Manitoban rinks dominate 2016 Canada Cup
Manitoban rinks dominate 2016 Canada CupTwo Manitoban teams were victorious at this weekend’s Home Hardware Canada Cup. Defending Olympic champions Team Jennifer Jones and Winnipeg-skipped rink Reid Carruthers won the women’s and men’s titles respectively on Sunday, December 4.
Jennifer Jones tops Homan Team Jennifer Jones (above) came out on top as they challenged defending Canada Cup champions Team Rachel Homan in Sunday’s final. Team Jones got out to an early lead, holding off Homan for a 9-5 win. Both Team Jones and Team Homan had already secured their spots for the 2017 Olympic Trials prior to the 2016 Canada Cup. Skip Jennifer Jones, second Jill Officer, third Kaitlyn Lawes and lead Dawn McEwen have made it clear they’re back for business, and with their win have qualified to compete at the 2017 Continental Cup in Las Vegas in January. This is Team Jones’ first major tournament win since Jennifer Jones returned from giving birth to her second daughter in mid-August.
Reid Carruthers secures Olympic trials berth Team Carruthers’ victory at the 2016 Canada Cup has made them the second men’s team to secure a berth at the 2017 Olympic Trials. “I’m ecstatic. I’m almost speechless, to be honest. Playing a team like [Gushue] that’s ranked first on CTRS (the Canadian Team Ranking System) for a reason. They’ve been very, very consistent, the mostconsistent team all season long.” said Carruthers in an interview. With their Canada Cup win, Team Carruthers will also travel to Las Vegas to compete in the 2017 Continental Cup in January. Despite their success in the tournament, Carruthers feels their work is cut out for them looking on to the remainder of the season. “We didn’t run through this field undefeated. There’s always ways to improve.”
Curling excellence lives in Manitoba Canada Cup Champions Reid Carruthers and Jennifer Jones weren’t the only Manitoban rinks to compete at the 2016 Home Hardware Canada Cup. Team Kerri Einarson from East St. Paul, competing in their first elite season, played a strong round-robin and won a tie-breaker game against Edmonton’s Val Sweeting to secure a spot in the semifinal. Their first playoff run of the season ended on Saturday as Einarson ultimately suffered a semifinal loss to Ottawa’s Rachel Homan. 2016 Provincial Champions Team Mike McEwen had moments of brilliance in their round-robin play on the men’s side, but failed to move on to the playoff stage. McEwen was a dominant team in the 2014-2015 season, and is looking forward to their next Grand Slam event, The National, beginning today in Sault Ste. Marie. CSCM’s Director of Sport Dietetics Jorie Janzen and Strength & Conditioning Lead Kyle Turcotte service Manitoba’s elite curling teams.
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