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B.C. rinks taste defeat at Canadian senior curling finals in Vernon

Diane Gushulak of New Westminster, Wes Craig of Duncan, still in hunt for final four spots
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Ontario skip Susan Froud scored a 5-4 win over B.C.’s Diane Gushulak Thursday afternoon, Dec. 7, at the Everest Canadian Senior Women’s and Men’s Curling Championships at the Vernon Curling Club. The win moved the Ontario champs into a tie for first place. (Facebook photo)

B.C. had its five-game winning streak snapped in the women’s draw Thursday, Dec. 7, at the 2023 Everest Canadian Senior Women’s and Men’s Curling Championships at the Vernon Curling Club.

Ontario’s Susan Froud scored once in the eighth and final end, with the hammer, to post a 5-4 win over New Westminster’s Diane Gushulak in the 12:30 p.m. draw. It was the Ontario rink’s sixth consecutive victory.

Saskatchewan’s Nancy Martin suffered her first loss of the event Thursday, shaking hands after six ends in an 11-2 defeat at the hands of Joelle Brown of Manitoba, who improved to 4-3. Martin dropped to 6-1.

The top four teams from the two round robin pools carried their records into the championship round play Thursday. The top four teams after play Friday qualify for the semifinals.

Heading into the 8:30 p.m. draw Thursday night, Ontario and Saskatchewan were tied for top spot at 6-1. B.C., Alberta, and Quebec were 5-2, and the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia and Manitoba were all 4-3.

Gushulak plays Manitoba Thursday night, and faces Nova Scotia (10 a.m.) and Quebec (6 p.m.) Friday.

Saskatchewan’s Bruce Korte rink from Saskatoon is the only team not to have tasted defeat yet in Vernon.

Korte improved to 7-0 in the men’s draw with an 8-1 romp over New Brunswick’s Mike Kennedy.

B.C.’s Wes Craig of Duncan fell to 5-2 after dropping an 8-2 decision to Manitoba’s Dave Boehmer.

Heading into the 8:30 p.m. draw Thursday, Korte was alone atop the men’s standings. Nova Scotia’s Paul Flemming was 6-1. Flemming and Korte don’t meet until the final draw Friday at 6 p.m.

Craig was in a three-way tie for third with Quebec and Manitoba at 5-2. PEI and New Brunswick were next at 4-3, followed by Newfoundland and Labrador at 3-4.

The B.C. champs take on Quebec at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, and finish off Friday against Nova Scotia at 10 a.m., and New Brunswick at 6 p.m.

The semifinals in both events go Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m.

The men’s gold- and bronze-medal games go at 12:30 p.m., followed by the women’s medal games at 3:30 p.m.

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Roger Knox

About the Author: Roger Knox

I am a journalist with more than 30 years of experience in the industry. I started my career in radio and have spent the last 21 years working with Black Press Media.
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