Juvenile & Master BC Champions crowned

Richmond, BC (March 8, 2010) – BC curling titles were won this past weekend by both the youngest and the most seasoned players in the game.

The 2010 BC Men’s and Women’s Master Curling Championships (60+) were held at the Grand Forks Curling Club. Each event had eight teams that played off in two pools of four with the top two in each pool advancing to the semi-finals.

On the men’s side, it was the Garry Gelowitz rink from Kelowna that was victorious over Vernon’s Blake Kimura. Gelowitz scored two points in the final end to win the BC title 6-5. Kimura won his spot into the final after downing Duncan’s Bob Gallaugher 7-4 in the semi-final earlier that morning, while Gelowitz edged Ralph Will from Sparwood 9-3.

Chilliwack’s Bernie Sparkes narrowly missed making the playoffs after losing an extra-end tie-breaker to Gallaugher. Qualicum’s Rick Dunn, Richmond’s Seiji Mukuyama and Prince George’s Clarence Wigmore also failed to make playoffs.

On the women’s side, Richmond’s Karin Host had to make her last stone in an extra-end to defeat fellow club mate Heather Kerr, 7-6. Host had to make a come-around tap-back for the victory.

Victoria’s Sharron Manick and Elkford’s Betty Pang were both eliminated from contention after losing semi-finals that morning. Janny Merwin from Salmon Arm, Lil Werenka from Kelowna, Ann Johnson from Vernon and Irene Creally from Qualicum all finished with a record of 1-2.

While these more seasoned players were battling it out in Grand Forks, the future players of the game (under 16 years) had battles of their own at the 2010 BC Winter Games in Terrace. Following the same pool format as the Masters, these Juvenile curlers took to the ice to compete for a provincial title.

The Corryn Brown team from Kamloops defeated Nanaimo’s Kalia Van Osch by a score of 6-4 in the girl’s gold medal game while Cloverdale’s Brooklyn Leitch captured a bronze medal beating Richmond’s Jessica Houston rink.

North Vancouver’s Emily Gardner, Trail’s Kelly MacKay and Terrace’s Samantha Sears also competed in the event.

It was a nice end to the season for Vernon’s Tyler Vandenberghe who went undefeated on the boy’s side of the competition. Vandenberghe played second on the junior men’s team that lost a heartbreaking BC final earlier this season. Vandenberghe and company were tied 4-4 with Langley’s Mitchell Styba and scored 4 points in an extra-end to seal the victory. Meanwhile, Kitimat’s Ryan Baruta’s squad stole three in the final end to win the bronze medal over Kerry Park’s Paul Henderson.

Nelson’s Alexander Breen, Richmond’s Travis Cameron and Vancouver’s Maxim Langlais rounded out the rest of the boy’s field.