East Coast move pays off for new national champ
Jones skips new Nova Scotia rink to junior women’s curling crown
Kaitlyn Jones dealt with a confluence of sentiments after winning the Canadian junior women’s curling championship.
“Every emotion hits you all at once,” Jones, formerly of Regina, said Sunday from Shawinigan, Que., after skipping Nova Scotia to the title. “You don’t know if you want to cry, or smile, or laugh, or whatever.
“As soon as the game is done, it hits you in a moment. You need to make sure that you shake hands first and be polite, and then you get to celebrate. It’s just such an incredible feeling.”
Jones, third Kristin Clarke, second Karlee Burgess and lead Lindsey Burgess (Karlee’s cousin) defeated Quebec’s Laurie St- Georges 5-3 in the final.
It was the second consecutive appearance at nationals for Jones, who skipped the Saskatchewan junior women’s championship team in 2017. That Callie-based squad also included Sara England, Shantel Hutton and Rayann Zerr.
“After nationals were finished last year, the coach from Nova Scotia (Andrew Atherton) called me over and asked if I had any plans for next year,” Jones recalled. “I said, ‘No, I don’t.’ He said, ‘Well, if you ever feel like moving to Halifax, we would love to have you on our team.’
“As soon as he asked me that question, I was already committed. It was such an amazing opportunity, because two of them were already world champions. I was like, ‘This is what I want to be.’ ”
Clarke and Karlee Burgess were on the Mary Fay-skipped Nova Scotia team that won the 2016 Canadian and world junior women’s titles. The 2018 worlds run from March 3-10 in Aberdeen, Scotland.
Nova Scotia is the fifth province in which Jones has resided. The daughter of RCMP officer Kevin Jones was born in Thompson, Man., before moving to Chilliwack, B.C. (twice), New Aiyanch, B.C., Regina and Halifax.
She’s a first-year arts student at Dalhousie University.
At nationals, Jones was reunited with two former Saskatchewan teammates. England skipped her Callie foursome, which also included Zerr, to the 2018 provincial title. Shelby Brandt and Stasia Wisniewski were also on the Saskatchewan team that competed in Shawinigan.
“I’m very proud that they were able to get (the provincial title),” Jones said. “That’s huge. It’s amazing that they were able to form a new team, and it’s just great to see them back.”
In the national junior men’s final, B.C.’s Tyler Tardi defeated Northern Ontario’s Tanner Horgan 8-4. Tardi, third Sterling Middleton, second Jordan Tardi and lead Zachary Curtis are also off to Scotland for the world junior men’s championship.
Randy Bryden and Daniel Selke, both of the Callie, skipped their teams to berths in the Saskatchewan men’s curling championship on the weekend.
Bryden, third Troy Robinson, second John Aston and lead Malcolm Vanstone defeated Estevan’s Wade St. Onge 7-2 in Friday’s A final at the southern men’s qualifier in Moose Jaw.
In the second qualifying final, played Sunday, Selke defeated Regina’s Jason Ackerman 8-7 by scoring three with the hammer in the 10th end. Selke curls with Garret Springer, Drew Springer and Jake Ripplinger.
Four skips advanced from the northern playdowns in Saskatoon — Brayden Stewart, Aaron Shutra and Brady Kendel, all of Saskatoon, and Doug Heidt of Unity.
Ten other teams had pre-qualified for the provincial Tankard, to be held Jan. 31-Feb. 4 in Estevan.
Those 10 teams are skipped by Brent Gedak, Ryan Deis, Scott Bitz, Jeff Hartung, Adam Casey, Colton Flasch, Steve Laycock, Josh Heidt, Carl DeConinck Smith and Jason Jacobson. Casey is the defending provincial champion.