Category Archives: Youth Curling

ALTONA HOST CURLMANITOBA U-18 CHAMPIONSHIPS BEGINNING TONIGHT

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CurlManitoba’s U-18 Championships begin tonight in Altona – with 7 young men’s teams and 10 young women’s teams participating. The men play a 7 team, 6 game round robin while the women are split in two pools of five for a four game round robin.

It will be a first major test for the two teams which won the Canada Games Trials at Heather in November. Dayna Wahl’s Altona team and Jace Freeman’s Virden team will be out to prove it was no fluke that they earned the Canada Games berth and that they should be one of the two Manitoba teams at the Canadian U-18’s in early February in Timmins, ON as well.

In the Men’s U-18 Championship, Freeman and Elias Huminicki were on last year’s winning McDonald team and their lead, Jack Steski, was on the finalist team a year ago. The combined credentials identify them as the favorite. Rylan Graham, their fourth player, also played in this event a year ago. 

At Heather after winning the Canada Games Trials (front Altona’s Dayna Wahl, Piper Stoesz, Anna Marie Ginters, Gillian Hildebrand, Coach Keith Stoesz AND back Rylan Graham, Jack Steski, Elias Huminicki, Jace Freeman, Coach Graham Freeman)

Huminicki is already the leader in games played at the Manitoba U-18 Men’s Championship – having played 26 games in four previous appearances. He is poised to move ahead of his former skip, Jordon McDonald, into first place on the list of most games won. With 17 previous wins he is tied for second in that stats category, behind only McDonald who won 20 games out of 21 played as he skipped the 2019, 2020, and 2022 champion teams. (The event was cancelled due to covid in 2021).

Cameron Olafson, who was also on the winning McDonald team a year ago, is skipping his own Portage team this year. Two other members of the 2022 finalist Ryan Ostrowsky team are also playing this year. Luke Robins is skipping a West St. Paul team with Logan Strand at lead. They lost the Canada Games Trials semi-final. Finalist Ronan Peterson’s Heather team, the only team in the championship from inside the perimeter highway, is also competing in Altona.

In the Women’s U-18 Championship, Team Wahl (Piper Stoesz, Anna Marie Ginters, Gilian Hildebrand) topped their round robin pool in last year`s championship but lost in the semi-final to Grace Beaudry who went on to lose the final. Beaudry has recruited Cassidy Dundas and Tessa Terrick from last year`s champion team. With Lauren Evason rounding out the squad, the Wahl & Beaudry teams can be considered co-favourites this year. It is notable that Beaudry recently won a 2023 Scotties berth (with a different team).

Altona’s Mackenzie Zacharias teams won three consecutive U-18 titles in 2015-1026-2017. Tessa Terrick and Cassidy Dundas have each won 17 games in previous U-18 appearances, a number well behind the leading 38 games played by Meghan Walter in seven appearances at the event.

The Altona Curling Club hosts the championship action, beginning with an 8PM Men`s draw this evening and continuing to playoffs at 9AM and 1PM on Saturday.

PLAYOFFS SET IN CANADA GAMES MIXED DOUBLES TRIALS; ARBUCKLE-MACDONELL #1 SEED

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The playoffs are set in CurlManitoba’s Canada Games Mixed Doubles Trials at the Heather Curling Club. As the only undefeated (4W-0L) team in round robin play, the St. Vital duo of Mackenzie Arbuckle and Aaron Macdonell have been seeded #1 in the playoff round and have earned a bye to the semifinals.

Lauren Rajala & Ryan Ostrowsky (Granite) finished second in their pool, behind Arbuckle-Macdonell, with a 3W-1L record.

Three other teams, two pools, Mikaylah Lyburn – Jordon McDonald (Deer Lodge), Samantha Eagles – Logan Strand (Granite) and Katie Lukowich – Thomas McGillivary (Granite), also all had 3W-1L records. Based on their pre-game last stone draws, Lyburn – McDonald were made #2 seed and also earn a bye to the semi-final.

Four teams finished with 2W-2L records but only one could advance to the six team playoff round, again based on their pre-game last stone draws. The nod went to Lauren Evason – Rylan Campbell (East St. Paul).

The quarterfinal games at 9AM Sunday will feature Eagles – Strand VS Lukowich – McGillivary AND Rajala -Ostrowsky (Granite) VS Evason – Campbell (East St. Paul).

The winners advance to the semifinals at 12:30PM with medal games scheduled for 4PM.

(CurlManitoba Release) CANADA GAMES MIXED DOUBLES TRIALS THIS WEEKEND Thirty of Manitoba’s most accomplished U20 curlers will compete in CurlManitoba’s Canada Games Trials this weekend at the Heather Curling Club.

The 2-person teams competing at Heather will play in three pools of five. Two teams in each pool will advance to a straight knockout playoff with the top two teams earning a bye to the semi-finals.

While very few of the team combinations have competed often in Mixed Doubles competition, many of the individuals playing this weekend have had the opportunity to play Mixed Doubles Tour and other events in the past two years.

The field features several players with proven track records and national competition experience with their four-person teams. These include:

** Zoey Terrick and Cassidy Dundas, who were teammates on the 2022 Manitoba U18 Women’s Champion team. Terrick will partner with Tanner Graham on a Heather team. Dundas will partner with her brother Hunter Dundas, playing out of Neepawa.

** Jordon McDonald and Cameron Olafson, who were teammates on the 2022 Manitoba U18 Men’s Champion team. McDonald also won the 2019 and 2022 U18 Championship and the 2022 U21 Men’s Championship. McDonald will partner with Mikaylah Lyburn on a Deer Lodge team.

** Luke Robins, who was a member of Ryan Ostrowsky’s Manitoba #2 team at the 2022 U18 national championship. He will partner with Rylie Buchalter on a West St. Paul team.

** Katy Lukowich, who skippd Northern Ontario to an overall 7-3 record at the 2022 U21 nationals, including a first place round robin record in her pool. She will partner with Thomas McGillivary on a Granite team.

CurlManitoba’s Canada Games Trials at the Heather will feature draws at 2PM and 6PM, Friday; 10AM, 2PM, and 6PM, Saturday and playoffs on Sunday.

For the first time, Mixed Doubles curling has been included in the Canada Games and this weekend event is designed to identify the final members of Manitoba’s curling contingent. Earlier this month,

Team Dayna Wahl (Altona) and Team Jace Freeman (Virden) earned the opportunity to represent Manitoba in the Women’s and Men’s competitions respectively at the Canada Games in Prince Edward Island in February.

TWO MANITOBANS EARN CURLING CANADA ALL HEART JUNIOR CURLING AWARDS

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Manitobans Logan Strand and Luke Robins, both from West St. Paul Curling Club, are among eight young Canadian curlers who have received Curling Canada’s new ALL HEART JUNIOR CURLING AWARDS.

(Curling Canada Release) Curling Canada will back eight youth-driven philanthropic curling programs supporting intentional engagement and participation with a more diverse demographic of Canadians through its new All Heart Junior Curling Awards program this year. 

The programs, designed and implemented by junior curlers across Canada, are geared to foster greater inclusivity and create authentic community connections through curling.

The two Manitoba 2022-23 All Heart Junior Curling Award recipients are:

Luke Robins – West St. Paul, Man. (West St. Paul Curling Club) – Running on- and off-ice sessions of an introduction to curling program for Ukrainian refugees, including language interpretation as well as familiar music and refreshments

Logan Strand – St, Andrews, Man. (West St. Paul Curling Club) – Conducting an International high-school student group session, followed by opportunities to join the junior curling program free of charge. 

Across Canada, the other Manitoba 2022-23 All Heart Junior Curling Award recipients are:

Jessica Byers of Haliburton, Ont. (Haliburton Curling Club) – Running a post-COVID outreach/re-engagement program to community members, including cottage-living full-time residents; assisting in implementing new league structures, and relaunching the youth program. 

Kaamraan Islam – Kingston, Ont. (Cataraqui Golf and Country Club) – Implementing an adult Learn-to-Curl program for racialized community members, building off the success of the club’s similarly targeted youth programming last season.

Kya Kennedy – Saskatoon (Sutherland Curling Club) – Hosting a World Cup of Curling, a multi-cultural event featuring a learn-to-curl session, a fun spiel and a social banquet with food and decorations for all represented ethnicities of participants. 

Ashleigh McKinnon – Sherwood Park, Alta. (Sherwood Park Curling Club) – Organizing family-friendly Learn-to-Curl sessions  with the Boys & Girls Club of Strathcona County, incorporating on-ice introductory skills sessions and wrapping up with outdoor fun spiel.

Sitaye Penney – Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s, N.L. (REMAX Centre St. John’s Curling Club) – Introducing a program for International students and the Association of New Canadians for a Try Curling group session, followed by the opportunity to join an eight-week Learn-to-Curl program.

Wil Robertson – Fredericton (Capital Winter Club) – Conducting three season-long initiatives: inviting Indigenous leaders and community members to the club for sharing circles; inviting LGBTQS+ leaders and community to the club as a safe space with opportunities for presentations to its members; and a Learn-to-Curl series for underrepresented community members and new Canadians.

Each recipient has designed a program that removes barriers of entry to the sport, allowing chances for non-traditional curlers to truly embrace and try curling while also breaking the mold of the sport’s perception. All award winners have found a way to use their off-ice skills and connections to make meaningful relationships with their communities through curling.

The scope of the programs varies from welcoming racialized and marginalized Canadians into facilities for on-ice programs to using facilities for speaking engagements and gatherings focusing on topics such as LGBTQS+ inclusion and Indigenous cultural awareness, while making the facility a safe space for all members of the community.

At the same time, the new award program offers curling facilities an opportunity to support their young ambassadors who are implementing the programs and help create sustainable change by providing chances to develop the skills of these young curling leaders.

“The enthusiasm and support from the curling facilities are genuine and heartfelt. They’re putting their trust in these young ambassadors to run new and ambitious programs that will make the sport more sustainable, inclusive and overall better for everyone,” said Helen Radford Curling Canada Manager of Youth Curling and NextGen and member of the selection panel. “I’m so excited for the potential of this new program and to provide these opportunities to eight deserving candidates to showcase their leadership and why they are true leaders in curling.

”The All Heart Junior Curling Award program is in its first year. The program is designed to distribute $20,000 annually to deserving junior curlers building the sport in their communities by advancing their personal curling goals and developing new programs focused on building a more diverse and inclusive sport.

Each award winner will receive a $2,500 award, allocated as a $1,000 curling-related personal expense reimbursement and a $1,500 contribution to their curling facility for operational costs related to their program.

HIT-DRAW-TAP WINNERS FROM THOMPSON, BRANDON, STE. ANNE

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Eighteen young curlers from across Manitoba met at the Heather Curling Club Sunday for CurlManitoba’s Hit-Draw-Tap provincial championship.

The 18 were the final qualifiers from among over 500 who had started at the club level and then qualified through regionals. Three of the actual 21 qualifiers, one from each region in each of three age groupings, were unable to attend.

Hit-Draw-Tap age group winners (l-r) Seth Marques (Burntwood), Connor O’Rourke (Riverview), Alexandre Crevier (Ste. Anne)

After the three rounds of play, the age group winners were:

Age 6-8: #1 Connor O’Rourke – Riverview (Brandon)
Age 6-8: #2 Lucas Rothenburger – Morden
Age 6-8: #3 Cade Chubey – East St. Paul

Age 9-10: #1 Seth Marques – Burntwood (Thompson)
Age 9-10: #2 Robert Daher – Stonewall
Age 9-10: #3 Claire Bartley – Deer Lodge (Winnipeg)

Age 11-13: #1 Alexandre Crevier – Ste Anne
Age 11-13: #2 Kate Patterson – Swan River
Age 11-13: #3 Sinead Convery – Morden

Competition special guests, Manitoba Junior Women’s Champion Team Tober, provided sweeping for the young curlers’ shots. Team member Stephanie Feeleus was the first Manitoba champion to have previously participated in the provincial Hit-Draw-Tap competition. She had participated in the first competition in Portage in 2017.

The 18 Hit-Draw-Tap with the ‘World’s Tallest Curling Trophy’