The past week has been a full one for curling fans, with both a national championship on television and a pair of local bonspiels to enjoy…
Last Sunday afternoon featured the conclusion of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts held in Red Deer. This year’s Canadian ladies’ curling championships came down to the B.C. team skipped by Kelly Scott of Kelowna against the Alberta rink led by Heather Nedohin. The Albertans were the better team on the day, coming away with a 7-6 victory and the right to represent Canada at the world women’s championships beginning March 17 in Lethbridge.
Meanwhile, the Nanaimo Curling Centre hosted a pair of competitions during the week. First came the annual Senior Ladies’ Bonspiel, with 24 teams involved. Agnes Geiger was the chairperson, assisted by Sharon Brown, Sandy Askin and Madeline Riley and by all accounts the bonspiel was a very well-organized event that saw all participants enjoy themselves.
Final standings were based on points accumulated by teams during each end of their six games. The result was an A event title for Nanaimo skip Shirley Sloan and her team of third Karen Hungar, second Moira Ryan and lead Patty McRory. Runner-up in A event was the Ethel Vincent foursome from Esquimalt. A visiting team took top prize in B event, as the Connie Henderson entry from Qualicum came first.
Nanaimo’s Sally Noonan and her teammates Jill McGlenen, Sharon Luttrell and Shirley Cookman finished as C event winners. The D event winner was the Nanaimo foursome of Carol Tromans, Jan Papp, Susan Lobregt and Monique Mackenzie.
On the heels of the senior ladies’ competition at the local club came the Men’s Open Bonspiel, held last weekend. A total of 24 teams took part and congratulations must first of all go to bonspiel organizers Ian Cook and Mike Leduc for their efforts in getting the men’s bonspiel successfully re-established following several years in which it has not been held.
The final in A event, sponsored by United Rentals, was a tightly-played contest between the Nanaimo team skipped by Craig MacRae and a Nanaimo/Vernon foursome led by Rob Brockley. A pair of points in the seventh end eventually gave Brockley and teammates Brad Miller, Jim Corrigan and Jerry Roddy a 4-0 victory. With MacRae on the runner-up team were Louis Cavezza, Tom Weinreich and Mike Gallo.
Taking third place in A event was the local foursome of Bob Chlan, Harold Levesque, Bob Franklin and Matthew Van Osch.
Kal-Tire was the sponsor for the bonspiel’s B event. A very close final saw the Nanaimo/Langley foursome of Mike Redlick, John Mason, Ian Tyreman and Rod Edgeworth edge a local entry skipped by Graeme Cave 6-4. Teammates with Cave were Tom Renton, Mike Leduc and Duffy Simpson. Third in B went to Nanaimo skip Ian Cook and his team of Don Robertson, Josh Purney and Art Peck, with fourth claimed by a Duncan, Port Alberni and Nanaimo combination of Brent Dellebuur, Frank Smith, Glen Gheetham and Cam Foster.
Nanaimo’s Brett Pulak teamed with Parksville players Geoff Griffiths, Tim Kottsieper and Bob Alexander to win C event. It was 6-2 in the final for the Kottsieper team over the local foursome of Frank Voysey, Rick Ringma, Chris Marcan and Don Lutes. Earning third place in C event was Nanaimo’s Ron Kulai and his team of Rod Brown, Kyle Clifford and Keith Donnan.
Four Nanaimo teams finished in the prizes for D event, which was sponsored by U-Lock Mini Storage. Mike Kenefick’s team stole points in the sixth and seventh ends of the final to post an 8-4 decision over Bob Hungar’s squad. On the ice with Kenefick were Mike Pepin, Bob Palynchuk and Joel Lypkie, while Hungar was backed by Bob Davies, Craig Turnbull and Roy Richmond. In third place was the team of Jeff Near, Keith Rodway, Karmen Yee and Tyson Krall.
Whatever your sport, a reminder in closing to play your hardest, play fair, and show good sportsmanship.
Ian Thorpe writes about sports Saturdays.
