Team Gardner’s on-the-button performance at the Junior Men’s Provincial Championships earlier this month won them the opportunity to represent British Columbia at the national level.
This weekend, the Vernon rink, consisting of skip Jonathan Gardner, third Michael Longworth, second Michael Hiram, lead Jonathan Hatten and coach Mark Longworth, will be playing in Calgary, Alberta at the Canadian Junior Championships. The event is being hosted by North Hill Curling Club and the Glencoe Club from January 29th to February 6th.
Before they left for the prairies, I caught up with the team’s third, Michael Longworth. “I think it was the great team dynamics,” he said of their success at the provincial championships, and hopes this continues in Calgary. When asked what excited him the most about playing in a national event, he responded with a smile, “Pretty much everything, especially the prospect of winning!” Of the challenges to come at the national championships, Longworth states that “The endurance part of it will be a challenge and focusing every game.” This season is the curler’s last as a junior, but this is his first major national event.
Team Gardner starts their quest to the national title on Sunday when they play the team from the Yukon Territory. The last British Columbian team to win the junior national title was the legendary Brad Kuhn rink in 2000, also from the Vernon Curling Club. Today, Kuhn sits at the top of the Baron Insurance Super League standings. Coincidentally, the Kuhn and Gardner rinks played each other shortly after my interview in Super League play. Gardner’s quartet won handily in a 9-7 decision.
Before getting on the ice, Michael Longworth also gave some advice to younger junior curlers and aspiring youth curling stars: “Never give up,” he beams, “I’ve been doing this for 10 years now, and if you want to do it, do it!”
