Okanagan-Shuswap rinks returned with medals around their necks from the Safetek Profire U18 boys and girls provincial curling championships, held Dec. 27-31 at the Victoria Curling Club.
Salmon Arm香蕉视频直播檚 Kaiden Beck won a second consecutive U18 boys title with his brother, Nolan. They were joined this year by Lower Mainland teammates Ethan Chiu and Harrison Hrynew, and the foursome swept their way to gold in the 11-team boys draw. The team is coached by Dale Hofer of Vernon.
The Becks play out of the Vernon Curling Club in the Monday Men香蕉视频直播檚 League, and represent both communities proudly.
The Owen Jaeger rink of Kelowna captured bronze.
Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 Megan Rempel foursome, and Vernon香蕉视频直播檚 Ava Arndt quartet, captured silver and bronze, respectively, at the six-team girls finals.
Of note: B.C. was allowed to qualify two girls teams for the national U18 championships Feb. 4-10 in Ottawa, so Rempel香蕉视频直播檚 rink will play in the nation香蕉视频直播檚 capital.
Beck was a perfect 6-0 in Victoria, securing a trip to Ottawa with a 12-6 win over Quinn Farmer of Dawson Creek in the championship. Beck won the tournament香蕉视频直播檚 A event to earn top seed for the playoffs, and Farmer won the B event to become the second seed.
Jaeger and Matthew Harris of Campbell River completed the playoff picture by winning C Event qualifiers, and a date with one another in the three vs four playoff game (won by Jeager, 5-4).
Beck edged Farmer 7-6 in the one vs two playoff with a trip to the final on the line.
Farmer then defeated Jaeger 9-3 to play for gold.
The Beck rink will play at home at the B.C. U21 men香蕉视频直播檚 curling finals Feb. 14-17 at the Salmon Arm Curling Club.
Rempel 香蕉视频直播� backed by Parker Rempel at third, Gwyneth Jones at second and Ella Walker at lead, qualified for the five-team playoffs by finishing like every other playoff team: with a 3-2 record after the preliminary round.
The Kelowna rink finished top three to earn a semifinal berth, where they defeated Hannah Bartlett of Grand Forks 6-2 to advance to the gold-medal game against Erin Fitzgibbon of Vancouver.
Fitzgibbon 香蕉视频直播� who also received a bye to the semifinals 香蕉视频直播� captured the gold with a 9-4 victory over Rempel.
The eventual champs made it to the final with a 6-5 victory over Arndt in the other semifinal, scoring once with the hammer in the final end for the win.
Arndt香蕉视频直播檚 rink of second Ivy Jensen of Vernon, and Kamloops sisters Bethany Evans at third, Jillian Evans at lead, and Alicia Evans as the alternate, was seeded fifth for the playoffs. The team blew out No. 4 seed Ara Yoo of Port Moody 10-0 in four ends to advance to the final four.
Jensen was named the tournament香蕉视频直播檚 most sportsmanlike player.
香蕉视频直播� The Victoria Curling Club also hosted the B.C. Mixed Doubles championships at the same time as the U18s, and the Vernon daughter-father combo of Jaelyn and Jim Cotter reached the final four of the 20-team tournament.
The Cotters went 3-1 in Pool A to finish atop the group and earn a spot in the 12-team playoffs. They began their quest for gold with an 8-7 win over Jordan Tardi and Kayla Wilson of Langley, setting up a quarterfinal date with Nicholas Meiser and Ashley Mallett of Langley.
The Cotters led 7-3 going into the final end, and held on for a 7-6 victory, advancing to the semifinals against Gabby Brissette and Sterling Middleton of Delta.
Things didn香蕉视频直播檛 start well for the Vernon rink, as they gave up four in the first end, and shook hands after six ends in a 10-3 loss.
The duo of Taylor Reese Hansen and Corey Chester of Victoria won the right to represent B.C. at the Canadian Mixed Doubles finals in Sudbury, Ont. March 17-22 by winning the gold-medal contest, 10-3, over Brissette and Middleton.
Vernon香蕉视频直播檚 Michael Longworth and partner Morgayne Eby, went 1-3 in the preliminary round, failing to qualify for the playoffs.
