CURL: After more than three decades Canada West curling is back

January 31, 2019

Brian Swane, Canada West

EDMONTON – For the first time since the early 1980s, Canada West will crown conference curling champions when the 2019 Canada West Curling Championships are hosted by the University of Alberta at the Saville Community Sports Centre in Edmonton this weekend.

The roaring game is returning after being added as a conference sport at last spring’s Canada West AGM. Curling was last formally contested in Canada West in the 1983-84 season for women, and for men in 1980-81.

U SPORTS has annually staged a national curling championship in conjunction with Curling Canada since 2007-08. During that period, Canada West members qualified via the Western Canadian University Championships, which were run by Curling Canada.

Teams from Canada West schools have combined for five men’s and five women’s national university curling titles. Alberta leads the way, having won three of each, including a gold medal sweep last March when the 2018 U SPORTS/Curling Canada Championships were held just outside Edmonton at the Leduc Recreation Centre.

The 2019 Canada West Curling Championships will see the host Bears and Pandas as part of draws that include rinks from Regina and Lethbridge. The student-athletes are not only curling to call themselves conference champs, but to secure their spot at nationals. The top two men’s and women’s teams will advance to the national event, which is being hosted by the University of New Brunswick, March 15 – 19 in Fredericton, N.B

Alberta will be skipped by Selena Sturmay and Karsten Sturmay, who will be looking to carry on their school’s championship legacy.

Regina is led by Haylee Jameson and Drew Springer, both whom skipped for the Cougars at last year’s nationals.

Skipping the Pronghorns rinks are third-year student-athlete Vanessa Murray, and Michael Steele, who is in his second year.

With this historic bonspiel, Canada West joins Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and Atlantic University Sport (AUS) as U SPORTS conferences with standalone curling championships, which also serve as qualifiers for nationals.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

Double round robin.
Standings determined by win/loss record
Tie-breaker game(s) will be played in the event of a tie between first and second, or second and third

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Friday, February 1:
- Alberta vs. Lethbridge / 2 p.m. (4/6)
- Lethbridge vs. Regina / 7 p.m. (5/7)
Saturday, February 2:
- Alberta vs. Regina / 9 a.m. (6/4)
- Lethbridge vs. Alberta / 2 p.m. (7/5)
- Regina vs. Lethbrdige / 7 p.m. (4/6)
Sunday, February 3:
- Regina vs. Alberta / 9 a.m. (6/4)
- Tie-breakers (if necessary) / 2 p.m.

NOTE: Men’s and women’s games will happen simultaneously. Sheets denoted above (men’s sheet / women’s sheet).

MEN'S TEAMS

SKIP: Karsten Sturmay
THIRD: Chris Kennedy
SECOND: Glenn Venance
LEAD: Caleb Boorse
FIFTH: Andrew Gittis
COACH: Rob Krepps

SKIP: Michael Steele
THIRD: Ward Marshall
SECOND: Tim O'Shea
LEAD: Matthew Grant
FIFTH: Kyle Brosbol
COACH: Nic Rabl

SKIP: Brody Blackwell
THIRD: Ryan Grabarczyk
SECOND: Jaedon Miller
LEAD: Trey Chernoff
FIFTH: Govanni Wright
COACH: Jamie Schneider

WOMEN'S TEAMS

SKIP: Selena Sturmay
THIRD: Kate Goodhelpsen
SECOND: Chantele Broderson
LEAD: Paige Papley
FIFTH: Abby Marks
COACH: Garry Coderre

SKIP: Vanessa Murray
THIRD: Krista Shortridge
SECOND: Kelsey Harkness
LEAD: Julia McCrae
FIFTH: McKenzie McElhinney
COACH: Trish Jackson

SKIP: Sara England
THIRD: Haylee Jameson
SECOND: Shelby Brandt
LEAD: Sarah Hoag
FIFTH: Stasia Wisniewski
COACH: Tom Hamon