In The House

Timing works for Guelph's Rumfeldt rink

Scott Howard's unexpected news of being removed from Team John Epping was quite the turn of events.

The team with Epping, Scott Bailey and David Mathers had captured the attention of the curling world in the past two seasons with a Slam win, several playoff appearances and success on the World and Ontario curling tour circuits.

For Guelph Curling Club's Rumfeldt it may be a bonus.

Rumfeldt's rink has also had a great couple of years starting the 2011 season with several wins in a row before hitting a hiccup of not making the 2012 Tankard. This year they did make the Tankard and matched Glenn Howard and John Epping with 7-3 records.

Post-tankard Rumfeldt learned lead Greg Robinson was retiring from competitive curling to focus on other priorities. Greg's brother Jeff was an alternate this year but played a great deal of the Tankard.

"This effectively left us searching for another player," Rumfeldt said via a text message.

"Adam (Spencer), Scott (Hodgson) and myself being fully commited heading into next season."

"In the midst of our search I received a call from Scott Howard with his unexpected news."

After a team meeting the Rumfeldt rink welcomed young Howard to the ranks. Rumfeldt said Howard will be playing front end.

"We are quite excited with the lineup heading into next season."

Through all of this the reason for Epping dropping Howard really hasn't come to light.

In Mike Dodd's article in the Midland Mirror he quotes Scott "He didn’t give me a reason, and just mentioned I wasn’t going to be on the team anymore.”

Also in the Mirror article, father Glenn described it was a "shock" after seeing his son rise to prominence just a few spots down from the elder Howard in the Canadian Team Ranking System.

With the Players Championship still to come on the World Curling Tour and the pre-Olympic trials and Olympic trials this fall, Epping must have some serious concerns to disrupt a successful foursome. Enough he didn't want to even last to December when anyone not representing Canada for the 2014 Olympics could revisit the team dynamic for the next four-year push.

David Mathers from Kitchener confirmed 1998 Olympic silver medallist Colin Mitchell was joining the Epping team at second.

It will be very interesting to see how things play out for Team Epping and Team Rumfeldt not only this season but next.

 

bbelfry@therecord.com

@belfrycurling on Twitter

 

Grippers mandatory?

When I starting out in curling I swept without a gripper for the first few years I actually had curling shoes.

However, more competitive curlers told me to start sweeping with a gripper and practice being able to sweep on either side. Which I do.

I had also had quite a spill one day when I lifted my gripper foot in the house after racing along with a takeout. Oddly enough trying to balance on just my slider while trying to brake wasn't good and I crashed down. Forgetting to let go of by broom (which I slammed into the ice trying to brace myself. I hit with both elbows in order to save breaking my ribs on the handles of the rocks. Two players were positive I had to have broken either my ribs or cracked my elbows but I survived with jsut bruises though the ice had quite the gouge from my broom.

Watching the Sportsnet broadcasts on the weekend a teammate commented how many players are back to sweeping with sliders.

I commented I thought it was the wrong way to go.

I felt proven right when Carter Rycroft kicked two rocks and barrelled through the house on Koe's last rock in the 10th end of the Alberta Provincial (link to see the video)

Koe rolls out as Rycroft hurtles through

Now, Thiessen and Rycroft are excellent athletes and usually in control and this was a once in a lifetime harried moment but . . .

What is the advantage to keeping the slider instead of using a gripper? You are definitely more in control and can dance over rocks with two gripperes on then one.

Should curlers be told they are expected to wear grippers on both feet? Feel free to comment.

 

 

Grand Slam experience might give Rumfeldt an edge

This article orginally was Published in the Waterloo Region Record Jan. 30

Guelph Curling Club’s Rob Rumfeldt’s Grand Slam opportunities may give him an edge over more than half of the field at the coming Ontario Tankard.

It’s definitely been good practice.

“You get to play against the greatest teams in the world and you get to play on great ice conditions,” Rumfeldt said.

He and his team of Adam Spencer, Jeff Robinson, Greg Robinson, and fifth Scott Hodgson are one of 11 teams competing for the Ontario men’s curling title in Barrie from Feb. 4-10. It’s an event Glenn Howard has now won seven straight year.

The Rumfeldt rink has been solid over the past two years earning opportunities to play in a Slam event last year and the first three this year. It’s been a learning curve with the team’s record at 2-13 playing against the world’s best. The two wins were over Howard and Jean-Michel Menard.

“In preparation for the Ontario curling championship next week, you know, that’s not a bad training ground.”

Another facet of the Slams that may come into play is the decision for the Ontario Curling Association to change its timing rules to follow the “thinking time” style of the World Curling Tour. Timing doesn’t usually come into force during the Ontario playdowns until reaching the Tankard. Howard, John Epping, and Harriston’s Jake Higgs will have some experience but several teams in the provincial field have not played under the rule before.

“One thing we have learned as a team is you have to bank as much time as possible in the first four or five ends,” Rumfeldt said. “We have got progressively better with each Slam and when we get down to that last end we are not rushed for time at all.”

Besides trying to win an Ontario title and trip to the Brier, Rumfeldt is also continuing to try and build on Canadian Team Ranking System points in order to qualify for the Olympic pre-trials event coming to Waterloo Region in November. A playoff win would go a long way in helping that effort.

Rumfeldt’s team is “on the bubble” of qualifying right now.

“If you can to a Grand Slam event and pick up two or three wins you can pick up six or nine points so that was certainly another motivating factor for us for going into the Slams.”

The Tankard in Barrie will be covered through out the week on Rogers community television with the semifinal and final on Sportsnet stations. Those with the Rogers digital can watch all the games live on channel 471 (Sportspak).

In addition to Rumfeld, Howard, Epping and Higgs, combatants include Joe Frans, Wayne Tuck, Darryl Prebble, Dayna Deruelle, Pat Ferris, Bryan Cochrane and Howard Rajala.

Guelph Curling Club’s Andrew and Craig Fairfull play with the Ferris rink.

Hearts wrap

The Ontario Tournament of Hearts hosted by the K-W Granite Club in Waterloo proved even more successful than organizers expected.

“Personally, I was amazed at how popular the event was,” said Doug Suerich, the club’s president. “Early in the week we had to ban volunteers from the VIP lounge to make more room for the general public,”

Rachel Homan’s dominant performance will likely carry on to a playoff spot at the national Hearts in Kingston. There are several Hearts rookies in the field along with veterans Jennifer Jones (Manitoba), Kelly Scott (B.C.) Colleen Jones makes a return to the Hearts with her longtime second Mary-Anne Arsenault skipping the team. Jones is holding the broom for Arsenault and throwing second stones. Suzanne Birt returns for Prince Edward Island and Allison Ross won in Quebec. Kristie Moore won her first Alberta title as a skip (she competed as a second in 2000) and newcomer Jill Shumay came out on top in Saskatchewan. Kerry Galusha (Y/NWT) and Stacie Devereaux (NFLD) qualified the previous weekend. Heather Nedohin is back as Team Canada leaving New Brunswick the only unknown. Its provincial starts this week.

Biters

 • Guelph Golf and Curling Club (GGCC, formerly known as Guelph Country) is hosting the Zone 12 mixed this weekend with participants including Chen Hui (Elmira), Mark Landoni (Fergus), Steve Szymanski (Galt), Andrew Nerpin (Guelph), Peter Mellor (K-W), Tracy Suerich (K-W), Jennifer Moore (GGCC).

 • Senior mixed zones is in the same venue with Carl Fleck (Ayr), Dean Martin (Elmira), Gary Houghton (GGCC), Greg Moore (Westmount) and Frank Gowman (Galt) competing.

 • In women’s intermediates, three-time champion Carol Jackson (Guelph) has once again advanced to provincials after winning the B-side at regionals in Gravenhurst. Jackson last won the Ontario title in 2010. K-W Granite's Carrie Mellor also advanced to intermediates playing with Walkerton's Vicki Gregg. Gregg and Mellor won the women's Trophy in 2000 representing Paisley Curling Club.

 • The Canadian junior curling champions begin Friday. Wilfrid Laurier’s Aaron Squires skips the Ontario men’s rink. Jamie Sinclair heads to the Ontario women’s team. Her front end of Erin Jenkins and Katelyn Wasylkiw are both University of Guelph students and Guelph Curling Club members.

Youngest Howard sets her own course

Published in the Waterloo Region Record Nov. 21. Posted at therecord.com

 

Shakespeare’s Juliet asked “What’s in a name?”

For Carly Howard, Wilfrid Laurier skip and daughter of Ontario’s curling icon Glenn Howard, the name brings with it a legacy of success and expectations.

Carly’s curling story is unfolding on her own terms. The success of her father, brother Scott, uncle (Russ Howard) and cousins are all theirs, not hers.

“I’ve come to the point I realize I am my own person and I am not exactly up to the level of my dad and my brother right now,” the youngest Howard says. “I try my best and I definitely want do my own thing and my accomplishments are just mine and no one else’s.”

There are already plenty of those. Howard, in her second year at Laurier, has the added pressure of following on the heels of Laura Crocker’s back-to-back national university titles. She takes it as motivation.

She’s made bantam provincials. She’s played above her age-group level.

“In our last year in bantams, we did make junior provincials and played Rachel Homan so that was fun. It was really good for us and we went 3-4 (win-loss) there.”

She finished off her bantam years winning an Ontario bantam mixed title in 2010 as vice for Guelph’s Tyler Sagan. (The team represented City View Curling Club).

Last year, she was vice for Lynn Kreviazuk, along with Kerilynn Mathers and Cheryl Kreviazuk on the Ontario junior tour. The team was ranked No. 1 on the circuit for much of the season, but fell to Westmount’s Kendall Haymes in Ontario Curling Association regional playdowns.

“We were a pretty dominant team. (but) You have to expect that eventually we are going to play tough teams and we won’t always come out as winners.”

This year Howard, Mathers and Cheryl Kreviazuk (all Golden Hawks) are playing OCA juniors with Western’s Caitlin Romain. The team is one of two K-W Granite entries in Zone 12 playdowns this weekend. (All teams listed below). The team is ranked fifth on the tour.

Although skipping the university rink, Howard is quite comfortable playing third for juniors. Through bantams she often called the game but threw either second or vice rocks.

“I really like vice. It’s probably my go-to position. I get the best of both worlds. I get to stay down and sweep a lot of rocks and get to do part of calling the game.”

Strategy is a forte which is no surprise. If you thought there must be a lot of curling chatter around the dinner table at the Howards’ house in Penetang, you wouldn’t be wrong.

“We do have a lot of salt shakers around and dad sets up ‘rocks’ and he will be telling me a game that I played and I will have honestly have no idea what shot he’s talking about,” Carly says. “But he will remember and he will explain to me what could happen exactly.”

There’s an upswing in trash talk after Team Epping (where brother Scott plays second) and Team Howard clash.

“If Scott wins, he will rub it in dad’s face for weeks,” she said with a laugh.

Mother Judy also curls playing the Penetang major league with Glenn, Wayne Middaugh and Sherry Middaugh. Her dad’s busy schedule means he doesn’t get to a lot of Carly’s events. But her mom makes sure the support is still there.

“She’s probably our No. 1. fan,” she said. “It’s nice to have that support system, unfortunately dad can’t make all my games but she will be there almost every game which is great.”

K-W Granite is host to the junior zone playdowns this weekend. The Ontario university playoffs are in February in Guelph.

bbelfry@therecord.com

@belfrycurling on Twitter

 

I curl too

Last fall I was skipping my team in the 9 p.m. draw in the Monday night league. After controlling most of the game I dropped a three-spot in the seventh end to go down by one. The next end became a mess of stones and I had a single red at the top of the button behind a whack of guards. My first rock to lie two had stopped top eight. My opponents tried to tap up one of their stones but came up light as well. My only chance to score two lay in wick a rock sideways with hack-weight. The interesting thing here is it was now 11:17 and everyone else was behind the glass watching. Amazing enough it was taped on a member's tablet. Also the rules that year was the 9 p.m. draw would play a full extra end if the game was tied after eight ends. I overthrew the rock but my front end yelled out heavy and my vice then yelled sweep to make sure I caught the rock as thin was we could. Great team effort!

 

 

Lifting restrictions changes dynamics for Colts

The off-season brought some changes to the Ontario Curling Association rule book.

The association highlighted key items on its website (ontcurl.com).

One that stuck out the most was eligibility restrictions being removed from the annual men’s Colts competition.

For the uninitiated, the Ontario association offers several competitions through the year on top of the regular stream of juniors, seniors, men’s, women’s and mixed.

The Colts and Trophy (the women’s counterpart competition) were set up as a B-level event, for lack of a better term.

For the men, restrictions were in place to ensure elite teams did not enter. If a team had qualified for men’s provincials, it meant members could never play in Colts. If you had previously won Colts you could not enter again. In Trophy, no such restrictions have been in place due to low entry numbers for the women. Elite women’s teams (think Sherry Middaugh, Rachel Homan or similar) have shown no interest in entering the event. It does not go beyond a provincial championship. The events are building block competitions for players.

Association executive director Doug Bakes says the lifting of the restrictions for the men is a two-year pilot project to try and increase participation.

The numbers may rise this season but what will be the result? Curlers on the cash circuit trying for provincial and Brier berths might take a shot at Colts to bring a provincial title to their club and lengthen their competitive curling season. It’s a lifestyle for many.

A top Ontario player like Greg Balsdon, now curling manager at Glendale, is a good example. Balsdon figures he played close to 180 games last season. Balsdon plays the cashspiel circuit, has qualified for men’s provincials as skip several times and represented Ontario at the national Dominion Club Championship last season. He’s competing as a second with Corey Heggestad team in the national mixed next month.

With Colts restrictions lifted he got a call from a former teammate.

“We’re just debating on going in it for fun, just another competition. Obviously with a provincial banner on the line. But with my busy schedule I just don’t think I have the time.”

Although Balsdon might not be entering, he agrees there could be some regular competitors from the cashspiel circuit and provincial qualifiers who might consider giving it a try, if their schedule allows. Perhaps some will entice other members of the club out with them, similar to the Dominion Club championship. It will still take up precious time.

“That’s just a lot of weekends (added in),” Balsdon said.

If several of Ontario’s upper tier of teams do take a run at a provincial Colts (or portion of a team), the lifting of the restrictions may have the opposite effect of what the association was looking for and fewer teams will enter believing they have no chance of winning. Balsdon doesn’t think his peers will jump onto any Colts bandwagon.

“Even though they have lifted the rules, I think the integrity of that event should stay the same, so personally I don’t think I am going to enter.”

Let’s hope the rest of Ontario’s best share Balsdon’s feelings.

BITERS

 • John Thompson (Westmount), Damien Villard (Galt) and Sheri Smeltzer (Fergus) all qualified for Dominion Club Champions provincial championship set for Oct. 26-28 at St.George’s Golf and Country in Etobicoke. Winning men’s and women’s team will advance to the national championship.

 • London is host to the Ontario junior curlers this weekend. Follow results through OJCT.ca

 • Team Epping, with Waterloo’s David Mathers at lead, lost the quarterfinals to Glenn Howard in the Canad Inns cashspiel in Portage La Praire. Kevin Koe won the event beating Kevin Martin in the final. Ontario’s Rachel Homan was runnerup to Stephanie Lawton in the Manitoba Lotteries cashspiel in Winnipeg. Laurier alumni Laura Crocker, now of Edmonton, lost to Lawton in the quarterfinals.

Follow me on Twitter @belfrycurling

Canada will crown a mixed double champ in 2013

The phrase “mixed fours” strikes me as odd.

Odd, because when used in curling context — where teams consist of four members — it’s redundant.

It’s now needed.

Earlier this month, the Canadian Curling Association announced the creation of the Canadian Mixed Doubles Trials. It’s set for March 14-17 in Leduc, Alta. The winning team will represent Canada at the World Curling Federation’s World Mixed Doubles Championship in Fredericton, N.B., April 13-20. This decision appears last-minute when provincial associations have already set the competitive calendar for 2012-13.

“There was mass agreement that this should be fast-tracked for a number of reasons,” Greg Stremlaw, CEO for the national association, said via email. A weighing factor was Canada hosting the world mixed doubles in April. Not just that, though. “As the largest nation in the curling world having its own national mixed doubles event was seen as critical by many for its influence on mixed doubles being a possible Olympic discipline in 2018.”

Getting another sport (or variation) to be accepted to the Winter Games means government funding for the national association and its curlers.

The International Olympic Programme Commission is doing an analysis of mixed doubles in 2013, said Stremlaw.

Since the first world mixed doubles in 2008, two members from our mixed fours championship have represented Canada.

We haven’t done well.

The Swiss have won four of five titles. Russia won the other. Canada’s highest finish was third in 2009. What about regular mixed? I mean, mixed fours? “We have made no other decisions as to the mixed fours and they will continue as is,” Stremlaw said. “The difference at this stage for the mixed fours is that the winning team will win nationals, but no longer will be automatic as to their representation at the worlds.”

There will be 32 teams at the Canadian mixed doubles (works out to eight more curlers than when we had four-person teams). Each of the 14 provincial/territorial curling associations will select one team. The winning team at the 2013 Canadian mixed fours (Nov. 15-24 in Mont-Royal, Que.) will receive two entries.

The balance (the other 16 teams) will be composed of open invitations. Should more than the required number submit entries, then each team’s participating status will be decided by the Order of Merit as of Dec. 31. S

o the Ontario Curling Association has to come up with criteria to “select” a representative. Although aware that this announcement was coming, executive director Doug Bakes said no plans are set as yet.

“We have a board meeting in early November where we will review and hopefully come up with a reasonable plan moving forward,” Bakes said. “Our biggest challenge might be trying to fit in another event into our already crowded competition calendar.”

Bakes adds that the mixed doubles championship is on a two-year trial. “If the IOC approves mixed doubles as an additional curling event ... then it is likely here to stay.” And if it doesn’t? “I guess the (member associations) take inventory and decide the future of mixed doubles in Canada.”

Curling purists will be critical. Others will jump at the chance to represent Canada at worlds, even in a quirky event. Mixed doubles has been featured in the Continental Cup (North America vs. the World). Tune in over the Jan. 10-13 weekend to the Penticton event to see what could be a new Olympic discipline. 

The 2018 Winter Olympics are Pyeongchang, South Korea.

DOMINION The 2011-12 club champions square off in zone playdowns this weekend.Zone 12 representatives at Glendale in men’s include Scott Lennox (Arthur), Jeff Ontonovich (Ayr), Andrew Fairfull (Guelph) Mark Fisher (K-W), John Thompson (Westmount); Jason Campbell (Galt), Gregg Webb (Guelph Country). In women’s, it’s Sandra McFadden (Arthur), Sheri Smeltzer (Fergus), Lisa McLean (K-W), Sarah King (Westmount) and Suzanne Frick (Guelph).

BITERS

• Westmount’s David Mathers is with Team Epping at the Canad Inns cashspiel in Manitoba. First prize is $18,000.

• Laurier skip Aaron Squires was a winner with his junior squad in Brampton this week. The rink picked up $2,200. K-W Fraser Reid and Galt’s Kieran Scott were also in the playoffs. Guelph’s Tyler Sagan was runnerup as vice with Ben Bevan

• Westmount’s annual Oktoberfest bonspiel saw Bob Stoll (Oakville), Lisa McLean (K-W) and Roy Weigand (Scarborough) top their draws with 3-0 records.

bbelfry@therecord.com,

Twitter: @belfrycurling

this column first appeared at www.therecord.com and was published in the Waterloo Region Record Wednesday, Oct. 17.

Kevin's 'cool' curling app

It was announced Monday that Kevin Martin has released a curling app.

Edmonton Journal's Norm Cowley reports the app will offer information about drills and skills, strategy and equipment, worldwide curling news and links to various curling websites.

The app costs $1.99 (Even for that pittance, we all know the stingyness of curlers. I've had my Android smartphone for more than a year now and haven't paid for an app yet) but there's also a Contact Kevin button which may or may not peak some interest.

For $11.99 a curler can reach Martin to get some advice. Martin likens it to being able to call Fred Couples frm the golf course to ask for advice on how to putt. 

Martin said he will personally respond to every request. Wow.  Martin is banking (pun intended) on answering about 10 to a dozen questions a day.

The example that Martin shows in the accompanying video  is a video question from a curler and Martin actually responds by video. Remembering how well Kevin did during a Q & A with members of the K-W Granite club a few years ago he will have plenty to offer no matter what the question may be about.

 No word how fast Martin will respond. I assume when he's in a three-day bonspiel you won't be hearing from him for a while. 

Martin says the price for advice will go up if its flooded with an unmanageable amount of requests or drop if he's only receiving one or two a week.

It's not going to help your situation when facing a sticky situation in the middle of your curling game at Friday night mixed, but he might be able to help you the next time the problem crops. Shopping for curling equipment, weekly tips (that will be archived) and that sort of thing can all be found within the app.

There are extra costs involved with the various teaching components and the workouts Martin’s longtime personal trainer, Mike Ljevaja, helped develop for the app.

“I don’t want to have one (response) a week because that’s not enough,” he said in the Journal's article. “I’d like to talk to people from all over the world. I think it will be very attractive to people in Brazil and China, Japan, Korea, Europe asking questions about curling because they don’t have many instructors there.”

I have absolutely no idea how well this app will be received. Martin certainly has a following that may see an initial surge of purchases and Contact Kevin requests.

Personally I will be waiting for the price to drop to less than two beers and a bag of chips at the club. 

Follow me on Twitter: @belfrycurling

 

Relegation, Men's Team Canada, Women's Northern Ontario

It's coming.

Everyone remembers the national mixed held in Sudbury November 2011 had 14 teams?

It was a one-time thing. The bottom four teams are relegated into a pre-tournament playoff with the best two rinks getting to play with the other provincial representatives in national mixed next season.

They will not hold the Hearts or Brier with 14 teams So how do we decide who is considered the bottom four?  Hold on, they are probably adding Team Canada to men's and Northern Ontario to women's so that makes it a bottom five teams vying for two spots.

Let's tackle the adding teams first.

I would prefer they took Team Canada away from women's rather then adding it to men's. Yes it gives the organizing committees and CCA a name to market for the next year's event. But do the Hearts and Brier need a name to market the event?

The Brier is THE BRIER! IF you are a curling fan it is the greatest show on earth to watch talent, enjoy provincial camaraderie and just have a good ol' time in the Patch. Even with the number of upsets in 2012 provincial champs, we knew we were going to end up with some top-notch talent. No need to market it more than that.

It would also means Glenn Howard's record of career games could be caught way more easily. A Brier win would automatically means 11 more games plus a huge opportunity to repeat. (Apparently women's Team Canada wins the title 30 per cent of the time). It takes away from the battle to get out of your province. (Which in Alberta and Manitoba is incredibly tough.)

Give the Brier winners the bye back to their provincial (some people dispute even that) but not back to the Brier.

Taking away Northern Ontario from men, giving Northern Ontario for women.

Northern Ontario has been part of the Brier since its inception (1927). It has remained a distinct entry ever since so any decision to remove it would have had to be made 50-60 years ago. With just under one million people in Northern Ontario I never understand when people quibble about our province (12 million in southern Ontario) getting two entries. Prince Edward Island has less population than Greater Sudbury (140,000 compared to 160,000) and the same number of curling clubs (7). So they get one entry and Ontario gets one entry? 

In fact, with the exception of Quebec , Ontario has three, four times the population of any other province. Sounds like Ontario should have been arguing for even more entries!

Plus the travel for provincial championships makes it all prohibitive. The Ontario women all went to Kenora this year. They had to fly to Manitoba to get to the Ontario championship! The Ontario Curling Association does not want to merge with the Northern Ontario Curling Association then have to hold its championship in Northern Ontario every other year. From Sudbury to Kenora was more than 1,400 kilometres. And that is between two Northern Ontario cities! Ottawa to Kenora is almost 2,000 kilometres. You know what? I am betting the southern Ontario association and its female members would love Northern Ontario women to have their own entry!

Now the relegation. I think it's a perfectly fine idea. Just like the world championship can't feature every country that has a curling club association (But watching Brazil's could be interesting) the CCA is deciding it can't show the face of every province and Territory in Canada. (And we don't do that now. Y/NWT is a combined entry and Nunavut is not in. But it CAN give every province and territory the opportunity to appear.

According to reports at the end of the Brier (and there will be more coming out of the Canadian Curling Association general meeting in June) this will be the first of two, possibly three years of keeping track of provinces wins/losses to determine the bottom four using the totals accumulated over that span. Apparently Jamie Murphy was disheartened to hear this fact. Since he obviously got Nova Scotia off to a bad start with just four wins. He probably has little to worry about. Since associations for Yukon. Northwest Terroritories and Nunavut would all be split into a single entries it will most often be at least two of these rinks not making the national champs each year. (or maybe all three if Team Canada gets added to Brier)

So the NWT are off to a great start with 7 wins and let's say at least another eight (over two years) for 15 wins. Yukon zero and Nunavut zero. (Guessing Koe wins the next two championships). This year PEI and Saskatchewan were the bottom two teams at the Brier with 3 wins each. I am thinking PEI isn't going to average much better than that so 10 wins for them and anywhere from 12 to 15 wins for NB, NS.

So it boils down to Yukon, Nunavut, PEI and one other province (NB or NWT?) having to play for the final spot. So in the end. Since PEI and any other province can probably beat Yukon and Nunavut around 90 per cent of the time; the Brier field would be NO DIFFERENT than it is today. So why is anyone arguing against relegation? It just allows our far, far, north countrymen (if you just say north in Toronto they think you mean Parry Sound) to cut down on having to travel thousands of kilometres to play a regional championship. And they are the ones who want their own entry and they are the ones who would most likely not make it.

And should they make it? It would be a great story

OUA curling titles go to Laurier, Waterloo

Wilfrid Laurier’s Laura Crocker continued her string of dominance and Waterloo’s Jake Walker showed how a former Canadian junior champion responds to a challenge as they both advanced their rinks to the Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS) curling championships with wins at the Ontario championships held at Guelph Curling Club Feb. 16-20.

Crocker, with Sarah Wilkes, Jen Gates and Pam Feldkamp, continued to shine, losing just one round-robin game, then edging past Guelph’s previously undefeated Clancy Grandy 4-3 and winning the title 8-4 over Western.

Grandy and her team of Katelyn Wasylkiw, Heather Cridland and Erin Jenkins then won the bronze medal game over Brock.

It’s been a busy few weeks for Crocker and her mates who were in Japan to win the Karuizawa International from Jan. 25 to 29. A short break and it was Ontario university championships. The CIS championship is hosted by Brock University in Welland from March 14 to 18.

“It’s definitely tough to regroup and reset for every event, especially when they’re fairly close together like Japan, OUA and CIS are,” Crocker said. “We’re pretty good at building on what we did well and pushing out of our minds what’s irrelevant for the present, but it can be a challenge for sure.”

Also on the Hawks roster were alternates Cheryl Kreviazuk and Kerilynn Mathers.

For Waterloo’s Walker and his team of Ed Cyr, Geoff Chambers, James Freeman and alternate Nathan Ransom the challenge was coming back from an 0-2 start after being dubbed pre-tournament favourites.

“We started the week pretty bad,” Walker said. “Both games were just poorly executed games, especially on my part.”

Walker said ice conditions were tricky and it took him a while to get a read on it. The Warriors battled back to make tiebreakers for playoffs with a 4-2 record. From there, it was a 3-1 win over Laurentian in the tiebreaker, a 6-5 win over Toronto in the semifinal and a 3-2 squeaker over Carleton in the final.

“The low-scoring games were simply the result of tough ice and not having the ability to throw the shots we know we can play on ice we’re used to,” Walker said.

Should Crocker and Walker go on to win at CIS they will be representing Canada at the World University Winter Games in Maribor, Slovenia, from Jan. 30 to Feb. 9, 2013.

BITERS

Laurier's Jen Gates hopped a plane for Red Deer immediately following OUA's to join Team Ontario at the Hearts. She's the fifth for Tracy Horgan's rink which already has her sister Amanda playing lead.