Two rinks – one on each side – are undefeated after four draws at the B.C. Senior Men’s and Women’s Curling Championships at the Vernon Curling Club.
Defending B.C. men’s champ Wes Craig’s Duncan/Nanaimo quartet is alone atop the standings at 4-0. Craig defeated Brent Pierce (2-2) of Royal City in New Westminster 7-0 in the morning draw in four ends, then handed Larry Macdonald’s Kelowna/Vancouver foursome (3-1) its first loss with a 6-3, seven-end decision.
Macdonald and Kelowna’s Steve Wright are tied at 3-1 while 2000 men’s Brier and World Champion Pierce is alone in fourth at 2-2.
The remaining rinks in the eight-team field are 1-3, including Vernon’s Mark Longworth, who got into the win column in the morning draw Wednesday with a 5-1 win over Craig Lepine of Langley. Longworth then fell 6-5 to former Vernon junior curler Tom Buchy of Kimberley, who scored a deuce in the final end to pick up the victory.
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On the women’s side, Donna Mychaluk’s Royal City/Parksville team is alone at 3-0 in the seven-team field. Mychaluk won her only game of the day in the morning draw, downing four-time champion Penny Shantz of Parksville Defending champion Marilou Richter’s Penticton/Kelowna squad got into the win column Wednesday with a pair of victories, 7-6 over Lisa Deputan of Chilliwack and 6-5 over Leanne Andrews of Maple Ridge.
Richter and Shantz are tied for second at 2-1, Deputan and Marnie Jepsen of Royal City are 2-2. Andrews is 1-3 and Heather Nichol of Castlegar is 0-3.
There are two draws Thursday at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., and the final draw for both fields is Friday at 9:30 a.m. Top three teams in each division make playoffs though tiebreakers, if needed are scheduled for Friday.
The top team in each draw gets a bye to Sunday’s 10 a.m. finals, and the second- and third-place teams play Saturday at 2 p.m.
The B.C. champs will advance to the Everest Canadian Senior Curling Championships next month in Portage la Prairie, Man.
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