LCI curlers rock solid
This time, Ayden Whittmire wasn’t going to miss. With a high school curling boys provincial gold medal on the line, the skip for the LCI rink made some rocks roll when he needed to as Whittmire and his foursome defeated Lloydminster 4-3 during the Catholic Centralhosted Alberta Schools Athletic Association curling provincials Saturday afternoon at the Lethbridge Curling Club.
With Lloydminster lying one and LCI with the hammer coming home, Whittmire executed a hit and raise to count for two and earn this year’s title.
With the gold medal hanging in balance with a large hometown gallery watching behind the glass at the Lethbridge Curling Club, Whittmire received some sound advice from his third Kyler Kurina.
“Kyler said ‘You got a shot to make, you might as well go out with a bang,’” said Whittmire, whose team also consists of second Daegan Nickel, lead Jackson Fletcher and alternate Dawson Wikkerink. “So I threw what I needed to. I had thrown the shot before and missed it. So I threw it the second time and made it. I just knew I needed to move a lot of granite.”
It was the second time the two rinks had met over the course of the three-day event which began Thursday.
“In the round-robin we ended up beating them by quite a bit and they were definitely out for revenge and they played so well,” said LCI coach Dave Fletcher. “We had to get two to win the game otherwise it was going to an extra end. It was a beautiful hit, raise and peel (to) sit two at the end. It was just an amazing shot by our skip.”
There’s a bit of playing history between Whittmire and his third.
“I’ve played with Kyler for about four years, same with Jackson,” said Whittmire. “I got to know Daegan this year with him and the first year as a complete team.”
The LCI rink wasn’t the only local foursome to come away with a medal as a pair of Chinook High School teams also placed in the top three.
The Chinook girls team of skip Hanna Terry, third Brianne Slomp, second Kalli Hansen, lead Jasmyn Mears and alterate Kara Smith were defeated by Morrin School to take home the silver medal, while the Chinook mixed team of skip Levi Pawlak, third Toshi Uyesugi, second Aaron Lorenz and lead Shallynn Mertz along with alternate Haley Kothig won the bronze medal.
Paul Rowe School from Manning took the bronze medal in the boys division, while Paul Kane High School from Edmonton won the girls bronze medal.
E.W. Pratt High School from High Prairie won the mixed gold medal and Cochrane High School got silver.
Five athletes were also recognized with Individual Sportsmanship Award Pins.
Earning this year’s honours were Gountene Bagnah (Catholic Central mixed), Tanner Lorenz (Chinook High School), Morgan Beamish (E.W. Pratt), Robert Ambury (Paul Rowe) and Quinn Hefron