At 22, Edmonton’s Kelsey Rocque is juggling university studies, a World Curling Tour schedule and family and friends.
The two-time world junior champion skip is doing a wonderful job maintaining elite curling status while pursuing a degree in recreation and sports therapy at the University of Alberta.
Rocque, who struck silver for the U of A Pandas at the 2013 CIS Curling Championships in Kamloops, was among the early leaders in the $42,000 Vernon Presitige Hotels & Resorts Curling Classic.
Supported by third Laura Crocker and a front end of Taylor MacDonald and Jen Gates, Rocque made semifinal cash at the HDF Shootout in Edmonton after sputtering in the Saskatoon Colonial Square Classic to open the season.
Rocque brushed back former Olympian and three-time Vernon Classic champion Cheryl Bernard of Calgary 11-3 in six ends in Draw 1 Thursday night, counting five in the sixth.
Rocque followed with a 4-3 win over Min Ji Kim of Korea Friday morning before stopping Japan’s Satsuki Fujisawa 7-3 in Draw 5 of the 24-team field Friday afternoon.
“We’re playing well,” said Rocque, moments before her third game. “We will be going in some Grand Slam events and the Canada Cup and we’ll try to keep getting better and go as far as we can.”
Marla Mallett of Langley has been playing in the Vernon cashspiel since her 20s, and at press time Saturday, was in the chase for a qualifying berth, at 2-1. The 46-year-old federal government employee is supported by third Shannon Aleksic, second Brette Richards and lead Blaine de Jager.
“I think I was in Vernon as far back as ‘85,” smiled Mallett. “I remember coming with Julie Skinner-Sutton, Kerry-Lynn Richards and probably Kelley Law.
“I’ve been second a couple of times and there’s always lots of good teams and the ice is always excellent. I’ve been off the ice for two years, rejuicing the batteries so I’m really excited about the weekend.”
Mallett and her husband, Mike, have a 13-year-old daughter, Ashley. Mallett has cashspiels in Kamloops, Red Deer and Abbotsford on her winter schedule.
The Langley foursome opened with a extra-end 5-4 loss to Kerri Einarson of Winnipeg Thursday night and then rebounded by stopping Kim Slattery/Alyssa Kyllo of Vernon 5-4 in an extra end Friday morning and clipping Un-Chi Gim of Korea 5-3 in a Friday matinee.
Val Sweeting of Vegreville, Alta. was atop the table at 4-0 going into Saturday afteroon draws.
Sweeting, 29, pocketed silver medals at the 2014 and 2015 Alberta Scotties Tournament of Hearts. The former Saskatchewan product gets help from third Lori Olson-Johns and a front end of Dana Ferguson and Rachelle Brown.
Slattery/Kyllo were 1-2 going into a Saturday afternoon tilt against Einarson. The Vernon rink, which also includes Kelsi Jones and Sydney Hofer, grounded Kayte Gyles of Surrey 8-3 in their Thursday night opener. They lost 6-5 to Shannon Kleibrink of Okotoks, Alta. Friday night. The women’s final goes today at 4 p.m. with the winner collecting $8,500 and the loser receiving $6,500. The winning semifinalists bank $4,250 apiece.
On the 12-team men’s side, Vernon’s Jim Cotter dispatched Darryl Horsman of Arizona 5-0 in five ends and toppled TylerTardi of Langley 7-3 in Friday night draws.
Cotter, who has former third Ryan Kuhn subbing for Johnny Morris this weekend, also gets backing from Ty Griffith and Rick Sawatsky.
The men’s final goes today at 12:30 p.m. with the champion earning $5,000, the loser $3,000.