The Kerry Park/Victoria/Comox Valley rink skipped by the Cowichan ValleyB次元官网网址檚 own Wes Craig came up just short of a provincial masters curling title in the championship that wrapped up at Lake Cowichan on Sunday.
With six wins and one loss in round-robin play, CraigB次元官网网址檚 team had the best record on the menB次元官网网址檚 side at the 2020 Connect Hearing BC Masters Curling Championships and earned a bye straight to the final on Sunday morning, where they were defeated 8-4 by Craig LepineB次元官网网址檚 Langley/Royal City/Penticton/Cloverdale foursome.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 too bad,B次元官网网址� Craig said. B次元官网网址淲e just didnB次元官网网址檛 have our best game. We had a good week; we just lost the wrong one.B次元官网网址�
The Craig rink, which included third Ron Schmidt, second Tony Anslow and lead Blair Cusack, had previously defeated Lepine by the same score in round-robin play last Wednesday. Craig and Lepine have squared off half a dozen times in provincial finals at various levels, and Craig doesnB次元官网网址檛 think this will be the last time.
Craig, who has numerous provincial and national titles to his name, won the 2020 BC Provincial Senior MenB次元官网网址檚 Curling Championships in Vernon in February, and was looking to add a second crown this season. The senior championships are for curlers ages 50 and up, and the masters championships is for curlers 60-plus. Craig will head to Portage la Prairie, Manitoba next week for the 2020 Canadian Seniors, his fifth trip to that event.
B次元官网网址淚 felt bad for my team, because I have another one next week,B次元官网网址� the skip commented.
Craig felt particularly bad for Schmidt, who was on the rink that CraigB次元官网网址檚 team beat in the final at the senior championships.
The provincial menB次元官网网址檚 and womenB次元官网网址檚 masters championships were originally slated for Lake Cowichan and Duncan, but some draws had to be moved to Kerry Park Curling Centre because of an ice plant failure at the Glen Harper Curling Centre in Duncan. Kerry Park had its own event, the Lorraine Gagnon Memorial Open Bonspiel, running on the same dates as the BC Masters, but was able to make room for some extra matches.
It was even more disappointing, Craig said, to lose the final so close to home.
B次元官网网址淚t always hurts, and especially when thereB次元官网网址檚 support from family and friends,B次元官网网址� he acknowledged. B次元官网网址淚t would have been nice to win, but itB次元官网网址檚 always nice to have support.B次元官网网址�
This was CraigB次元官网网址檚 second year competing at the masters level. In 2019, his rink lost in the semifinals at provincials.
Melissa Sim, the event manager for Curl BC, said that the organizing committee, sponsors, volunteers, ice makers and athletes were all accommodating of the many changes that had to be made.
B次元官网网址淲e are so grateful that curlers at Kerry Park were able to rearrange their schedules to accommodate some of our masters draws,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭he ad hoc theme of the event became B次元官网网址榚mbrace the chaosB次元官网网址� as the plant failure at Duncan happened the night before the first games were due to be played and which necessitated changes and updates throughout the first couple of days of the event.
B次元官网网址淎 big thank you needs to go to the host committee chair Linda Blatchford from Cowichan Rocks who was an absolute rock star all week and who made the event fun for everyone.B次元官网网址�
The BC Masters womenB次元官网网址檚 title went to Janet KlebeB次元官网网址檚 Chilliwack/Richmond/Cloverdale/Langley team for the second year in a row. The Klebe rink finished third in the round robin, then defeated the Nanaimo/Qualicum rink skipped by Debbie Erdos 7-4 in the semifinal, and Cindy HouseB次元官网网址檚 Royal City foursome 7-3 in the final.
The Duncan/Victoria rink of skip Pat Sanders, third Diane Myrden, second Sherry Findlay and lead Roselyn Craig B次元官网网址� WesB次元官网网址檚 wife B次元官网网址� narrowly missed the playoffs on the womenB次元官网网址檚 side, going 3-4 in the round robin to place fourth. Among SandersB次元官网网址檚 wins was a 10-9 victory over Klebe in pool play last Wednesday.
