WINNIPEG – It was a double win for the Ryan family on Friday.
J.T. Ryan’s club from the Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club pulled off a major upset in the championship game as they defeated two-time Canadian junior champion and top seed Braden Calvert in the final of the Junior Men’s Provincial Championships.
Ryan, with third Jacques Gauthier, second Graham McFarlane, and lead Brendan Bilawka scored a three-ender in the tenth end to secure a 7-3 victory.
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Ryan didn’t even have last rock until the seventh end as they stole single points in the third, fifth and sixth ends en route to the title.
“All those guys have been to nationals a few times.” said Ryan. “I think Braden is a world champ. You can’t really expect to keep them off the scoreboard the whole game. They had the hammer for the first seven ends. I just think it was all going in our favour today.”
The win for Ryan avenged their loss to Calvert in the 1-vs-1 Page Playoff game on Thursday. It was Ryan’s only loss all week as they went through the round robin with a perfect 7-0 record.
WATCH: Highlights of the Junior Men’s Provincial Championship
Another member of the Ryan family won the Junior Women’s Provincial Championships. JT’s sister Hailey played third on Laura Burtnyk’s championship team. Burtnyk, who is the daughter of two-time Brier champ Kerry Burtnyk, knocked off Kristy Watling in the women’s final. The game featured five different lead changes as Burtnyk scored a deuce in the tenth end to win the title with an 8-7 triumph.
“Feels amazing.” Burtnyk said. “It’s my last year in junior so what better way to cap it off with my last game at provincials and a big win so it feels great.”
Burtnyk, with Third Hailey Ryan, Second Sara Oliver and Lead Rebecca Cormier had a 5-2 record in the round robin but won three straight playoff games to bring home the championship. They were the runners-up just a year ago in losing to Abby Ackland in the 2016 provincial junior final.
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JT and Hailey are the children of former provincial champion Jeff Ryan who won as a third with Kerry Burtnyk.
Both championship teams will represent Manitoba at the upcoming Canadian Junior Curling Championships later this month in Victoria, BC.
WATCH: Highlights of the Junior Women’s Provincial Championship
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