CURL: Conference championships return to Edmonton
January 29, 2020
EDMONTON - One season ago, after an absence of more than three decades, curling returned to the Canada West championship lineup, and it went quite well for the University of Alberta's rinks.
Capture not one, but two titles in dominating fashion on home ice? Check.
Move on to the U SPORTS championships and represent the west on the national stage? Check.
Twelve months later, the Golden Bears and Pandas curling teams would love nothing more than to do it all again, while opposition skips aim to halt any such streak before it starts.
2020 Championship Central (click for scores, standings & tournament information)
For a second consecutive winter, schools from across the conference will gather in Edmonton for the 2020 Canada West Curling Championships. The bonspiel takes place Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 at the Saville Community Sports Centre on the U of A's south campus, where the host Bears and Pandas both won gold medals in 2019, capturing the coveted prize that Canada West hadn't awarded curlers since the 1980-81 and 1983-84 seasons, respectively, for men and women.
Alberta's bid for a repeat sweep will again be led by the brother and sister duo of Karsten and Selena Sturmay. The siblings from Leduc, a curling stone's throw from the outskirts of the provincial capital, serve as skip for the Golden Bears and Pandas rinks, respectively.
Last season, Canada West joined Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and Atlantic University Sport (AUS) as U SPORTS conferences with standalone curling championships. Both the men's and women's draws saw identical standings, with the U of A going 4-0 to place first, followed by Lethbridge at 2-2 and Regina at 0-4.
It was the fourth Canada West championship for the Golden Bears, making them the winningest program in conference history, while the Pandas won their first championship. The University of Saskatchewan holds the all-time record for most Canada West women's curling titles with six.
This season, the championship field features five teams, as the Bears and Pandas will be joined by 2019 returnees Lethbridge and Regina, while Brandon and Victoria are also sending squads to the Alberta capital.
The Canada West Championships set the stage for the 2020 U SPORTS/Curling Canada Championships, which takes place March 11-15 in Portage La Prairie, Man. where Brandon will serve as the host squad in both the men's and women's.
Two additional berths to the national event will be handed out this weekend in Edmonton, as Canada West schools look to add to a combined five men's and five women's national university curling titles.
Capture not one, but two titles in dominating fashion on home ice? Check.
Move on to the U SPORTS championships and represent the west on the national stage? Check.
Twelve months later, the Golden Bears and Pandas curling teams would love nothing more than to do it all again, while opposition skips aim to halt any such streak before it starts.
2020 Championship Central (click for scores, standings & tournament information)
For a second consecutive winter, schools from across the conference will gather in Edmonton for the 2020 Canada West Curling Championships. The bonspiel takes place Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 at the Saville Community Sports Centre on the U of A's south campus, where the host Bears and Pandas both won gold medals in 2019, capturing the coveted prize that Canada West hadn't awarded curlers since the 1980-81 and 1983-84 seasons, respectively, for men and women.
Alberta's bid for a repeat sweep will again be led by the brother and sister duo of Karsten and Selena Sturmay. The siblings from Leduc, a curling stone's throw from the outskirts of the provincial capital, serve as skip for the Golden Bears and Pandas rinks, respectively.
Last season, Canada West joined Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and Atlantic University Sport (AUS) as U SPORTS conferences with standalone curling championships. Both the men's and women's draws saw identical standings, with the U of A going 4-0 to place first, followed by Lethbridge at 2-2 and Regina at 0-4.
It was the fourth Canada West championship for the Golden Bears, making them the winningest program in conference history, while the Pandas won their first championship. The University of Saskatchewan holds the all-time record for most Canada West women's curling titles with six.
This season, the championship field features five teams, as the Bears and Pandas will be joined by 2019 returnees Lethbridge and Regina, while Brandon and Victoria are also sending squads to the Alberta capital.
The Canada West Championships set the stage for the 2020 U SPORTS/Curling Canada Championships, which takes place March 11-15 in Portage La Prairie, Man. where Brandon will serve as the host squad in both the men's and women's.
Two additional berths to the national event will be handed out this weekend in Edmonton, as Canada West schools look to add to a combined five men's and five women's national university curling titles.