P.G.’s Pilote qualifies for Scotties

The 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts Canadian women’s curling championship will have a Prince George flavour.

Kristen Pilote (nee Fewster) earned the right to represent her home province when she teamed up with skip Sarah Wark of Abbotsford to win the B.C. women’s championship Sunday afternoon in Quesnel.

The Wark team, which also includes second Carley Sandwith and lead Michelle Dunn, both of Abbotsford, as well as Pilote’s sister, fifth Jen Rusnell of Prince George, defeated Corryn Brown of Kamloops 7-4 in nine ends in Sunday’s final.

Wark stole two in the first end and added two more in the third and fourth ends for a 6-1 lead.

Wark advanced to the championship game with an 8-6 win over Brown Saturday morning.

Wark and her team, which also includes coach Rick Fewster of Prince George, the father of Pilote and Rusnell, advance to the Scotties national championship Feb. 16-24 in Sydney, N.S.

Brette Richards and her combined Prince George/ Kelowna/Victoria rink qualified for playoffs with a third-place 4-3 record. They beat Lindsay Hudyma of Vancouver in a playoff Saturday morning and lost in the semifinal 6-4 to Brown and claimed the bronze medal.

Meanwhile, in the B.C. men’s championship, Jim Cotter advanced to the Brier for the eighth time in his career. The Vernon skip defeated Jason Montgomery of Victoria 9-4 in the B.C. men’s curling championship game Sunday morning in Quesnel.

Cotter and his team of third Steve Laycock, second Tyrel Griffith and lead Rick Sawatsky stole two in the first end and added two more in the third and fourth ends to take a 6-1 lead. Cotter added three more in the ninth to wrap it up.

Montgomery lost 9-3 to Cotter Saturday morning in his first playoff game in the modified triple-knockout event, then beat Josh Barry of Maple Ridge 11-5 to qualify for the final.

Cotter will represent B.C. in the Tim Hortons Brier Canadian men’s championship in Brandon, Man., March 30 to April 7.