Morning Star Staff
Serena Gray-Withers came all the way from Manitoba. Evan van Amsterdam showed up from Edmonton.
The air miles were well worth it for both skips as they pocketed first-place money in the $10,300 Rick Cotter Memorial Junior Curling Classic Sunday in Vernon.
There were 12 boys and eight girls rinks in the 17th annual extravaganza, started by Cotter in Kamloops. Rick’s son, Jim, and daughter, Chelan, organized the Vernon event.
Van Amsterdam defeated Matt McCrady of New Westminster in the boys final to collect $1,800. McCrady earned $1,300. Defending Canadian junior champion Tyler Tardi of Langley took home $750 for third place after icing Dawson Ballard of New West.
Jesse Monette’s Vernon-Kelowna foursome went 2-1 in round-robin play, falling 7-3 to van Amsterdam. Connor Applegate of Vernon was 0-3 in preliminary action.
Gray-Withers stopped Taylor Reese-Hansen of Victoria in the girls final, banking $1,500. Reese-Hansen cashed in $1,000.
Megan McGillivray of Vernon was 2-1 in preliminary play and lost to Gray-Withers Everly Royea of Chilliwack in the semifinals to win $550. Reese-Hansen dispatched Everly Royea of Chilliwack in the other semi. McGillivray bowed 7-4 to Royea in the round-robin.
Meanwhile, Kim Slattery of Vernon scooped $1,500 after finishing third in the Kamloops Crown of Curling Classic.
Slattery, with Alyssa Kyllo, Kelsi Jones and Morganye Eby, lost 6-5 to Patti Knezevic of Lake Country in Sunday’s semifinal of the World Curling Tour stop. There was a field of 15.
Dailene Pewarchuk of Victoria brushed back Knezevic 8-5 in the final for $4,500. Knezevic bottled up $2,500. There was a field of 15.