defeated Mike Farbelow's Minnesota team 4-3.

Both teams are 3-3 and in position to make the playoff that will determine the U.S. representative in the 2010 Olympics.

After losing three matches in a row, Mark Johnson’s team rebounded with a decisive 10-7 victory of Craig Disher’s North Dakota team tonight.

For the second night in a row Greg Romaniuk went to extra ends in his team’s night match. But this time Romaniuk prevailed with a 10-8 win over Mike Farbelow’s Minnesota team.

Johnson and Romaniuk are 2-3 in pool play.

Local curling teams skipped by Greg Romaniuk and Mark Johnson lost again today at the Olympic Trials.

Romaniuk lost 8-5 to tournament leader Todd Birr of Minnesota. Johnson lost 5-4 to John Shuster's Minnesota team.

Romaniuk and Johnson are both 1-3 in pool play and play again tonight. The top four teams in the 10-team field make the playoff to determine the 2010 Olympic participant.

The Seattle curling team skippered by Mark Johnson came from behind twice Saturday night to win their first match of pool play at the U.S. Olympic Curling Trials in Broomfield, Colo.

Johnson, who was born in Walla Walla but lives in Edmonton, let his team to an 8-4 win over Christopher Plys’ Minnesota Team.

The two other teams based out of Seattle’ Granite Curling Club didn’t fair as well Saturday.

Greg Romaniuk’s rink lost 8-5 to John Shuster’s Minnesota Team. Cristin Clark of Lynnwood lost 11-6 to Cassie Potter’s team from Minnesota.

All three local teams play twice Sunday. The nine-game round-robin tournaments are followed by a two-day playoff. The winners will be determined Feb. 28 and become the first Americans to qualify for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Walla Walla is best known for producing onions, a football star (Drew Bledsoe) and a superhero (Adam West, the original Batman).

In eight days it could also be known for producing America’s first 2010 Winter Olympian.

Mark Johnson, 50, was born in Walla Walla shortly before his parents moved to Edmonton to work in the oil industry.

Saturday, after years of trying to make a Canadian Olympic team, Johnson will skipper one of three Seattle teams at the U.S. Olympic qualifiers in Broomfield, Colo. Greg Romaniuk of Seattle is the skipper of the other men’s rink in the 10-team field. Seattle’s Cristin Clark has the only local team in the women’s tournament. The tournament concludes Feb. 28.

While Johnson has lived in Canada most of his live, he never abandoned his U.S. roots.

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