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Vernon rink into win column at BC Senior Curling finals

Vernon Curling Club hosting the province’s top senior curlers; finals set for Sunday at 10 a.m.
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Lake Country third Dean Mackney (from left) helps out sweepers Ron McDougall (centre) and Greg Hamilton on Vernon skip Mark Longworth’s draw to the button during Day 2 action at the B.C. Men’s and Women’s Curling Championships Wednesday, Feb. 19, at the Vernon Curling Club. (Roger Knox - Morning Star)

Two rinks - one on each side - are undefeated after four draws at the B.C. Senior Men’s and Women’s Curling Championships at the Vernon Curling Club.

Defending B.C. men’s champ Wes Craig’s Duncan/Nanaimo quartet is alone atop the standings at 4-0. Craig defeated Brent Pierce (2-2) of Royal City in New Westminster 7-0 in the morning draw in four ends, then handed Larry Macdonald’s Kelowna/Vancouver foursome (3-1) its first loss with a 6-3, seven-end decision.

Macdonald and Kelowna’s Steve Wright are tied at 3-1 while 2000 men’s Brier and World Champion Pierce is alone in fourth at 2-2.

The remaining rinks in the eight-team field are 1-3, including Vernon’s Mark Longworth, who got into the win column in the morning draw Wednesday with a 5-1 win over Craig Lepine of Langley. Longworth then fell 6-5 to former Vernon junior curler Tom Buchy of Kimberley, who scored a deuce in the final end to pick up the victory.

READ MORE: Okanagan rinks have mixed results as BC Seniors Curling finals begin

On the women’s side, Donna Mychaluk’s Royal City/Parksville team is alone at 3-0 in the seven-team field. Mychaluk won her only game of the day in the morning draw, downing four-time champion Penny Shantz of Parksville Defending champion Marilou Richter’s Penticton/Kelowna squad got into the win column Wednesday with a pair of victories, 7-6 over Lisa Deputan of Chilliwack and 6-5 over Leanne Andrews of Maple Ridge.

Richter and Shantz are tied for second at 2-1, Deputan and Marnie Jepsen of Royal City are 2-2. Andrews is 1-3 and Heather Nichol of Castlegar is 0-3.

There are two draws Thursday at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., and the final draw for both fields is Friday at 9:30 a.m. Top three teams in each division make playoffs though tiebreakers, if needed are scheduled for Friday.

The top team in each draw gets a bye to Sunday’s 10 a.m. finals, and the second- and third-place teams play Saturday at 2 p.m.

The B.C. champs will advance to the Everest Canadian Senior Curling Championships next month in Portage la Prairie, Man.



roger@vernonmorningstar.com

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