Dave Merklinger’s Jet Ice didn’t throw a single stone Wednesday night and still overtook first place in the Baron Insurance Super League.
With co-leaders Brad Kuhn (North Enderby Timber) and Ty Griffith (Nufloors) both suffering losses to fall to 13-6, Jet Ice improved to 14-4 with a default win over Jeff Richard’s B.C. Trailer after his Kelowna rink was a no-show at the Vernon Curling Club.
Jim Cotter’s Woodland Equipment collected back-to-back deuces in three and four to upend Griffith 7-4.
Down one after the first end, Nufloors’ Darren Nelson made a nice split to set up a three-ender in the second end before Cotter (12-6) took over.
The two rinks traded singles in five and six, followed by single steal by Cotter in seven.
A four-ender in the second end by Blake Kimura proved the difference as his Village Green Hotel bounced Kuhn 7-4.
Trailing by four after five ends, Kuhn counted a deuce in six to cut the lead to two, but Kimura (6-11) replied with a single in seven and ran Kuhn out of stones in eight.
T.J. Perepolkin’s Canaccord Wealth Management opened with three straight singles then hung on for a 5-4 win over Jon Gardner’s Sladen Moore.
Gardner, now 9-9, got on the board with singles in four and five, only to watch Perepolkin, now 10-8, fire a deuce in six.
Canaccord’s first three rocks picked in the final end, but they managed to hold Gardner to a single to pull out the win.
Jen Gerow’s Gateway Mechanical recorded three multi-point ends to stuff Kayla Gunner’s Armstrong Inn 9-4.
After forcing Gunner (2-15) to a single in one, Gerow (6-12) pocketed four points in two and a deuce in three.
Gunner replied with a triple in four, but Gerow sealed the win with three of her own in five.
n Next Wednesday (7:30 p.m.), the Vernon club will host a send-off for Cotter, who is competing in the Tim Hortons Brier, March 5-13 in London, Ont.
Cotter’s Team B.C. second, Kevin Folk, met with some misfortune earlier this week when his car was broken into in Kelowna and his curling shoes and pants were stolen.
Not wanting to break in a new pair of shoes during a national championship, Folk is hoping someone will turn them in. He can be contacted at (250) 859-3737, no questions asked.
Vernon’s Sherry Heath was stuck in a four-team log jam at 3-2 at the Tim Hortons B.C. Senior Women’s Championships Thursday in Kamloops.
Heath, backed by third Lil Blashko, second Carol Martel, lead Diane Tetreault and alternate Linda Graber, gave up a single steal in the 10th end to fall 6-5 to Royal City’s Kathy Smiley in the Thursday noon draw.
After trading singles in the opening two ends, Heath jumped in front with a deuce in three. The two rinks swapped singles again in four and five, with Smiley equalizing with a deuce in six.
With Heath up by one after the eighth end, Smiley counted one in nine before stealing in 10.
The Vernon rink held off a late charge by Kerry Park’s Christine Jurgenson to open the eight-team spiel with a 10-8 win.
After an 8-5 loss to Qualicum’s Lynne Noble, Heath peeled off back-to-back wins, bouncing Trail’s Deb deTremaudan 9-3 and Vancouver’s Karen Miller 12-4.
Heath faced Quenel’s Lori Freeman Thursday night and ends the eight-team round-robin today against Salmon Arm’s Wendy Cseke.
The final goes Saturday afternoon (2 p.m.) at the Kamloops Curling Club.
