B.C. is rolling on the women’s side of the 28-team Everest 2023 Canadian Senior Women’s and Men’s Curling Championships at the Vernon Curling Club.
The provincial champs from New Westminster, skipped by Diane Gushulak, won their third in a row in the 2 p.m. draw Tuesday, Dec. 5, defeating Sharon Cormier of the Northwest Territories 6-3. Cormier drops to 2-2 in Pool A.
Gushulak, backed by third Grace MacInnes, second Danielle Shaughnessy and lead Cory Atchison began the championships Monday morning with a 9-3 loss to Saskatchewan’s Nancy Martin of Martensville. The B.C. reps rebounded Monday afternoon to defeat Stacey Szajewski of Northern Ontario 8-6, and handed Alberta’s Atina Ford Johnston her first loss Tuesday morning with a 12-3 romp.
Going into the 6 p.m. draw Tuesday night, Ford Johnston led Pool A at 4-1 followed by Martin at 3-0. Martin is trying to win the province’s sixth consecutive women’s national title. Gushulak was alone in third place 3-1 while Cormier was fourth at 2-2.
In Pool B, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia shared the lead going into the 6 p.m.draw Tuesday at 3-1. PEI was 2-2.
Gushulak plays Shelley Graham of New Brunswick Wednesday at 2 p.m.
MEN
The B.C. reps suffered their first loss in the 14-team men’s draw Tuesday, as Wes Craig’s Duncan rink fell 6-5 to Saskatchewan’s Bruce Korte. Craig is now 2-1.
Craig, backed by third Normand Cote, second Keith Clarke and lead Ron Schmidt, opened the nationals Monday with a 9-3 romp over Alberta’s James Pahl, then improved to 2-0 by outlasting Newfoundland and Labrador’s Alex Smith 10-8.
The B.C. champs were back on the ice Tuesday at 6 p.m to take on Philip Gorveatt of Prince Edward Island in a clash of 2-1 squads.
Heading into that draw, Craig was tied for second place at 2-1 with Gorveatt while Northern Ontario’s Ron Rosengren was fourth at 2-2. Korte led Pool B at 5-0.
Nova Scotia led Pool A at 3-0, followed by Quebec and Manitoba at 3-1, and defending champions Ontario at 2-2.
Draws Wednesday go at 10 a.m., 2 p.m., and 6 p.m. to wrap up the preliminary round.
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