The annual Hit-Draw-Tap competition for youth curlers in Manitoba played out Sunday in Stonewall. Earlier this year, 568 young curlers from across Manitoba took part in regional qualifying with the chance to represent their region in the provincial finals on the championship arena ice in Stonewall.

Seven regional representatives from Winnipeg and across Manitoba and a host club competitor participated in three different age categories: 6-8 years old, 9-10 years old, and 11-13 years old.

CurlManitoba organizers and former Manitoba champion Mike McEwen, who acted as the guest announcer, encouraged the kids as they concentrated on their hits, draws, and tap shots. The two older groups played on the full sheet of ice, prepared to championship standards by CurlManitoba’s internationally respected ice technician Greg Ewasko. The youngest group of curlers played “the short game”, shooting from the hack to the near set of rings.

There were trophies for the top three in each group and eight different rural Manitoba communities were represented among the nine trophy winners.  Hamiota curlers took home two trophies.

The trophy winners were:

6-8 years:

1. Ben Smith (Pinawa)
2. Rowan Zegers (Riverview)
3. Leah Major (Carman)

9-10 years:

1. Bramwell Friesen (Winkler)
2. Jayce Budey (Steinbach)
3. Sam Rawlings (Hamiota)

11-13 years:

1. Atiya Jack (East St. Paul)
2. Ryan Carmicheal (Hamiota)
3. Jakob Kehler (Ste. Anne)