A game to play in the women’s division of the Nature’s Bounty Club Championships at Charleswood and the question of who advances to playoffs is pretty clear in one pool. Lori Pelissier-Thistle and Krstin McLellan-Brandon were unbeaten playing the morning draw and 7-3 win for former chamnpion Pelissier give her team a 4W-0L. They will advance no matter the result of their final round robin game.
The winning shot for Pelissier today came on the 4th end when, down 3-1, with her last shot she made an angled raise from in front of the rings, between two of her own stones in the eight foot circle and removed a McLellan stone in the four foot to score four.
Team McLellan can improve to 4W-1L with a win in their final round robin game. They play Granite’s Nancy Scammell, also currently 3W-1L after a morning 8-1 victory over Sherri Horning-Burntwood. As Pelissier has beaten both McLellan and Scammell, the Thistle team will finish first in the group.
The other group is much less definite. Tiffany Armstrong’s Dauphin team has finished their round-robin with a 3W-2L record and must wait for the final draw to see where they stand.
On the morning draw, Team Armstrong beat Judy Colwell-East St. Paul (9-2) this morning. Colwell is at 2W-2L along with two other teams.
Sarah Roche’s Fort Rouge team, currently 3W-1L, has a chance to finish first in the group as they will play Lisa Birchard-Pembina, currently 2W-2L. In the other impact game on the afternoon draw, Colwell plays Debbie Whittom-Charleswood.
With the Colwell-Whittom winner finishing with three wins, there is certainty of one tiebreaker game in the group IF Roche beats Birchard. IF Birchard beats Roche, there will be a four-way tie at 3W-2L and a pair of tiebreaker games to determine final rankings in this group.
The top two teams in each pool advance to the playoff round.
Former champion Lori Pelissier (Thistle) was one of three women’s teams who posted a pair of wins on opening day of the Nature’s Bounty Club Championship at Winnipeg’s Charleswood Curling Club.
The 2012 champion skip was joined with 2W-0L records by Kristin McLellan (Brandon), playing in the same 6-team group, and by Tiffany Armstrong (Dauphin) in the other women’s pool.
In the men’s division, two-time champion Andrew Wickman and his Fort Rouge team are one of the teams with perfect 2W-0L records. Wickman won the championship in 2018 and most recently in 2020. He stands alone at the top of one 6-team pool.
In the other men’s pool, Zach Wasylik and his Pembina team and Richard Muntain’s St. Vital team also posted two opening day wins. Team Muntain needed an extra end on the late draw Thursday for their second victory.
CurlManitoba’s Club Champions Championships events have begun at the Charleswood Curling Club. Past Champion won his opener Andrew Wickman-Ft Rouge (7-1 over Sam Antila, Burntwood). Other first draw winners on the men’s side were Zach Wasylik-Pembina, Richard Muntain-St. Vital, Kelly Marnoch-Carberry, and Paul Scinnoca-Charleswood. Among three former champions on the women’s opening draw, only Lori Pelissier-Thistle (6-5 over Sherri Horning-Burntwood) was a winner. Tiffany Armstrong-Dauphin (8-6 over former champ Marlene Lang-St. Vital) and Nancy Scammell-Granite (9-3 over former champ Tracey Andries-Ft Rouge) were winners along with Debbie Whittom-Charleswood and Kristin McLellan-Brandon. CurlManitoba’s pre-event story follows:
(CURLMANITOBA RELEASE) Winnipeg’s Charleswood Curling Club will host teams from 15 different curling communities across Manitoba in the Women’s and Men’s Nature’s Bounty provincial Curling Club Championships October 27-30, 2022. Six rural clubs and three Winnipeg clubs will be represented in one of the two championships. Two rural and four Winnipeg region clubs will be represented in both.
Skips Sherri Horning and Sam Antila will travel the furthest, bringing their teams to the Charleswood from Thompson’s Burntwood club, while four teams will be playing “at home”. The Charleswood ‘host team’ entries have been earned by the Paul Scinnoca and Doreen Sigurdson teams. The Darren Perche and Debbie Whittom foursomes qualified through regional playoffs.
Topping the list of very competitive entries in the men’s championship are teams skipped by Andrew Wickman, Randy Neufeld, and Zachary Wasylik.
Wickman’s 2020 Manitoba champion team from Fort Rouge, which missed the opportunity to play in the national event due to Covid-19, is intact. Wickman, Jeff Tarko, Craig Strand, Cam Barth and 5th Scott Barth and will be among the favorites to win at Charleswood. Three of the four (Wickman, Tarko, Cam Barth) were also Manitoba champions in 2018.
Neufeld, who is a Manitoba & Canadian Senior Men’s champion and world senior Silver medallist, will play with his La Salle club team of Dale Fust, Dean Clayton, Ryan Blight and 5th Derek Horner while Wasylik, a former Manitoba junior champion with Brett Walter, skips a Pembina team of Jack Hykaway, Joshua Harding, Graham Normand and 5th Andrew Peck.
In the women’s championship, St. Vital’s Marlene Lang, (with Pamela Kok, Jackie Henderson, and Megan Pauls), also won the 2020 title but missed the national event due to Covid-19. Three of them (Lang, Kok, Henderson) were also 2015 champions.
Tracey Andries and her Fort Rouge team of Crystal Kennedy, Diane Christensen, and April Klassen won Manitoba in 2014, 2016, and 2019 along with the Canadian championship in 2016. Thistle’s Lori Pelissier, who was the 2012 champion skip, returns this year with a different team.
Teams from Charleswood (2M, 2W), Fort Rouge (1M, 2W), Burntwood, Dauphin, Pembina, and St. Vital (each 1M, 1W) along with Men’s teams from Carberry, Portage, La Salle, and Petersfield plus Women’s teams from Elmwood, Brandon, East St. Paul, Thistle, and Granite will compete.
The Women’s competition opens the event with five games at 12:15pm on Thursday, October 27. The first five men’s games are scheduled for 3:30pm that day. The semi-finals will go at 10:00 am and finals at 2:30pm on Sunday, October 30.
The winners at Charleswood will represent Manitoba in the Everest Canadian Curling Club Championships, November 20-26 to be played in the West Edmonton Mall Ice Palace.
For curling fans who have become accustomed to a lot of guards in play, Monday’s Manitoba Credit Unions Masters Men’s final at Assiniboine Memorial provided a reminder of the games of years past.
(l-r) Murray Warren, Brian Barker, Terry Warren, Reg Warren, Credit Unions rep Craig Giesbrcht
Undefeated Murray Warren had last rock in the opening end. He got the hoped for miss and put a deuce on the board. Warren and Mark Franklin traded singles over the next four ends in a game with few guards in play.
On the sixth end, Franklin finally got his miss and tied the score with a last rock hit. Franklin’s seventh end high centre guard was immediately followed by a Warren draw to the top eight foot and that got the game going. Warren’s last rock of the end was a hit on a Franklin stone cornered on one of his own behind the centre cover. The idea was to drive his own onto shot stone and stick for a two. He curled up enough to make the raise takeout but rolled out to score only one and lead 5-4 coming home.
The last end came down to the final four shots. Franklin had two buried but a pair of stones covering the centre line, staggered. Warren drew to bite the four foot with ‘maybe an inch’ peeking out. Franklin picked it out. Warren repeated the draw – got to the eight foot for shot stone but with more available to hit. Franklin over-curled and rubbed the guard leaving Warren a steal of one and a 6-4 win.
Murray Warren, Brian Barker, Terry Warren, and Reg Warren will represent Manitoba at the National Masters at Pembina Curling Club in November.
(11AM: Monday, April 11)WARREN-FRANKLIN MASTERS MEN’S FINAL: After running a seven game unbeaten string to finish the round robin with a 7W-0L record, Greg McGibbon’s Granite team has suffered their second defeat to bow out of the Manitoba’s Credit Union Masters Men’s championship at Assiniboine Memorial.
Mark Franklin (also Granite) blanked three ends after McGibbon stuck for one trying to blank the first end of the morning semi-final. McGibbon played the centre guard to start the fifth. That end turned into a deuce for Franklin when he made a delicate tap-back past the centre to remove shot stone. A stolen single on the sixth gave Franklin’s team a 3-1 lead playing seven. McGibbon’s team could get nothing going and his last rock triple-kill attempt yielded a steal of two more.
Up 5-1 coming home, Franklin ran McGibbon out of rocks to advance against the still unbeaten defending champion Murray Warren team in the 1PM final game.
Greg McGibbon & Peter Nicholls consider where to put the next stone – down four playing the seventh end, they needed a three and scored it. But it was not enough!
(10PM: Sunday, April 11)WARREN INTO FINAL; MCGIBBON – FRANKLIN SEMI-FINAL IN MASTERS MEN’S: Defending Champion Murray Warren remains undefeated at the Manitoba Masters Men’s championship. Warren gave up three to Greg McGibbon on the seventh end but still led by one coming home in the Page 1-1 game at AMCC. They won it with a last rock draw facing two. Warren’s brothers Reg & Terry are among the best sweepers in the competition and they were tested on that last rock draw. They responded well, dragging the last shot into the eight foot and winning by about a foot.
The red Franklin stone was touched by Gord McTavish’s last rock draw through the port but stayed shot stone to win the game
The Warren team advances to the Monday 1PM final. McGibbon will play Mark Franklin in the 9AM semi-final after Franklin beat former champion Gord McTavish 6-5 in an extra end Page Playoff elimination game.
Down one coming home, McTavish’s last rock draw to the four foot rubbed a guard and the Pembina team scored only one to force the extra end. On the extra, Franklin established a rock on the front of the button early in the end and it never moved until McTavish rubbed it with a near impossible last rock attempt.
(6:30PM: Sunday, April 10) COLWELL WINS MANITOBA MASTERS WOMEN’S FINAL: Judy Colwell and her East St. Paul team have won the Manitoba’s Credit Unions Masters Women’s final today at Assiniboine Memorial. For Colwell and her team-mates (Wendy Nykoluk, Donna Smiley, Leslie Brown) it is a first Manitoba title.
Credit Unions rep Arthur Harris with (l-r) Judy Colwell, Wendy Nykoluk, Donna Smiley and Leslie Brown
Colwell defeated Sandra Cowling and her Hamiota team, and her two-time defending Manitoba Women’s Masters champions in the afternoon final game.
The 8-6 game, turned in the fifth end. Leading 5-3, Cowling made a last rock hit and roll to lie shot rock partially buried and partially cornered on a pair of Colwell stones in the back of the house. Colwell played a light weight tap-back which curled across the face of the Cowling stone and tapped it back enough to count three and take a 6-5 lead.
The sixth end gave the spectators lots to talk about. The strategy by both teams seemed to be “fill the house with stones”. A slightly overweight guard attempt by Cowling pushed a Colwell stone to second shot stone position in the four foot and when Colwell’s last stone also ended up in front of the rings, Cowling elected to settle for a single and threw her last rock to the boards. The score was tied 6-6 after six ends.
On the seventh, Colwell missed a ‘kill’ opportunity. Her last stone tap-back over-curled, and slid through the rings -resulting in a deuce rather than a possible four. Up two coming home, Cowling was unable to build an end and Colwell made a last rock kill to win the game.
The Colwell team will represent Manitoba at the Canadian Masters Championship event at Winnipeg’s Pembina Curling Club in November.
Sandra Cowling was probably fortunate not to give u7p more than one on the fourth end. Throwing red, her last rock wide out turn tap attempt, leaving one yellow biting the button.
(3PM: Sunday, April 10)COWLING-COLWELL MASTERS WOMEN’S FINAL; MEN’S PLAYOFFS SET Sandra Cowling and her Hamiota team, the same line-up which won the 2016 Manitoba Senior Women’s title, defeated Laurie Deprez (Stonewall) 8-5 Sunday morning to advance to the final game of the Manitoba Credit Unions Masters Women’s championship at Assiniboine Memorial.
Cowling gave up a steal of one and a 3-3 tie after four ends but broke the game open with a four on the fifth.
Cowling’s team will play Judy Colwell (East St. Paul) at 4PM in the Masters Women’s final. The winner will play in the national Masters at Pembina CC in November.
On the Masters Men’s side, the playoffs are set. Murray Warren (Brandon) and Greg McGibbon (Granite) both finished the round robin undefeated. They’ll meet in the Sunday evening Page 1-1 game.
The 2-2 elimination game features two teams whose only loss has come to the unbeaten leaders. Mark Franklin (Granite) beat Jim Renwick (Brandon) to finish 6W-1L behind McGibbon. Gord McTavish, hoping to be a home team at the national event in November, is also 6W-1L after winning the last round robin game over Dale Brooks. Coincidentally, the scores of those two 2nd place games were both 7-2.
Jordon McDonald (Deer Lodge) and his second Elias Huminicki have won their second Manitoba curling championship of the season. Half of this year’s Manitoba Junior Men’s champion team, the pair teamed with Jace Freeman and Cam Olafson to win the U-18 Men’s championship today as well. Blaine Malo continues as the team’s coach.
Team McDonald won the Page 1-1 game early Sunday to earn a berth in the final, where they took on Ryan Ostrowsky (West St.Paul). Ostrowsky had won the afternoon semi-final 7-3 over Carter Marshall and his St Vital team.
Ryan Ostrowsky, Jack Steski, Luke Robins, Logan Strand, Coach Carlene Strand
Playing their third game of the day, the Ostrowsky team gave up a two and steal of four after McDonald blanked the first two ends. From there it was just a question of patience for the Deer Lodge foursome. They forced Ostrowsky to a single in the fifth…….
The good news for Team Ostrowsky is that Manitoba has two berths in the national U-18 event to be played in early May in Oakville, ON. so they had already earned the second berth by winning the semi-final.
Team Terrick
In the U-18 Women’s final, Page 1-1 winner Zoey Terrick and her Neepawa team (Cassidy Dundas, Tessa Terrick, Madison Sagert) stole victory from semi-final winner Grace Beaudry (St. Vital). Beaudry had reached the final with an afternoon 5-4 win over Dayna Wahl (Altona).
In the final, Team Beaudry scored singles on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th ends to lead 3-1 at the mid-game break. After a blanked fifth end, Terrick was forced to take a single on the sixth and then built a steal of one on the 7th to be tied coming home 3-3.
Grace Beaudry, Arianne Courcelles, Jensen Letham, Chelsea Swaile, Coach Guy Beaudry
A long centre guard and a close centre guard by lead Madison Sagert set the stage for the stolen victory. With her last stone to come, and only one rock out of play, Beaudry had nothing but an attempted double raise to pick out the Terrick shot stone buried biting the back of the four foot. By the time the rocks stopped rolling, Terrick had stolen two for a 5-3 victory.
McDonald and Terrick will wear Manitoba colours at the national U-18 Championship. Like Ostrowky, Team Beaudry also earns Manitoba’s second U-18 National berth.
**
Zoey Terrick
(5PM: Sunday, March 10) TERRICK, MCDONALD ADVANCE TO U-18 FINALS Zoey Terrick’s Neepawa team and Manitoba Junior Champion Jordon McDonald’s Deer Lodge foursome won the morning Page 1-1 Playoff games to advance to the Manitoba U-18 Championship final games. Those games are set to go at Heather at 6PM.
IN the U-18 Women’s final, Team Terrick will play the winner of the afternoon semi-final between Dayna Wahl (Altona) and Grace Beaudry (St. Vital).
Earlier today, Terrick defeated Wahl 7-2 in the Page 1-1 Playoff game while Beaudry was a 7-4 winner over Emily Ogg (AMCC) in the elimination game.
In the U-18 Men’s, Team McDonald awaits the winner of the semi-final between Carter Marshall (St. Vital) and Ryan Ostrowsky (West St. Paul). In the first playoff round, Team McDonald was an 8-1 winner over Marshall and Ostrowsky eliminated Ronan Peterson (Fort Rouge) in a 7-4 game.
Ryan Ostrowsky with sweepers Luke Robins (l) and Logan Strand (r)
Three Manitoba curling championships will wrap up today: the Masters Women at Assiniboine Memorial (final at 4PM) and the U-18 Men & Women at Heather (finals at 6PM).
At Heather, the Page Playoff draws are set for 9AM with semi-finals at 2PM. The U-18 Women’s draw features a pair of unbeaten rural teams in the 1V1 game (winner to the final, loser to the semi-final). Dayna Wahl (Altona) and Zoey Terrick (Neepawa) advanced with perfect 4W-0L records. In the Page bottom side elimination game, Grace Beaudry (St. Vital) will play Emily Ogg (AMCC). Both teams advanced with 3W-1L records.
In the U-18 Men’s championship, no team survived round robin play unbeaten. All four playoff teams advanced with single losses, the only teams with only one loss on their record. Provincial Junior Champion Jordon McDonald (Deer Lodge) meets Carter Marshall (St. Vital) in the Page top-side game with the winner advancing to the final. In the bottom side elimination game Ronan Peterson (Ft. Rouge) plays Ryan Ostrowsky (West St. Paul).
At Assiniboine Memorial, the top three teams all finished with 3W-1L records. Judy Colwell (East St. Paul), Laurie Deprez (Stonewall) and Sandra Cowling (Hamiota) all beat each other in the round robin. As a result of the last-shot draw ‘contest’, Colwell’s team was awarded the bye to the final game where the East St. Paul skip will try to win her first provincial championship. Deprez and Cowling, both former Senior Women’s champions, will meet in the semi-final.
In the Masters Men’s, the playoff picture is simple but the last two teams will be determined in head-to-head games on the last round-robin draws. Murray Warren (6W-0L) will advance to the Page 1-1 game. Second place will go to the winner of a game between Gord McTavish (Pembina) and Dale Brooks (Hamiota). Brooks is at 4W-2L while McTavish is 5W-1L. If both finish 5W-2L, Brooks will advance thanks to the win. If McTavish wins, his team gets seconds place due to the earlier loss to Brandon’s Warren team.
In the other pool, Greg McGibbon (Granite) is the unbeaten team at 6W-0L and will finish first. Jim Renwick (Brandon) and Mark Franklin (Granite), both with 5W-1L records, will face off at 12:30 Sunday with the winner earning the second playoff berth from the group.
Manitoba will send a pair of four-time Manitoba Senior champion teams to the 2022 Canadian Seniors in the fall of this year.
Randy Neufeld, Dean Moxham, Peter Nicholls and Dale Michie won together in 2015, 2016 and 2021. They repeated again today in Beausejour – winning a morning semi-final in six ends over Murray Warren (Brandon) and then beating Richard Muntain’s Granite team in the final.
Fourth time champions!! (l-r) Randy Neufeld, Dean Moxham, Peter Nicholls, Dale Michie
Muntain, as Page 1-1 winner, started with last rock and scored a skip’s pair with a draw behind a corned guard on his first, then a draw to the four foot for two after Neufeld came just short trying to follow the first shot. From there, however, it was Neufeld’s game.
He made a runback kill for three on end #2, forced Muntain to a single on #3, and had an open draw for five after Muntain just rubbed attempting a game-saving double (maybe triple) kill. Up 8-3 at the break, Neufeld stole another on the fifth end when Muntain’s hit facing two rolled far enough to require a measure of two rocks biting the four foot.
Facing two more on the sixth end, Muntain drew to the button and conceded the 9-4 victory.
On the Senior Women’s side, Terry Ursel and front end players Tracy Igonia and Brenda Walker won in 2017, 2019 and 2020. Their third Wanda Rainka won in 2019 and 2020, replacing Gwen Wooley who was the third for the Neepawa team’s first championship run.
Like Muntain, Ursel had last rock on the first end and scored a pair. After stealing another on the second and giving up one on the third, Ursel had Judy Colwell looking at three with her last. Colwell removed only one, leaving Ursel a draw for three and a 6-1 lead after four ends. A steal of three more on the fifth ended the game.
Fourth time champions!! (l-r) Terry Ursel, Wanda Rainka, Brenda Walker, Tracy Igonia, 5th Darla Hanke
Randy Neufeld with sweepers Dean Moxham (l) and Dale Michie
(Monday, March 21, 11AM) MUNTAIN-NEUFELD, URSEL-COLWELL SENIOR FINALS: Randy Neufeld and his La Salle team were 7-1 winners over Murray Warren (Brandon) in the Strathcona Senior Men’s semi-final in Beausejour Monday morning. Warren had run a string of six wins to start the event, including a round-robin win over Neufeld, then lost three in a row to bow out of the competition.
The defending champion Neufeld team will now play Richard Muntain’s Granite foursome in the final at 1PM.
The Senior Women’s final will see Terry Ursel and her Neepawa team challenged by Judy Colwell (East St. Paul). Colwell defeated defending champion clubmate Kim Link and her team in the morning semi-final. In a game which featured many stones in play on every end, Colwell scored four singles to open the game. Link had a makeable double for three on the 5th end but didn’t curl up quite enough and scored only one. A steal on the sixth gave Link some hope but a single for Colwell gave her a three-point lead coming home and Link had no shot with her last.
Always stones in play! Last rock (red) to come and yellow counting. The yellow Link counter wasn’t moved but the steal of one (down 4-2) wasn’t enough.
(Sunday, March 20, 6:30PM) MUNTAIN INTO SENIOR MEN’S FINAL, LINK WINS SR WOMEN’S TIEBREAKER: After winning six in row, Murray Warren’s Brandon team lost two games Sunday. They lost their final round-robin game 5-4 to Mike Mahon and then were beaten 4-2 Sunday evening in the Page 1-1 game by Richard Muntain (Granite). Muntain advances direct to the Monday 1PM final.
Warren drops to the morning semi-final against defending champion Randy Neufeld (LaSalle) who eliminated Rob Van Kommer with a 7-1 victory in the Page 2-2 game.
In the Senior Women’s tiebreaker, defending champion Kim Link (East St. Paul) was an 8-4 winner over Norma Purdy in the tiebreaker. Link will play clubmate Judy Colwell in the Monday morning semi-final. The winner advances to play Terry Ursel in the final
(Sunday, March 20, 7PM) VAN KOMMER WINS SR MEN’S TIEBREAKER; LINK-PURDY MEET IN SR WOMEN’S TIEBREAKER: When all the wins and losses were tallied at the end of the Strathcona Senior Men’s round robin Beausejour, Murray Warren (Brandon) has lost his perfect record, but still finished first in his pool. Richard Muntain (Granite) had won a sixth game and finished first in his pool. Randy Neufeld (LaSalle) had won a fifth game and finished second behind Warren.
And two teams, Rob Van Kommer (Carberry) and Allan Gitzel (Morris) were the only teams involved in a tiebreaker game. Both were 5W-2L behind Muntain. Van Kommer won the tiebreaker 7-4 to advance to the Sunday evening Page 2-2 game against former champion Neufeld.
The Page 1-1 game, between Warren and Muntain, will also be played Sunday evening.
It was not as clean and simple in the CurlManitoba Senior Women’s Championship. Three-time former champion Terry Ursel (Neepawa) finished the round-robin in first place with a 6W-1L record. They earn the bye to the provincial final game on Sunday at 1PM.
There is a second place 4W-3L tie between four teams: Judy Colwell, Norma Purdy, Kim Link, and Darcy Robertson. Based on the CurlManitoba tiebreaker policy which involves head-to-head results plus the pre-game button draw and just one tiebreaker game, Judy Colwell (East St. Paul) has been awarded second place. Link (East St. Paul) and Purdy (St Vital) will play a Sunday evening tiebreaker game for the chance to play Colwell Monday morning at 9AM. Robertson is on the outside looking in.
(Saturday, March 19, 10:30PM) WARREN, URSEL ADVANCE TO SENIORS’ PLAYOFFS: Murray Warren and his Deloraine-Melita team, playing out of Brandon, are still unbeaten in the Strathcona Senior Men’s in Beausejour. Their 6W-0L record means that with only a game to play in the round-robin, they cannot be caught and will advance to the playoffs.
In the CurlManitoba Senior Women’s, Terry Ursel and her Neepawa team have a 5W-1L record and are assured of advancing no matter the result of their final game against defending champion Kim Link (East St. Paul), whose record is 4W-2L. A Link win on the noon draw Sunday will mean both will finish at 5W-2L and the two will advance.
In the other Men’s pool, Richard Muntain (Granite) also has a 5W-1L record but advancing is not yet a certainty.
There is great potential for several ties for the other playoff positions and for the tiebreaker scenarios to be implemented.
In Warren’s Senior Men’s Pool, Randy Neufeld (La Salle) is at 4W-2L and plays Ray Baker (Dauphin), who is at 3W-3L, in a re-match of last fall’s final. If Baker wins, both will be at 4W-3L. Two other 3W-3L teams will be cheering for Baker. Mike Mahon (Granite) and Allan Croy (Petersfield) need to win and hope for the Baker win to get into the logjam. Mahon plays Warren. Croy plays 2W-4L Sam Antila (Thompson).
The Muntain pool is even more confused as four teams can finish tied for first at 5W-2L. Muntain plays 4W-2L Neil Okumura (Pembina). Also at 4W-2L, Rob Van Kommer (Carberry), and Allan Gitzel (Morris) can be in that first place tie. Gitzel plays 2W-4L Derek Dowsett (Stonewall) and Van Kommer plays 1W-5L Dale Brooks (Hamiota). Also in the conversation is Dave Boehmer (Petersfield) who is 3W-3L. A Boehmer win over 1W-5L Bill Menzies (Granite), along with losses by Okumura, Van Kommer, and Gitzel would mean a four-way second place tie at 4W-3L.
In the Senior Women’s, there will be a three team playoff with #2 VS #3 and the winner playing #1 but other than Ursel there is no certainty who will be in the playoffs. There is absolutely no clarity yet on positioning.
If Link Beats Ursel, they’ll both be 5W-2L and finish Link #1 and Ursel #2 due to the result of the head-to-head. If Ursel beat Link, Ursel would be 6W-1L and assured of the first place bye and Link would be 4W-3L and tied with some others. For certain either Darcy Robertson (AMCC) or Norma Purdy (St. Vital) will finish 4W-3L as both are currently 3W-3L and they play each other in their final game. Judy Colwell is at 3W-2L with two to play so her East St. Paul team can finish as high as second at 5W-2L, in the 4W-3L tie, OR out of the playoffs at 3W-4L.
(Friday, March 18, 11PM) WARREN LAST UNBEATEN AT BEAUSEJOUR SENIORS: Murray Warren’s Brandon team, the reigning Manitoba Masters Champion are the last unbeaten team in the two Manitoba Senior championship events in Beausejour. Warren needed an extra end for a 5-4 victory over Sam Antila on the late draw Friday.
The other previously unbeaten men’s team, skipped by Richard Muntain, was beaten 10-4 by Allan Gitzel, whose record is now 3W-1L. Gitzel is tied with Dave Boehmer and Rob Van Kommer in second place in their pool. Behind Warren in the other group are Mike Mahon and Randy Neufeld at 3W-1L.
In the Senior Women’s, Norma Purdy was beaten for the first time on Friday, a 10-3 loss to Marlene Lang. With Purdy at 3W-1L are Terry Ursel and Kim Link. Darcy Robertson lost on the late draw, 8-2 to Laurie Deprez, and has a 2W-2L record.
(Friday, 5PM) PURDY, WARREN & MUNTAIN LEAD MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIPS AT 3W-0L: Norma Purdy , with a win over Judy Colwell, leads the Senior Women’s in Beausejour with a perfect 3W-0L record. Colwell is a 2W-1L along with Darcy Robertson, Kim Link, and Terry Ursel.
Murray Warren and Richard Muntain, at 3W-OL, lead the two pools in the Senior Men’s in Beausejour. Behind Warren, at 2W-1L are Randy Neufeld and Mike Mahon. Behind Muntain, at 2W-1L, are Rob Van Kommer, Dave Boehmer, and Allan Gitzel.
(Friday 8AM) PLAY UNDERWAY IN SENIORS & MIXED PROVINCIALS: Play began with all teams playing two games in the Manitoba Senior Men’s and Women’s Championships in Beausejour and in the Mixed provincials in Carman. It is round-robin play in both Beausejour events and triple knock-out in Carman.
In the Senior Women’s, Judy Colwell (East St. Paul) and Norma Purdy (St. Vital) and their teams both posted a pair of wins while four other teams split their two opening day games. Colwell defeated defending champion clubmate Kim Link (10-7) and Darcy Robertson (5-2) while Purdy had victories over Sandra Cowling (14-1) and Laurie Deprez (5-4).
In the Senior Men’s, defending champion Randy Neufeld (La Salle) was one of 10 teams to split their first day pair. Only three teams survived the day with two wins. Masters champion Murray Warren (Brandon) leads one eight-team pool with a 2-0 record while Richard Muntain (Granite) and Dave Boehmer (Petersfield) lead the other pool at 2-0.
(Wednesday, March 16) FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP EVENTS FOR MANITOBANS TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND!!: It will be a great weekend for Manitoba curling fans. TV fans will be cheering for Kerri Einarson and Team Canada as they kick off the Women’s Worlds in Prince George with two games on Saturday. Two year’s experience wearing the maple leaf puts them in a good place going into the event. Six teams make the playoffs so that they should be among those. Then it is a case of luck of the draw – they should get close and certainly have the ability to win it but with Tirinzoni and Hasselborg in the competition, that’s the furthest I’ll go in the way of a prediction.
Also this weekend, CurlManitoba has three events for fans who like their championship curling in person.
(Wednesday)The Chicken Mixed Chef in Carman begins Thursday evening with 13 entries playing a triple knock-out with six teams advancing to the playoffs. Always interesting to pick a favorite when teams rarely play together more than year or two but 3-time Mixed Champion Sean Grassie has name recognition and he also lost the 2021 Mixed final; Steve Irwin and Stacey Fordyce, both three time Clubs Champions, team together in a tough to beat combo; brother-sister combo Brett (a former Manitoba junior champ) & Meghan (former Mixed Manitoba & World Champ) Walter, should contend, as might Justin Richter with Tyler & Brandi Forrest (half of the 2021 Manitoba Mixed Champion team) and Sara Oliver (also a former World Mixed champ) at lead. The playoffs take place Sunday with the final at 5PM.
I’d bet I have named the eventual winner in those four. If pressed further, I might suggest either Walter or Irwin in the final against Grassie.
Kim Links’ 2021 Manitoba Senior Women’s Champion Team (Curling Canada photo)
The CurlManitoba Senior Women’s begins Thursday at 9AM in Beausejour with eight entries. The skips of the last seven Manitoba Senior Women’s champions and eight champions in total, with many of their teammates, have entries in the event. All are competitive at this level, making for an interesting competition. They include Laurie Deprez (2012), Sandra Cowling (2016), Terry Ursel (2017-19-20). Also included is defending champion Kim Link who also won in 2015 and 2018. The credentials of the other teams are also impressive. Norma Purdy skipped the finalist team at the 2021 Senior Women’s at Pembina last fall. Marlene Lang won the Club Champions Championship in 2015 and 2020 and Judy Colwell, a semi-finalist in the Club Champions event in 2020. Darcy Robertson rounds out the field. She will go into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame later this year with her 1984 Junior team. There would be interesting career symmetry to winning a senior title in the same year and this team certainly has the credentials. The three team playoff is Monday, with #2 & #3 playing and the winner playing #1 at 1:00PM.
Obviously I have named the winner since I have named all eight teams. If pressed I’d bet on Robertson being in the final. Any one of the teams could beat her in a one-game showdown but I think I’d pick Robertson to win it.
Randy Neufeld’s 2021 Manitoba Senior Men’s Team (Curling Canada photo)
The Strathcona Trust Senior Men’s also begins at 9AM Thursday in Beausejour and runs through until the final at 1PM Monday. Sixteen teams have qualified in the traditional regional and berth spiels model. They play an eight game round robin with a Page Playoff at the end. The gold standard for teams at the Manitoba Senior level is set by Randy Neufeld whose team has been intact since winning the 2015 and 2016 Manitoba titles enroute to a 2016 World Silver medal. They lost the Manitoba final to Dave Boehmer in 2020 and beat Ray Baker to win again in 2021 at Pembina. Boehmer has a completely different team than he won Manitoba with back-to-back-to-back in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Dean Dunstone on the roster makes this an interesting and very competitive team. Baker came close at the 2021 event and has the same team that almost won. He’d love to be the first sitting CurlManitoba President to win a championship during his term. The field represents the best across Manitoba but the other serious contenders are likely to be a pair of Masters teams: Murray Warren’s 2020 Manitoba Masters champs and Bill Menzies, who won the 2007 Seniors with Lionel Walz and whose team (including himself) has won a total of seven Masters ‘buffaloes’ since 2016.
Again, if pressed, I’d bet on Neufeld being in the final against one of the teams I’ve named. Flip a coin against Boehmer and give Neufeld the edge over the other three.
The other event which is happening this weekend is the Manitoba Stick Curling Association’s 2-Person Stick Open Championship at Assiniboine Memorial, beginning Friday morning. It is a quick game played with 6 rocks per side and only 6 ends. Like Mixed Doubles, it has its own unique set of rules and skills – in particular the ability to draw the button without sweeping (under the rules, no sweeping is allowed between the hoglines). You’ll see a lot of rocks in play and great entertainment from this version of the game played competitively. Teams to beat include Barry Tall and Jim Webster from Swan River, reigning Manitoba Open Champions and the Winnipeg team of Gwen Smith and Lynne Rehbein, reigning Maniotoba Women’s Champions. Both teams are preparing for the Canadian Open Championship in Moncton in mid-April. Others who will contend for this year’s Manitoba title include Tom & Rae Campbell from Killarney, the 2018 Canadian Champions; the Warren/Marquette duo of Jim Rouse and Ross MacMillan, the 2015 Canadian Champions; and St. Vital’s Warren Johnson & Dan McDonald team. Johnson is a past Canadian Champion who won the Manitoba title with different partners in 2012 and 2017.
As for predicting the winner – not a chance! I am playing in the event with Norm Magnusson and I see no point in stirring the fire.
Corey Chambers and his team, curling out of Miami, have won Manitoba’s Chicken Chef Mixed Championship. Supported by Lisa McLeod, Nigel Milnes, and Jolene Callum, Chambers beat the Pembina Curling Club’s Birchard entry 6-2 in the provincial final in Carman.
Provincial Mixed Champions (l-r) Jolene Callum, Nigel Milnes, Lisa McLeod, Corey Chambers (CurlManitoba photo)
To reach the final Chambers beat Justin Richter (AMCC) 6-5 while Birchard beat Steve Irwin (Brandon) 8-4. Earlier, RIchter had beaten Wes Jonasson (Fort Rouge) 6-3. Irwin had won 9-7 over Brett Walter (East St. Paul)
It is a first provincial championship for Corey Chambers, Lisa McLeod and Jolene Callum. Nigel Milnes won the 2006 Manitoba Juniors with Travis Bale and the 2008 Juniors with Kyle Peters.
Brandon’s Steve Irwin lost a “B” qualifier then won a “C” qualifier in Carman Saturday.
(Saturday, March 19, 10PM) PLAYOFFS SET IN CARMAN’S CHICKEN CHEF MIXED: Six surviving teams from the original 13 will play a single elimination playoff Sunday to determine CurlManitoba’s Chicken Chef Mixed Champion. “A” Event qualifiers Daniel Birchard and Corey Chambers have the first round bye.
On the 9AM draw Justin Richter plays Wes Jonasson while Brett Walter plays Steve Irwin. The Jonasson-Richter winner will play Birchard at 1Pm. The Walter-Irwin winner will play Chambers.
Walter and Richter were “B” qualifiers, beating Irwin (9-7) and Jonasson (11-3) respectively.
Irwin and Jonasson rebounded from the losses, beating Sean Grassie (9-3) and Matthew Bijl (9-8 EE) respectively in the “C” Q-games.
Wes Jonasson
(Friday, 11PM) JONASSON ADVANCES TO “B” QUALIFIER GAME: Wes Jonasson and his Fort Rouge team needed an extra end to defeat Sean Grassie on the late draw Friday in the Chicken Chef Mixed in Carman. Playing the eighth end, Grassie made a delicate last rock out-turn draw for one to tie and force the extra. Grassie had to slide past a guard just off centre then curl to the centre line between two Jonasson rocks, one in the eight foot and on in the four foot circle. His rock stopped short sort of the button, slightly better than the Jonasson rock. But all the great shot did was extend the game another end before the Jonasson team marked up the victory.
Team Jonasson, after a win and a loss in the “A” event, has now won two “B” Event games and will play a noon game Saturday with a chance to qualify for the playoffs. Their opponent will be the loser of a morning “A” Qualifier between Brett Walter and Corey Chambers.
The loser of the other “A” Qualifier, between Daniel Birchard and Justin Richter, will play the winner of a morning game between Matthew Bijl and Steve Irwin. Bijl and Irwin were winners on the late draw Friday.
Three-time Provincial Mixed Champion Sean Grassie
(Friday, 5PM)“A” QUALIFIER GAMES SET IN CARMAN MIXED PROVINCIALS: Daniel Birchard will play Justin Richter and Corey Chambers will play Brett Walter Saturday at 9AM in the two A-Event Qualifier games. Birchard and Walter have won a pair of games. Richter and Chambers had first round byes so their wins earlier today were first game wins.
(Thursday 10PM) Opening draw winners in Carman, in the Mixed, were Sean Grassie (Deer Lodge), Daniel Birchard (Pembina), Wes Jonasson (Fort Rouge), and junior Matthew Bijl (AMCC). First round byes went to Justin Richter (AMCC), Corey Chambers (Miami), and Steve Irwin (Brandon). They’ll each play first game winners in their opening draws Friday.
Brandi & Tyler Forrest, members of the 2021 Mixed Champion team, will play this week with Justin Richter. (Curling Canada photo)
(Wednesday)The Chicken Mixed Chef in Carman begins Thursday evening with 13 entries playing a triple knock-out with six teams advancing to the playoffs. Always interesting to pick a favorite when teams rarely play together more than year or two but 3-time Mixed Champion Sean Grassie has name recognition and he also lost the 2021 Mixed final; Steve Irwin and Stacey Fordyce, both three time Clubs Champions, team together in a tough to beat combo; brother-sister combo Brett (a former Manitoba junior champ) & Meghan (former Mixed Manitoba & World Champ) Walter, should contend, as might Justin Richter with Tyler & Brandi Forrest (half of the 2021 Manitoba Mixed Champion team) and Sara Oliver (also a former World Mixed champ) at lead. The playoffs take place Sunday with the final at 5PM.
I’d bet I have named the eventual winner in those four. If pressed further, I might suggest either Walter or Irwin in the final against Grassie.
(Sunday, February 27: 5:00PM) Tansy Tober and her Fort Garry team passed their big test of the day on the morning draw when they won the semi-final of the Telus Junior Women’s championship in Brandon (6-4 over Grace Beaudry-St Vital).
The win meant that Tober, Caitlin Kostna, Lex Sigurdson, Stephanie Feeleus, and Coach Deb Popovic had already won an invitation to the national championship when the final started.
(l-r) Tansy Tober, Caitlin Kostna, Lex Sigurdson, Stephanie Feeleus, and Coach Deb Popovic
With the pressure off for that final game against previously undefeated Morgan Maguet-East St. Paul, the Tober team played a relaxed, controlling game in an 11-4 victory. They earned their spot as provincial champions in the provincial record books and will wear the Manitoba colours at the nationals.
Maguet, Kylie Lippens, Lauren Evason, Danica Metcalfe, and Assistant Coach Chris Lippens will be the Manitoba wild card team at the nationals in Stratford, Ontario in late March.
(Sunday, February 27: 12:30PM) Jordon McDonald (Reece Hamm, Elias Huminicki, Alexandre Fontaine, Coach Blaine Malo) have won Manitoba Telus Junior Men’s Championship.
Team McDonald will wear Manitoba’s colours at the Canadian Juniors in late March in Stratford, Ontario after controlling play all game against Aaron Van Ryssel- Springfield.
McDonald built a 4 point lead by the fifth end, on three single steals. Van Ryssel’s team played well but simply could never build an end in the 6-3 victory.
Solace for Van Ryssel and his team (Peter Albig, Jonah Peterson, Colin Desaulniers, Coach Faith Van Ryssel) – they will also be going on to the national championship as the Manitoba wild card team.
(Saturday, February 26: 11:30PM) MAGUET INTO JUNIOR WOMEN FINAL, BEAUDRY-TOBER SEMI-FINAL: Morgan Maguet and her East St. Paul team won the Telus Junior Women’s Page 1-1 game Saturday, a 7-4 victory over Grace Beaudry – St. Vital. The win earned the Maguet foursome a berth in the provincial final game at 2PM Sunday. It also earned them the first Manitoba invitation to the Canadian championship in late March.
Beaudry dropped to the Sunday 9:30AM semi-final where her team will play Tansy Tober’s Fort Garry foursome. Tober had to win two games Saturday. After losing the final round robin game on the morning draw (7-6 to Emily Ogg), Team Tober had to win a tiebreaker (7-3 over Emma Jensen) and then the Page 2-2 game (6-2 over Zoey Terrick).
Terrick’s team had also won a tiebreaker (10-8 over Ogg), setting up the 3-game Saturday for both Terrick and Tober.
With Reece Hamm directing, Jordon McDonald’s front end Elias Huminicki and Alexandre Fontaine sweep the final rock to curl inside the guard to the four foot for two.
(Saturday, February 26: 11PM)JUNIOR MEN FINAL: MCDONALD VS VAN RYSSEL: Top seeded Jordon McDonald’s Deer Lodge team, undefeated in six games including the Saturday afternoon Page 1-1 game, will play Aaron Van Ryssel and his Springfield team in Manitoba’s Telus Junior Men’s Championship Sunday at 9:30AM.
Both advanced with wins over Jordan Johnson (Heather).
In the Page 1-1 game, with both teams undefeated, McDonald controlled play and marked up a 6-1 eight-end victory. Johnson dropped to the semi-final to play Van Ryssel, who had won the Page 2-2 game over Thomas McGillivray.
Aaron Van Ryssel and third Peter Albig try to figure out how to score two red stones with last rock on the sixth end. Yellow stole one this time.
The close semi-final was tied after four, six and nine ends with Johnson holding the hammer coming home. With that last rock, Johnson faced a tough choice: either draw the button to win or play a short runback double kill with a nose hit for the win. He chose to hit but was a bit high-side and missed removing the second rock. The steal gave Van Ryssel an 8-7 win.
The game Sunday morning will be for the provincial championship honours but both teams have already earned the privilege of an invitation to the Canadian New Holland Juniors as Manitoba has both a Team Manitoba and a Manitoba Wild Card entry.
(Saturday, February 26: 12:00PM) JUNIOR WOMEN TIEBREAKER GAMES NEEDED: In a story here at the curler.com, back in early December, William Lyburn stated there were “5 OR 6” teams who he thought could win the provincial Telus Junior Women’s.
As of 12:15PM Saturday, six teams are still in the running.
Pool winners Morgan Maguet and Grace Beaudry and their teams are through to the Page 1-1 Playoff game with 5W-0L and 4W-1L records respectively.
Four teams with 3W-2L records still have a chance – but they have to win tiebreaker draws to reach the Page 3-4 game. On the ice are Zoey Terrick playing Emily Ogg and Emma Jensen playing Tansy Tober.
The Ogg and Jensen teams created the logjam. Both had 2W-2L records going into the morning draw. Both were victorious – Jensen over Terrick and Ogg with a steal on the tenth end to beat Tober.
FINAL STANDINGS: ASHAM BLACK POOL- JR WOMEN 5-0 Morgan Maguet – East St. Paul 3-2 Zoey Terrick – Neepawa 3-2 Emma Jensen – Heather 2-3 Samantha Gevers – St. Vital 2-3 Dayna Wahl – Altona 0-5 Shaela Hayward – Carman
FINAL STANDINGS: ASHAM EXPRESS RED POOL– JR WOMEN 4-1 Grace Beaudry – St. Vital 3-2 Tansy Tober – Fort Garry 3-2 Emily Ogg – Assiniboine Memorial 3-2 Cheyenne Ehnes – Assiniboine Memorial 2-3 Bethany Allan – St. Vital 0-5 Cloe Haluschak – Swan River
CurlManitoba Photo: Aaron Van Ryssel and his third Peter Albig
(Friday, February 25: 11PM)JUNIOR MEN PLAYOFF SETS, FINAL JUNIOR WOMEN DRAW SATURDAY: Jordon McDonald (Deer Lodge) and Jordan Johnson (Heather) kept their perfect records intact with wins on the final round robin draw of the Telus Junior Men`s Championship in Brandon.
The two will meet in the Saturday 4PM Page 1-1 Playoff game. THe winner will play inthe Sunday morning final while the loser goes to the late Saturday semi-final.
Thomas McGillivray (Fort Garry) and Aaron Van Ryssel (Springfield) both had to win their final games to improve to 4W-1L and avoid the potential of playing a tiebreaker game. Both were victorious and they will meet in the Page 2-2 Playoff. The winner will advance to the semi-final.
FINAL STANDINGS:ASHAM BLACK POOL – JR MEN 5-0 Jordon McDonald – Deer Lodge 4-1 Thomas McGillivray – Fort Garry 3-2 Lucas Pedersen – Rivers 2-3 Luke Steski – West St. Paul 1-4 Cam Olafson – East St. Paul 0-5 Tanner Graham – Petersfield
STANDINGS:ASHAM EXPRESS RED POOL – JR MEN 5-0 Jordan Johnson – Heather 4-1 Aaron Van Ryssel – Springfield 3-2 Jace Freeman – Virden 1-4 Jack Lyburn – Brandon 1-4 Ronan Peterson – Fort Rouge 1-4 Matthew Bijl – Assiniboine Memorial
Playoffs in the Telus Junior Women’s event will also be sorted out on the final draw, Saturday at 8:30AM.
Morgan Maguet has the only only perfect 4W-0L record and Zoey Terrick has a 3W-1L record after four games. The two can advance with wins Saturday morning. Terrick plays Emma Jensen while Maguet plays Samantha Gevers. Both Gevers and Jensen have 2W-2L records so a Jensen win over Terrick creates the possibility of three teams finishing with 3W-2L records.
In the other pool, Tansy Tober, Cheyenne Ehnes, and Grace Beaudry share the lead at 3W-1L. Emily Ogg’s record of 2W-2L has her team still in the playoff chase as well.
Saturday morning, Beaudry plays Ehnes so the winner, at 4W-1L, will advance to the playoffs. Tober plays Ogg, so a Tober win would mean a 4W-1L record and the second playoff spot but a Tober loss means a 3-way tie at 3W-2L.
One tiebreaker draw, if needed, takes place Saturday early afternoon.
STANDINGS:ASHAM BLACK POOL 4-0 Morgan Maguet – East St. Paul 3-1 Zoey Terrick – Neepawa 2-2 Samantha Gevers – St. Vital 2-2 Emma Jensen – Heather 1-3 Dayna Wahl – Altona 0-4 Shaela Hayward – Carman
STANDINGS:ASHAM EXPRESS RED POOL 3-1 Cheyenne Ehnes – Assiniboine Memorial 3-1 Grace Beaudry – St. Vital 3-1 Tansy Tober – Fort Garry 2-2 Emily Ogg – Assiniboine Memorial 1-3 Bethany Allan – St. Vital 0-4 Cloe Haluschak – Swan River
(Thursday, February 24: 11PM) JUNIOR MEN LEADERS AT 3W-0L, JUNIOR WOMEN LEAD AT 2W-0L: Four teams have separated themselves from the pack in the Telus Junior Men’s Championship underway in Brandon. All four posted a pair of wins Thursday after winning their openers to end the day with perfect 3W-0L records.
Thomas McGillivray-Fort Garry and Jordon McDonald-Deer Lodge in one pool and Jordan Johnson-Heather and Aaron Van Ryssel-Springfield are all still perfect. Close behind, both at 2W-1L, are Jace Freeman-Virden (in the Johnson-Van Ryssel group) and Luke Steski-West St. Paul (in the McGillivray-McDonald group).
The noon draw Friday in Brandon will be key in determining the first two playoff teams. McGillivray faces McDonald and Johnson faces Van Ryssel. The winners will improve their perfect records to 4W-0L.
STANDINGS:ASHAM BLACK POOL 3-0 Thomas McGillivray – Fort Garry 3-0 Jordon McDonald – Deer Lodge 2-1 Luke Steski – West St. Paul 1-2 Lucas Pedersen – Rivers 0-3 Cam Olafson – East St. Paul 0-3 Tanner Graham – Petersfield
STANDINGS:ASHAM EXPRESS RED POOL 3-0 Jordan Johnson – Heather 3-0 Aaron Van Ryssel – Springfield 2-1 Jace Freeman – Virden 1-2 Jack Lyburn – Brandon 0-3 Ronan Peterson – Fort Rouge 0-3 Matthew Bijl – Assiniboine Memorial
In the Telus Juniors Women’s Championship, three teams completed the first day of play with perfect 2W-0L records. Cheyenne Ehnes-AMCC stands alone at the top of one pool while Morgan Maguet-East St. Paul and Zoey Terrick-Neepawa lead the other pool – all with two victories Thursday.
The wins by Team Terrick (over Samantha Gevers-St. Vital) and Team Ehnes (over Bethany Allan-St. Vital) leaves the losers at 1W-1L along with four other teams.
They include Emma Jensen-Heather, Grace Beaudry-St. Vital, and Emily Ogg-AMCC who were winners on the 4PM draw after losing their openers and Tansy Tober-Fort Garry who lost their second game after winning their opener.
STANDINGS:ASHAM BLACK POOL 2-0 Morgan Maguet – East St. Paul 2-0 Zoey Terrick – Neepawa 1-1 Samantha Gevers – St. Vital 1-1 Emma Jensen – Heather 0-2 Dayna Wahl – Altona 0-2 Shaela Hayward – Carman
STANDINGS:ASHAM EXPRESS RED POOL 0-2 Cheyenne Ehnes – Assiniboine Memorial 1-1 Bethany Allan – St. Vital 1-1 Grace Beaudry – St. Vital 1-1 Emily Ogg – Assiniboine Memorial 1-1 Tansy Tober – Fort Garry 0-2 Cloe Haluschak – Swan River
(Wednesday, February 24: 10PM)FAVOURED TEAMS WIN OPENERS IN TELUS JUNIORS: With two full years having passed since the last provincial junior championships, there has been a major turnover in the junior ranks. The names have changed but the excitement to compete, the eagerness to win, and the excellence of the top teams all remain.
Team McGillvray, MJCT Champions – winners on the Telus Juniors opening draw
The junior men’s competition opened this evening in Brandon. They play a pair of games tomorrow and two more on Friday for their five round-robin games.
In a what have you won recently assessment, among the favourites are Thomas McGillivray and his Fort Garry team, ranked #4 on the Manitoba Junior Curling Tour ranking, based mainly on an extra end win in the MJCT Tour Championship after modest success over the Tour season. Team McGillivray opened with a 6-end victory over Tanner Graham (Petersfield).
Jordon McDonald – an opening round Telus victor
Jordon McDonald (Deer Lodge), whose most recent bonspiel was the Viterra Championship where his team posted a 2W-2L record – losing two qualifying games, is ranked #2 on the MJCT. They lost that Tour Championship final to McGillivray and won a pair of events during the season. Their opener in Brandon went the distance with McDonald one up with hammer coming home as he posted a 7-5 victory.
MJCT #1 Jordan Johnson and his Heather team, winners of three season events, were 8-end winners over Matthew Bijl (Assiniboine Memorial).\
MJCT #3 Jace Freeman (Virden), winners of one season event, trailed Ronan Peterson (Fort Rouge) early but came back to lead 7-5 with a three on the ninth end. They scored a point on an extra end for a first game 8-7win.
In the other two games, Lucas Pederson (Rivers) defeated Cam Olafson (East St. Paul) and Aaron Van Ryssel (Springfield) defeated Jack Lyburn (Brandon).
The U-21 Manitoba Junior Women’s Championship first draw is Thursday morning.
(Wednesday, February 23 8PM)TELUS JUNIORS UNDERWAY IN BRANDON: Manitoba’s Telus Junior Championships are underway at the Brandon Curling Club. Twelve team fields in each of the Junior men’s and Junior Women’s events will play a round-robin in pools of six. A Page Playoff will follow after their five games.
Two berths to compete in both the U-21 Men and U-21 Women New Holland Canadian Junior Championships will be available through the Manitoba Telus Juniors. The Manitoba champions will wear Manitoba’s official colours at the Canadians while the finalist in each case will be the wild card team, identified as Manitoba #2.
Why? As with other championships in these covid seasons, the Juniors will each feature a field of 18 teams. The extra teams include one for the province or territory of each of the three podium teams from the 2020 championships (the last ones staged!).
So Manitoba’s juniors have two reasons to be thankful in regard to 2020 World Champions Jacques Gauthier and Mackenzie Zacharias. First, winning the Canadians in 2020 earned a spot this year for two Manitoba teams instead of one. Second, they can be thankful those teams aged out – making the competitions wide open this year.
The Canadian Juniors will be played March 25-April 1 in Stratford, Ontario.
Mike McEwen and his West St. Paul team have won the 2022 Viterra Manitoba Men’s Curling Championship. McEwen, with third Reid Carruthers, second Derek Samagalski, lead Colin Hodgson and Coach Rob Meakin won a pair of games Sunday in Selkirk to earn their second title as a team. Team McEwen had previously won the championship together in 2019.
(l-r) Colin Hodgson, Derek Samagalski, Coach Rob Meakin, Reid Carruthers, Mike McEwen CurlManitoba Photo
Entering the championship as the #1 seed and favourite to win, Team McEwen had lost the Page 1-1 Playoff game Saturday evening to Colton Lott and his Winnipeg Beach team. Lott was supported by his brother Tanner at third, with second Kyle Doering and lead Emerson Klimpke.
The loss put them in the Sunday morning semi-final game which they won, with a last shot draw, 10-9 over Ryan Wiebe – Fort Rouge, with Ty Dillello, Sean Flatt and Adam Flatt.
Colton Lott`s finalist team impressed those watching at the Selkirk CC as a young team with a great future.
The afternoon final against Team Lott opened in the Winnipeg Beach team’s favour with a two on the first end. McEwen came back to score two on the second end and began to take control when the veteran team forced their younger opponents to a single on the third.
After blanks on the fourth and fifth ends, Team McEwen scored a three on the sixth end to lead 6-3 enroute to an 8-3, eight end victory.
This year’s victory is the fourth Manitoba men’s title for Mike McEwen, who won as skip in 2016, 2017 and 2019, and Hodgson, who was at lead for Carruthers in 2015 and 2018 as well as for McEwen in 2019. For Samagalski, it is a fifth Manitoba men’s title after he won as lead for Rob Fowler in 2012 and as second for Carruthers in 2015 and 2018 as well as for McEwen in 2019.
It is a seventh Manitoba men’s title for Carruthers who won three times at second for Jeff Stoughton, including a Brier and World title in 2011 followed by Manitoba wins in 2013 and 2014. He also won as skip in 2015 and 2018 and as McEwen’s third in 2019.
In addition, McEwen owns a pair of Manitoba Junior Men’s titles and a Manitoba Mixed title; Carruthers has a Junior Men’s and a Mixed championship and Samagalski has won a Mixed and a Mixed Doubles final game.
Team McEwen earns the opportunity to represent Manitoba at the Tim Hortons Brier in Lethbridge in March.
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