SHS curlers play to win at provincials
By Adelle Ellis, Times Reporter
Photo Courtesy of Michelle Ledene
Neither the SHS girls and mixed teams came away with the gold at provincials, but they curled their best, fought until the end and slid off the ice as some of the best young curlers in the province.
The girls’ team claimed a silver medal, while the mixed team finished in fourth place in the province.
The SHS girls team, made up of skip Cheldynn Molnar, third Sydnie Molnar, second Jayla Robertson and lead Zoe Bertherlot, won their first three round robin games before losing their last game. However, the girls still qualified for first place in their pool due to having the lowest cumulative score in the last stone draw to the button.
“They went on to win their first playoff game in dramatic form,” said SHS curling program coach and teacher Brad Steele. “The team started slowly and by the fourth end break, they were down 8-0. The girls clawed back and went on to score in five consecutive ends, including stealing the winning points in an extra end to win 9-8.”
In the gold medal game against Cochrane – who defeated Strathmore at zones this year – also won by one point at provincials. Strathmore’s resiliency in not giving up earned them the silver medal.
The SHS mixed team, made up of skip Jonathon Damen, third Micayla Kooistra, second Coby Thiessen, co-lead Jaden Klem and co-lead Kennedy Hampson, had a tougher road ahead of them after losing their first two games, followed by two wins to create a five-way tie for first as all five teams in the competition had two wins and two losses.
The mixed team fought hard to place themselves near the front of the pack by winning two back-to-back four-end tie-breaker games to earn their spot in the playoffs. Unfortunately, they lost the semifinal match and were given the opportunity to compete for bronze, but came up just short of the win. The team showed their heart and drive, and managed to play 39 ends while still coming out as the fourth best team in the province.
“After a slow start, we are so proud of how the mixed team managed to win their way back into the playoffs,” said Steele. “It did mean that the mixed team had to play nearly four full games back-to-back on Saturday, which is extremely difficult for any curler to manage.”
Coaches Steele and Michelle Ledene said they were extremely proud of how the teams played and how they never gave up. They owe the talent of the young curlers not only to the instruction of SHS coaches, but more so to the strong juniors’ program at the Strathmore and District Curling Club, that most of the curlers on the teams have learned the sport of curling through growing up in the program.
“Along the way, they have received coaching from parents, grandparents and community coaches, and we feel that their success at provincials is a win for SHS and our community,” said Ledene.