A long distance relationship has paid off for a pair of junior Victoria curlers.

Sanjay Bowry and Corey Chester of the Victoria Curling Club played second and third, respectively, with lead Rhys Gamache and skip Tyler Klymchuk of the Langley Curling Club.

And it all paid off as the quartet captured the Tim HortonB次元官网网址檚 junior menB次元官网网址檚 provincial championship (20-and-under), Jan. 1 to Jan. 6 at the Coquitlam Curling Club.

B次元官网网址淭hat was definitely one of the goals that we set for ourselves at the start of the year,B次元官网网址� Klymchuk said. B次元官网网址淲e have put in a lot of hard work, a lot of ferry trips, and it definitely feels good to win.B次元官网网址�

Coaching the quartet is VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Todd Troyer, who was with Chester and Josh Hozak last year, when the Victoria Curling Club team won B.C.B次元官网网址檚 and went to nationals. Klymchuk went to junior nationals the year before.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been playing against (Klymchuk) all my competitive career and IB次元官网网址檝e always respected his game play on and off the ice, so when my teammates from last year aged out, it was obvious to me to get together,B次元官网网址� Chester said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 our last crack at juniors, weB次元官网网址檝e been playing long enough to have the passion to want to be better.B次元官网网址�

Meshing teams from separate districts isnB次元官网网址檛 common in junior but it has happened before. If anything, itB次元官网网址檚 a sign of how competitive the sport has become.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e seen traveling teams put together before but IB次元官网网址檓 not sure they were as dedicated to traveling and training together as we are," Chester said.

That dedication comes from a motivation to do more than just show up at nationals. The last time a B.C. team won the menB次元官网网址檚 junior nationals was 2000, so the Klymchuk rink is off to as good a start as any. They went undefeated in all seven games of the provincial round robin. In the final they took an early lead against Langley Curling ClubB次元官网网址檚 Tardi rink and never looked back, prevailing 9-4.

B次元官网网址�(Chester) made a real key triple in the second end to leave us lying four in the house,B次元官网网址� Klymchuk said.

The Klymchuk rink will now spend the next three weeks preparing for the junior national curling championships, Feb. 2 to Feb. 10 in Fort McMurray, Alta.

ItB次元官网网址檚 been a long haul for the team to this point, literally. They originally formed in April when their respective teammates aged out. This fall the schedule has taken on a pretty regular routine, during which the team become weekly B.C. Ferries commuters. Bowry and Chester go to New Westminst

er on Wednesdays so the team can play in Royal CityB次元官网网址檚 Premium League, the top league in B.C. On Sundays, Klymchuk and Gamache sail to Victoria on the early ferry, train with the team all day, and then return home.

B次元官网网址淣ew WestB次元官网网址檚 league is a step up for sure, the calibre is awesome,B次元官网网址� Chester said. B次元官网网址淎nd that was one of our goals, to get out there to play the best competition in the province, men or junior, so itB次元官网网址檚 a good fit for us.B次元官网网址�

In addition to New West the Klymchuk rink entered three World Curling Tour tournaments this season, the Cloverdale Cash Spiel in September, Valley First Crown of Curling in Kamloops in October, and Vancouver Island Shootout here in Victoria back in November. While the team didnB次元官网网址檛 crack any purse money, they used the tourneyB次元官网网址檚 a chance to bond. They also had some notable moments, particularly a big first-round win against EdmontonB次元官网网址檚 Jamie King in Kamloops, a team with former world champions Scott Pfeiffer and Blake McDonald.

Locally, Bowry and Chester play on the Steve Streiffel rink in VCCB次元官网网址檚 Tuesday night Select League.

B次元官网网址�(Chester and Klymchuk) set up the team and invited me along for the ride,B次元官网网址� said Troyer. The coach is one who knows what the Klymchuk rink is up against, as he won the 1988 national championship with the Mike Wood rink from North Vancouver.

B次元官网网址淭his team has high expectations because (Chester) went to nationals last year, and Klymchuk went the year before, so there was additional pressure for them to fight through to get back to nationals this year,B次元官网网址� Troyer said.

Troyer himself is in the midst of a busy year. The chartered accountant also volunteers as the Victoria Curling Club treasurer, and is vice chair of this springB次元官网网址檚 Ford World MenB次元官网网址檚 Curling Championships in Victoria.

The Katherine Silversides rink of the Juan de Fuca Curling Club represented the South Island in the junior womenB次元官网网址檚 provincials in Coquitlam. The team Silversides team, with third Dallyce Gillespie, second Brooke Capron and lead Sydney Brilz, won just one of the seven the round robin games.

- with files from Gary Ahuja/Langley Times