Regional curling playdowns help set up provincial championships

WINNIPEG — The field of sixteen skips is now set for next month’s Scotties Tournament of Hearts Provincial Championship in Beausejour.

The final berths were handed out this past weekend at six different regional qualifiers. Six-time national Scotties champion and 2008 world championship gold medalist Cathy Overton-Clapham returns to the Manitoba women’s curling championship following a two-year hiatus. Overton-Clapham advanced via the Winnipeg playdown along with Fort Rouge’s Christine Mackay and Granite’s Janet Harvey.

Also advancing are Altona’s Mackenzie Zacharias, East St. Paul’s Kim Link, Dauphin’s Lisa Menard, Neepawa’s Terry Ursel, Brandon’s Cheryl Reed and Thompson’s Jen Rolles. Joining them at the Scotties are seven teams who have already qualified: East St. Paul’s Kerri Einarson, Rossmere’s Darcy Robertson, Assiniboine Memorial skips Joelle Brown, Michelle Montford and Barb Spencer along with St. Vital’s Shannon Birchard and the Granite’s Kristy McDonald.

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A new Manitoba champion will be crowned as last year’s winner, Jennifer Jones, has already qualified for the national Scotties as Team Canada. The 2016 Scotties Tournament of Hearts Provincial Championship runs from January 20-24.

RELATED: Jennifer Jones beats Val Sweeting 6-5 in Scotties curling final

Meanwhile a few more tickets to the 2016 Viterra Championship were also handed out over the weekend. The Granite’s Doug Harrison and Trevor Loreth, Fort Rouge’s Hayden Forrester and Tyler Drews, Brandon’s Steve Irwin and Terry McNamee, Carberry’s Kelly Marnoch, Dauphin’s Greg Todoruk and Ray Baker, the Burntwood’s Shaun Parsons, Winnipeg Beach’s Justin Reynolds, Arborg’s Kyle Foster, Springfield’s Rylan Young, St. Adolphe’s Murray Woodward, Clearwater’s Steve Pauls, Morris’ Lorne Hamblin along with La Salle’s Randy Neufeld all advance via regional qualifiers.

Those that have already booked their spot are defending champion Reid Carruthers, Fort Rouge’s Mike McEwen, East St. Paul’s Daley Peters and Alex Forrest, Assiniboine Memorial’s Dennis Bohn, the Thistle’s Scott Ramsay, Stonewall’s Jared Kolomaya along with Taylor McIntyre, William Lyburn and David Bohn from the Granite Curling Club.

Four more berths are up for grabs next month. One team will qualify for the provincial men’s curling championship at the Brandon Men’s Bonspiel and four others at the Manitoba Open. The 2016 Viterra Championship takes place February 10-14 at the Selkirk Recreation Complex.