# Allison Pottinger

Allison Pottinger /ˈpɒtəndʒər/ (née Darragh, born July 5, 1973) is an American curler from Eden Prairie, Minnesota. She is best known as having played for Debbie McCormick in multiple Olympics and World Championships. McCormick left the team in 2010. She competed in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, in Vancouver, Canada. She was named USA female curling athlete of the year in 2008.

## Career

Pottinger curls out of the St. Paul Curling Club in St. Paul, Minnesota. She learned how to curl in Otterburn Park, Quebec.
In 1994, Pottinger was an alternate for Erika Brown's silver medal-winning team at the 1994 World Junior Curling Championships. Pottinger picked up another silver medal at the 1996 World Curling Championships as the lead for Lisa Schoeneberg. In 1999, Pottinger won another silver medal, this time playing second for Patti Lank. In 2003, she had moved up to the position of third, and played for Debbie McCormick. In 2003, they won the first gold medal for an American team at the World Curling Championships. They would go to the Worlds again in 2006, where they won a silver medal.
Upon their semifinal win at the 2012 United States Women's Curling Championship, Pottinger and her team were qualified to participate at the 2014 United States Olympic Curling Trials. Her team lost in the trials, but Pottinger was selected as the Alternate for the victorious team (which includes former teammate McCormick). Pottinger attended the 2014 Olympics but was not selected to play in any matches for Team USA.

## Personal life

Pottinger is a consumer insights manager with Rakuten Intelligence. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh and has bachelor's degrees in Political Science and History. She earned an MBA in Marketing at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. She is married to Doug Pottinger and has two children.

## Awards

* USA Curling Female Athlete of the Year: 2008, 2012
* USA Curling Team of the Year: 1999, 2003

## Teams
### Women's

| Season | Skip | Third | Second | Lead | Alternate | Coach | Events |
| 1993–94 | Erika Brown | Debbie Henry | Stacey Liapis | Analissa Johnson | Allison Darragh | | 1994 USJCC 1994 WJCC |
| 1994–95 | Lisa Schoeneberg | Erika Brown | Lori Mountford | Marcia Tillisch | Allison Darragh | | 1995 USWCC 1995 WWCC (6th) |
| 1995–96 | Lisa Schoeneberg | Erika Brown | Lori Mountford | Allison Darragh | Debbie Henry | | 1996 USWCC 1996 WWCC |
| 1996–97 | Patti Lank | Analissa Johnson | Joni Cotten | Tracy Sachtjen | Allison Darragh | | 1997 WWCC (7th) |
| 1998–99 | Patti Lank | Erika Brown | Allison Darragh | Tracy Sachtjen | Barb Perrella (WWCC) | Steve Brown (WWCC) | 1999 USWCC 1999 WWCC |
| 1999–00 | Patti Lank | Erika Brown | Allison Darragh | Tracy Sachtjen | | Steve Brown | 2000 USWCC |
| 2000–01 | Patti Lank | Erika Brown | Allison Darragh | Tracy Sachtjen | | Keith Reilly | 2001 USWCC |
| 2001–02 | Patti Lank | Erika Brown Oriedo | Allison Darragh | Tracy Sachtjen | | Bev Behnke | 2001 USOCT |
| 2001–02 | Patti Lank | Erika Brown | Allison Darragh | Natalie Nicholson | Nicole Joraanstad | | 2002 USWCC 2002 WWCC (8th) |
| 2002–03 | Debbie McCormick | Allison Pottinger | Ann Swisshelm Silver | Tracy Sachtjen | Joni Cotten | Wally Henry | 2003 USWCC 2003 WWCC |
| 2003–04 | Debbie McCormick | Allison Pottinger | Ann Swisshelm Silver | Tracy Sachtjen | Joni Cotten | | 2004 USWCC |
| 2004–05 | Debbie McCormick | Allison Pottinger | Ann Swisshelm Silver | Tracy Sachtjen | | | 2005 USWCC/USOCT |
| 2005–06 | Debbie McCormick | Allison Pottinger | Nicole Joraanstad | Tracy Sachtjen | Natalie Nicholson | Joni Cotten | 2006 USWCC |
| 2005–06 | Debbie McCormick | Allison Pottinger | Nicole Joraanstad | Natalie Nicholson | Caitlin Maroldo | Wally Henry | 2006 WWCC |
| 2006–07 | Debbie McCormick | Allison Pottinger | Nicole Joraanstad | Natalie Nicholson | Tracy Sachtjen | | 2007 USWCC |
| 2006–07 | Debbie McCormick | Allison Pottinger | Nicole Joraanstad | Natalie Nicholson | Maureen Brunt | Wally Henry | 2007 WWCC (4th) |
| 2007–08 | Debbie McCormick | Allison Pottinger | Nicole Joraanstad | Natalie Nicholson | Tracy Sachtjen (WWCC) | Wally Henry | 2008 USWCC 2008 WWCC (7th) |
| 2008–09 | Debbie McCormick | Allison Pottinger | Nicole Joraanstad | Natalie Nicholson | Tracy Sachtjen | Wally Henry | 2009 USWCC/USOCT 2009 WWCC (9th) |
| 2009–10 | Debbie McCormick | Allison Pottinger | Nicole Joraanstad | Natalie Nicholson | Tracy Sachtjen | Wally Henry | 2010 OG (10th) |
| 2010–11 | Allison Pottinger | Nicole Joraanstad | Natalie Nicholson | Tabitha Peterson | | | 2011 USWCC |
| 2011–12 | Allison Pottinger | Nicole Joraanstad | Natalie Nicholson | Tabitha Peterson | Cassandra Potter | Derek Brown | 2012 USWCC 2012 WWCC (5th) |
| 2012–13 | Allison Pottinger | Nicole Joraanstad | Natalie Nicholson | Tabitha Peterson | | | 2013 USWCC |
| 2013–14 | Allison Pottinger | Nicole Joraanstad | Natalie Nicholson | Tabitha Peterson | Tara Peterson (WWCC) | Derek Brown (WWCC) | 2013 USOCT 2014 USWCC 2014 WWCC (6th) |
| 2013–14 | Erika Brown | Debbie McCormick | Jessica Schultz | Ann Swisshelm | Allison Pottinger | Bill Todhunter | 2014 OG (10th) |
| 2015–16 | Erika Brown | Allison Pottinger | Nicole Joraanstad | Natalie Nicholson | Tabitha Peterson (WWCC) | Ann Swisshelm (WWCC) | 2016 USWCC 2016 WWCC (6th) |
| 2018–19 | Allison Pottinger | Courtney George | Jordan Moulton | Regan Birr | | | |

### Mixed doubles

| Season | Male | Female | Events |
| 2015–16 | Allison Pottinger | Doug Pottinger | 2016 USMDCC |

### Mixed

| Season | Skip | Third | Second | Lead | Events |
| 1995 | Mike Fraboni | Allison Pottinger | Mark Swandby | Toni Swandby | 1995 USMxCC |
| 1998 | Mike Fraboni | Allison Pottinger | Craig Brown | Tracy Sachtjen | 1998 USMxCC |

## Grand Slam record

Key :
| C | Champion |
| F | Lost in Final |
| SF | Lost in Semifinal |
| QF | Lost in Quarterfinals |
| R16 | Lost in the round of 16 |
| Q | Did not advance to playoffs |
| T2 | Played in Tier 2 event |
| DNP | Did not participate in event |
| N/A | Not a Grand Slam event that season |
| Event | 2007–08 | 2008–09 | 2009–10 | 2010–11 |
| Autumn Gold | DNP | DNP | DNP | Q |
| Manitoba Lotteries | QF | Q | DNP | Q |
| Sobeys Slam | DNP | DNP | N/A | DNP |
| Players' Championships | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |