Young and restless

You can’t blame a western-Canadian curling writer for describing a young (average years 18.5) junior curling team as “unheralded”. So what if Ontarians know the names of (left to right in photo) Rachel Homan, Emma Miskew, Alison Kreviazuk and Nikki Johnston... what’s an “outside” beat writer to do?

Indeed, the triumphant junior women’s team that knocked off a pile of big-name teams in London last weekend is only well-known to Ontarians, and that in itself is unusual. But, this is an unusual team.

Briefly:

– they’ve been together for six years
– they terrorized Ont. Bantam curling, winning three straight unprecedented titles from 03-05
– they won back-to-back Ontario Curling Tour championships (adult) in both 05 and 06
– they were Canada Winter Games gold medallists last year
– they regularly beat up on world junior men’s teams, and adult men’s and women’s teams

In London, they were assisted by pinch-hitter Erin Morrissey after Kreviazuk pulled a leg muscle. They beat mighty Jennifer Jones twice, talented Julie Reddick twice, former world women’s champ Deb McCormick of the U.S. 10-1 and they also crushed Quebec’s Eve Bélisle 9-1 in the final.

You can read Jill Officer’s first-hand thoughts on these young guns in the upcoming November issue of The Curling News. Subscribe today.

Ladies, welcome to the club. Even the western guys will know you now.


Elsewhere:

• Remember Kelly Scott’s nomination for the Women’s Sports Foundation’s “Sportswoman of the Year” award? U.S. softball player Monica Abbott claimed the honour in New York this week...

• B.C. curling fans can check out the men’s and women’s finals of the AWCT’s Strauss Crown of Curling this Sunday, at 3:00pm and 7:00pm local time on Shaw Cable ...

• Here’s a trailer for the new Viatravia Swiss Curling Tour, which The Curling News attended in person on Monday. That opening game is now online ...

• Two curlers are part of a £36,000 bronze monument to Scotland’s Badenoch and Strathspey Olympians, unveiled recently by Brit running legend Sebastian Coe in Aviemore ...

• NEAR MISS: the tiny Manitoba town of Cartwright almost lost its curling club, which was damaged in a fire that destroyed the adjacent hockey arena ...

• Meanwhile, the homeless Windsor CC members are itching to rebuild ...

• Another sad closure occurred in Saskatoon at season’s end, but at least there is some good news coming out of the death of the Hub City ...

• Did you know: the Yukon Curling Association will receive a $7,500 grant from the territorial government’s Yukon Sport for Life fund? Eleven other Yukon sport governing bodies will share in the fund pot of $124,000 ...

• Fresh off a huge win at the Don Bartlett Classic, Shawn Adams and company will be in the field for the BDO Classic Canadian Open in Quebec City ...

• Murray McCormick reports on the latest event ticket campaign in Regina (Scotties) and the third men’s Grand Slam of the year, the Masters, will be visiting Saskatoon ...

• Speculation abounds regarding Winnipeg as host site for Canada’s “Pre-Trials Qualifier”, the 16-team tussle in 2009 that will send eight teams to the December 09 Tim Hortons Canadian Curling (Olympic) Trials...

• Attention, world of curling... we’d like you to meet James. He is a novice curler in Houston, Texas, and he’s bravely airing his thoughts – and newbie advice – on the blogosphere. Kudos and welcome... and good luck on the ice, of course!

• Finally: got a Palm? Then go get this curling game ...