By Jeremy
Vernon Curling Club was well represented at regional junior curling playdowns as two local teams swept their way to spots in the provincial championships.
The playdowns, hosted by Salmon Arm Curling Club on the 27th and 28th of November, featured both junior men’s and women’s divisions. The Gardner rink, comprised of lead Jonathan Hatten, second Michael Hiram, third Michael Longworth, skip Jonathan Gardner and coach Mark Longworth, had a rough start to the qualifier and lost their first game in a close match on Saturday. However, they rebounded quickly and curled their way to three consecutive victories by large margins, ultimately winning in a 9-2 final against the Kristjanson foursome of Kamloops, forcing handshakes after just five ends of play.
In junior women’s play, Jenn Gerow’s Vernon rink proved to be on the broom by going undefeated in the playdowns. Lead Vanessa Samborsky, second Melissa Moen, third Kayte Giles, skip Jenn Gerow and coach Brent Giles cruised to a clear victory in their first draw against Alyssa Kyllo that earned the team a place in the final. After falling behind after six ends of play, the Vernon team stole points in ends seven, nine and ten to edge out the Corryn Brown rink of Kamloops 8-6, winning their spot in the provincial championships.
Meanwhile, the playdowns proved to be a challenge for BC Winter Games gold medalist Chad Kyllo and his Vernon rink. Lead Lucas Hofer, second Danial Campbell, third Colby Nowlin, skip Chad Kyllo and coach Steve Campbell had a difficult time hitting their stride on the weekend, losing their first game to Armstrong’s Cliff rink and narrowly giving up their second match against Lumby’s Forester rink. Additionally, a fellow Vernon rink skipped by Kayla Gunner fell to the Alyssa Kyllo team in their third game, missing a qualifying berth this year. Also, well-known former Vernon resident Alyssa Kyllo and her Kamloops rink (coached by CurlBC Club Volunteer of the Year award winner Scott Kyllo) missed the provincial championships this year as well, losing first to Jenn Gerow and then Corryn Brown. Despite the losses at playdowns, the Kyllo siblings, Kayla Gunner and their respective teams are sure to make a splash on the curling scene in the near future.
To keep sharp for playdowns and other tournaments, the Gardner, Gerow and Gunner rinks all play in the Baron Insurance Super League on Wednesday nights, where their skills are put to the test by other expert curlers, including some that have played in the Brier. The experience assists them in their quest towards the provincial title.
As a result of their victories at playdowns this season, the Jonathan Gardner and Jenn Gerow rinks have earned berths in the junior provincial championships being held at the North Shore Winter Club in North Vancouver at the end of December. There, they will aim to represent British Columbia in the Canadian Junior Championships in Calgary, and then play to become the Canadian team at the World Championships in Perth, Scotland, United Kingdom.
