Week Two: 2018 Women’s MCT

MORRIS SUNSPIEL WITH A BERTH

There will be a number of stops at the Morris Curling Club this season, the September Sunspiel with a provincial berth is the first.

The womens event ran with 10 teams, 2 pools of 5. After a hard fought round robin 4 teams eventualy made the playoff bracket. Kristy Watling eliminated Terry Ursel and kerri Einarson defeated Jennifer Clark-Rourie in the semi finals. Kerri Einarson would take the Morris Sunspiel title along with provincial berth and a bit of cash ($1,800) Kristy Watling takes home $1,200 for her efforts as well as a top ten spot on the MCT point standings. Ursel and Team JCR each earn $660 and MCT Points.

Week Two: 2018 Men’s MCT

A disapointing outcome for the men’s event at the morris Sunspiel, with a provincial berth on the only 4 teams entered. The spiel was forced to cancel and the berth will go to the second highest point earner on the tour this season.

Week One: 2018 Women’s MCT

ROBERTSON WINS GOLDLINE ICEBREAKER

The 2018 Manitoba Curling Tour opened at the Granite Curling Club August 24th this year. 10 womens teams faced off in two groups of 5, resulting in a 5 way playoff bracket. Cory Christensen from Blaine U.S eliminated Tracy Fleury from Winnipeg, Mb in the quarter finals. Anna Sidorova from Moscow, Russia elimintaed Allison Flaxey from Winnipeg, Mb in semi final # 1 while Darcy Robertson from Winnipg, Mb eliminated Cory Chritensen in semi final #2. Darcy Robertson later went on to beat Anna Sidorova in a tight championship match (9-8).
Darcy Robertson with Karen Klein at third Vanessa Foster at second and Theresa cannon at lead take home the 2018 Goldline Icebreaker title along with $2,060 in prize money and 36 tour points.

Week one : 2018 Men’s MCT

CALVERT WINS GOLDLINE ICEBREAKER

The Granite Curling Club was also host to a men’s bonspiel late August. 8 men’s teams faced off in a two pool round robin, which produced 4 qualifiers. John Shuster Olympic Gold Medalist from Duluth U.S defeated Winnipeg, MB Sean Grassie in semi final #1 as Braden Calvert from Winnipeg,Mb defeated past champion Jason Gunnlaugson from Winnipeg, MB in semi final #2. Braden went on to defend his championship title, eliminating the Olympic Gold Medalist John Shuster 4-3.
Braden along with third Kyle Kurz, second Ian McMillan and lead Robbie Gordon take home $1,720 in prize money along with 35 tour points and Champions title two years in a row.

MARNOCH WINS KING SPUD

Dec.18, 2017

Kelly Marnoch and his Carberry team consisting of Bart Witherspoon, Branden Jorgensen and Chris Cameron made the home town fans happy when they won the King Spud Classic this past weekend.  The final game was a back and forth battle with Sean Grassie.  After giving up a steal of 1 in the opening end Marnoch would take 3.  After forcing Grassie to a single in the 3rd they would take 2 more in the 4th to lead 5-2.  Grassie would respond with 2 in the 5th to narrow the gap but Marnoch would restore the 3 point lead the next end.  With last rock in the 7th end Grassie would make a double to score 3 and tie the game.  In the final end Marnochs team had shot stone behind a center guard.  Grassie would attempt to run his stone in but just missed leaving Marnochs team sitting 1 and not having to throw the last rock.  Team Marnoch picks up $2500 for the win.  Grassie and his team won $1750 and also earn a spot in the Viterra Championship as Marnoch has their spot already.

The semi finalist each won $1000 this weekend.  They were the Braden Calvert and Jordan Smith teams.  Trevor Loreth, Steve Irwin, Richard Muntain and Jerry Chudley were the quarter finalists.  Each team pockets $600 and gets a jump on the 2018 points race.

 

TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP WON BY BIRCHARD

Dec.12,2017

The MCT Tour Championship took place this past weekend at East St Paul Curling Club.  Kerri Einarson and Shannon Birchard would find themselves in the final Sunday night.  Birchard along with Nicole Sigvaldason, Sheyna Andries and Mariah Mondor would score a single in the 1^st end.  Einarson would score 1 in the 2^nd end and steal 1 more in the 3^rd end.  Birchard would tie it in the 4^th.  The lead continues to trade hands as Einarson scores another single in the 5^th end to go up 3-2.  Birchard would score the only 2 of the game in the 6^th end to re gain the lead.  After forcing Einarson to 1 in the 7^th the game was tied 4-4 going to the last end.  With Einarson sitting 1 behind a guard Birchard would draw to the 4 foot with her last stone to win the Tour Championship.  The win gets them $2000 and they finish the year 2^nd on Kristi Greens MCT Rankings.  Einarson and her team won $1500 and move into 3^rd.

Darcy Robertson and Rhonda Varnes each made a semi final this weekend.  Each team earns $1000 for their strong play.  Robertson remains on top of the rankings to close the season out while Varnes moves into 4^th.  The quarter finalists were Barb Spence (6^th) and Beth Peterson (8^th).  They each take home $500 for qualifying.

Shannon Birchard and Darcy Robertson each earn Berths into the 2018 Manitoba Scotties.

 

GUNNLAUGSON WINS TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Dec.12, 2017

On the mens side the final came down to Jason Gunnlaugson and Team Pat Simmons.  Team Simmons opened the scoring with a single point.  Gunnlaugson and his team of Alex Forrest, Ian McMillan and Connor Njegovan would blank the 2^nd end and tie the game in the 3^rd.  They would take a 2-1 lead after stealing in the 4^th end.  Team Simmons would score the first deuce of the game in the 5^th and re take the lead.  They would stretch the lead to 2 with a steal in the 6^th end.  Gunnlaugson would score 2 in the 7^th to tie it up.  In the 8^th with his last rock Gunnlaugson would draw back 8 behind center guards leaving Team Simmons a draw for the win.  It would slide an inch too far and Gunnlaugson would steal the win and   the $2000 first prize.  They finish the season 5^th on Gord Greens MCT Rankings.  Team Simmons takes home $1500 and ends the season ranked 11^th.

Semi finalist William Lyburn and Dennis Bohn each pick up $1000 and finish the year ranked 1st and 2nd respectively.  The quarter finalists this weekend pocket $500 each.  They were David Bohn (3rd), Braden Calvert (4th), JT Ryan (6th) and Jordan Smith (10th).

Jason Gunnlaugson, William Lyburn and Dennis Bohn each earn a berth into the 2018 Viterra Championship.

 

HUNT TAKES INTEGRITY

Dec.5, 2017

The Integrity Stakes wrapped up last night at the Thistle Curling Club.  Andrew Hunt along with Dillon Bednarek, Mitch Einarson, and Bryan Galbraith filling in for Jeff MacMillan would meet William Lyburns team in the final.  Both teams came through the C side to qualify for the playoffs.  Starting the final with hammer Hunt was forced to take a single.  Lyburn would blank the 2nd and 3rd ends before scoring 2 in the 4th to take the lead.  Hunt and company wouldnt be behind for long as they scored 2 the following end to reclaim the lead.  They would steal 1 in the 6th to go up 4-2.  Team Lyburn would score 2 in the 7th end to tie the match again.  With hammer coming home and the score tied Hunts team would score a single and claim their first win.  Hunt takes home $1300 for the win and makes a huge jump from 30th to 15th on Gord Greens MCT Rankings.  Lyburns team pockets $900 and also climbs the rankings into 5th overall.

The semi finalist each won $750 and were both teams that qualified through the A side.  JT Ryan, who has now moved into 3rd place, and Tanner Lott, who remains in the 6th spot heading into the Tour Championship.  Hayden Forrester (12) and Tyler Drews (20) were the quarter finalists this weekend and both teams earned $550 for qualifying.

Next up is the Tour Championship at East St Paul.  16 mens teams and 12 womens teams will be competing for provincial berths and the title of MCT Tour Champ.  The action gets underway this Friday at 9am.

 

SPENCER WINS SUNOVA

Nov.29, 2017

Barb Spencer and her team of Katie Spencer, Holly Spencer and Allyson Spencer made the Sunova Spiel their first event win of the season.  In the final game team Spencer would play Rhonda Varnes.  Spencer starting with hammer would score 2 in the 1st end and would have the lead the entire game.  After Varnes was forced to a single in the 2nd end Spencer would put 3 on the board to take a 5-1 lead.  Varnes would narrow the gap by scoring a single in the 4th end.  With the hammer again Spencer would deliver the final blow scoring 3 more to make it 8-2.  With the win team Spencer vaults into 7th on Kristi Greens MCT Rankings and picks up $2600.  Varnes and her team have moved into 6th and earns $1800.

Shannon Birchard now sits in 5th place while Tiffany McLean moves into 8th after their teams semi final showings.  Each team gets $1200.  Quarter finalists were Darcy Robertson, who remains on top of the rankings, Briane Meilleur (2), Jennifer Clark-Rouire (3), and Terry Ursel (16).  For qualifying these teams pocket $800.

The next event for the women will be the tour championship held at East St Paul Dec.8-10.  Invitations have been sent out and the draw will be out shortly.

 

3RD WIN FOR DAVID BOHN

Nov.29, 2017

The Sunova Spiel at East St Paul welcomed 16 mens teams from Manitoba, USA, and Scotland this past weekend.  The result was one we have got used to seeing.  David Bohn and his team of Justin Richter, Tyler Forrest and Bryce McEwen going 6-0 to claim their 3rd title of the season.  In the final Bohn would come up against Travis Bale, another undefeated rink.  After a blank in the 1st end Bale would steal singles in 2 and 3 to go up 2-0.  Bohns team would take 3 and the lead in the 4th end.  The back and forth battle continued as Bale would take the lead back again, scoring 2 in the 5th to go up 4-3.  Bohn would then blank both the 6th and 7th ends and remain 1 down coming home with hammer.  They would score 3 points for the 6-4 victory.  With the win Bohn moves into 3rd on Gord Greens MCT Rankings and wins $2600.  Bale is now in 5th and takes home $1800.

Semi finalist were Braden Calvert and Joey Witherspoon.  Calvert has now taken top spot alone in the rankings while Witherspoon moves into 12th.  Each team picks up $1200.  Pete Fenson, Cameron Bryce, JT Ryan and Riley Smith were the quarter finalist teams this weekend.  JT remains in 4th place overall while Smith climbs into the 11th spot.  For qualifying each team takes home $800.

Up this weekend for the men is the Thistle Integrity Stakes.  Its the last event teams can earn points at to qualify for the tour championship.

 

PENNY CASHES IN

Nov.21, 2017

The Dekalb Superspiel had 16 womens teams compete this weekend.  After the final match Penny Barker and her team from Moose Jaw remained unbeaten.  Barker along with Deanna Doig, Lorraine Schneider and Danielle Sicinski went a perfect 6-0 on their way to the championship.  The final saw them get off to a fast start as they scored 2 in the opening end on Briane Meilleur.  Meilleur would answer back with a 2 in the 3rd to tie the game.  The 4th end was a huge turning point as team Barker scored 4 to take a commanding lead with 4 ends to play.  Meilleur and her team refused to quit and would score 1 in the 5th followed up by a steal of 2 in the 7th and another steal in the 8th to force an extra end.  Both teams played extra ends in the semi final matches so it was only fitting this one would take extras as well.  Pennys team would score the single for the 7-6 win.  Barkers team won $7000 and Meilleurs team won $3600 and moves to 3rd on Kristi Greens season long MCT points list.

The semi finalists this weekend each got $2150 and they were Ashley Howard and Darcy Robertson.  Robertson continues to stretch her lead on the points list.

The quarter finalist this weekend were Rhonda Varnes (8), Tiffany McLean (9), Alyssa Calvert (14), and Hayley Bergman (16).  Each team pockets $1400 for their efforts this weekend.

The Sunova Spiel is next up for the ladies at East St.Paul curling club this weekend.  Its the last event to earn points before the tour championship.

 

JOHNSTON SWEEPS SUPERSPIEL

Nov.21, 2017

The 10th annual Dekalb Superspiel was held this past weekend.  The mens field had 24 teams in it and after the final Monday evening Dylan Johnston and his northern Ontario rink, Mike Badiuk, Cody Johnston, Travis Showalter, would complete the perfect weekend going 6-0 to win $10,000.  The would meet Yannick Schwaller in the final.  After blanks in the 1st and 2nd ends Johnston was forced to a single in the 3rd.  Schwaller would score 2 in the 4th to take his only lead of the final.  After taking 2 in the 5th end Johnstons team would steal 1 in the 7th to go up 4-2.  They would run the Schwaller rink out of stones for the title.  Schwaller and his team earned $5500 for making the final.

Semi Finalists were the Sean Grassie and Hayden Forrester teams.  They each pick up $3000.  Grassie now moves into 5th on Gord Greens season long MCT points list while Forrester makes a big jump into 11th.

Teams making the quarter finals each won $2000.  They were Cameron Bryce from Scotland, Braden Calvert, Daley Peters and Kyle Foster.  Calvert is now tied on top of the points list with Dennis Bohn while Peters sits in 17th and Foster is 22nd.

Only 2 events remain before the top 16 teams play the tour championships so the points are valuable.  This weekend is the Sunova Spiel held at East St.Paul curling club.

2nd WIN FOR DENNIS BOHN

Nov.14, 2017

Rossmere Curling Club was hosting the FGI Mens Bonspiel and had 22 teams come out.  Pete Fenson and Todd Birr would bring up their teams from the states and Dean Dunstone had his national mixed team entered as well.  Those rinks all would make the playoffs but in the end it was Dennis Bohn and his team of Niel Kitching, Kennedy Bird, Daniel Hunt that would come out on top.  They would grind through the C side on Sunday and win their 2nd event of the year over Tanner Lott in the final.  With the win they pick up $2700 and take over top spot on Gord Greens MCT Rankings.  Lotts team continues their solid play and takes home $1700 for making the final.  They move into 4th spot in the rankings.

The semi finalists each earn $1100 and they were Sean Grassie and Riley Smith.  They now find themselves in 9th and 11th overall. Fenson, Birr and Dunstone were joined by Travis Bale in the quarter finals this weekend.  Each team pocketed $600 for making the playoffs.  Bale and his team find themselves in 8th spot in the rankings.

Next up for the teams is the Dekalb Superspiel in Morris.  It takes place Nov.17-20.

  TOUR UPDATE

Nov.6, 2017

This years MCT Tour Championship will be held at East St.Paul curling club Dec.8-10.  Draws will run from 9am Friday morning to the final played Sunday evening.  The top 12 womens teams and 16 mens teams will be invited.  If invites are turned down we will invite the next team until the draw is filled.  There will be a $400 entry fee for this event.  If your team knows for sure if they want to play or dont want to play please send an email to [email protected].

For teams that miss out on the Tour Championship but still want to play that weekend the Sask Curl Tour has said they have an event that is looking for entries.  The Farmers Edge SCT Superspiel will run as a 16 team event with a purse of over $12,000.  Entry fee is $600 but junior teams will have a $300 entry.  This event is played at the Wadena Curling Club.  To enter or for more information please contact [email protected] or 306-338-9632.

  FGI TAKEN BY PETERSON

Oct.30,2017

Rossmere curling club was hosting 12 womens teams this weekend in the 1st running of the FGI womens bonspiel.  The teams were split into 2 pools of 6 and after round robin play Beth Peterson (4-1) and Jennifer Clark-Rouire (5-0) had earned byes into the semi final matches.  Katie Chappellaz and her team from Brandon finished round robin play at 3-2 and would defeat Cheryl Reed in the QF before taking down team JCR in the semis.  Peterson, on the other side of the bracket, would beat Maureen Bonar in the semis to earn a spot in the final. At the mid way point of the final Chappellaz would lead 2-1 after taking 2 in the 4th end.  Peterson would answer back with a 2 in the 5th then force Chappellaz to a single in the 6th end to tie the game.  In the 7th team Chappellaz stole 1 after Peterson was unable to make a triple takeout.  The final end had lots of rocks in play and on Petersons first shot she made a hit and roll to lie 2 behind the guards.  This forced Chappellaz to play a run back and after she was only able to remove 1 stone Peterson had to draw the 8 foot for the win and the $2000 prize.  Team Peterson moves into 5th spot on Kristi Greens MCT rankings.  Team Chappellaz takes home $1200 and now sits in 10th.

Jennifer Clark-Rouire is in 3rd on the rankings list while Bonar is now 15th after their season debut.  Each team picks up $800.  The 2 quarter finalist this weekend were Meghan Armit and Cheryl Reed.  They move into 16th and 17th in the rankings.

DAVID BOHN CLAIMS 1ST ATKINS CLASSIC

Oct.17,2017

This year was the 1st Atkins Curling Supplies Mens Classic and was won by David Bohn, Justin Richter, Tyler Forrest and Bryce McEwen.  Bohn was also last weeks winner and just like last week the final was played against Jordan Smith.  Team Bohn had hammer to start the final and after a blank they were forced to a single in the 2nd.  After a steal in the 3rd Bohn would force Smith to a single in the 4th end.  Taking 1 in the 5th increased the lead to 3-1.  Smith with hammer blanked 6 and would score 2 in the 7th to tie the game.  After a well played 8th end and a good last rock by team Smith, Bohn was left with an in off his own rock to knock Smith out of the 4 foot.  That shot locked up the teams 2nd event win in a row and moves them up to 6th on Gord Greens MCT Rankings.  They also pick up $2000.  Team Smith takes home $1500 and is now 7th in the rankings.

Dennis Bohn and Tanner Lott continued their good play this weekend by making semi finals.  Each team earns $1050.  Bohn moves up to 5th in the rankings while Lott is now 8th. JT Ryan, now in 2nd in the rankings, Riley Smith (18), Julien Leduc (20), Hayden Forrester (22) were the quarter finalist and each won $800 for making the playoffs.

  ROBERTSON TAKES ATKINS CLASSIC

Oct.17,2017

The Atkins Curling Supplies Classic took place this weekend at the AMCC and by Monday afternoon it was down to 2 teams.  Both teams had gone 5-0 to this point so something had to give.  The game between Darcy Robertson and Barb Spencer would come down to last rock.  Robertson, supported by Karen Klein, Vanessa Foster and Theresa Cannon would start the final with hammer and would blank the opening 2 ends before taking 2 in the 3rd end.  They would follow it up with a steal in the 4th.  Spencer wouldnt stop fighting and after a force in the 6th they would get a deuce of their own to close the gap to a single point.  The last end had lots of rocks in play and with her last rock Spencer drew to the back 4 forcing Robertson to follow it down for the win.  She would nudge up to the stone back 4 for the win and earn $2500 as well as the top spot on Kristi Greens MCT Rankings.  Team Spencer won $1800 and moved up to 7th spot.

Tiffany McLean and Beth Peterson had semi final exits this weekend.  For their teams strong play they each take home $1250 and move into 12th and 10th place respectively. Quarter Finalist each won $800 and were Jennifer Clark-Rouire (4), Briane Meilleur (6), Lisa Menard (11), and Tori Koana of Japan.

DAVID BOHN GETS FIRST WIN OF SEASON

Oct.11,2017

David Bohn and his team of Justin Richter, Tyler Forrest and Bryce McEwen kept their streak of seasons with a win going by claiming the MCT Mens Classic this past weekend.  They went a perfect 5-0 and won $2000.  By qualifying out of the A side they had a bye into the SF where they beat JT Ryan in an extra end.  In the final they would meet Jordan Smith.  After a defensive start to the game it was 2-1 after 4 ends.  Bohn manged to steal 1 in the 5th end and force Smith to a single in the 6th.  Facing 3 in the 7th end Bohn hit and stuck for his point and was up 4-2.  Bohn and company would run Smith out of rocks in the final end.  With the win they find themselves making a huge jump to 9th spot on Gord Greens MCT Rankings.  For making the final team Smith won $1500 and moved up the rankings to 13th.

JT Ryan and Braden Calvert each made a semi final and add $1250 to their bank accounts.  With the SF appearance Calvert takes over top spot in the rankings while JT Ryan sits in 4th. Dennis Bohn and Sean Grassie were the 2 teams that made quarter finals this weekend.  Each team takes home $1000 and valuable points.  Grassie improves to 10th while Dennis Bohn is now in 6th spot.

 

 

TEAM JOELLE BROWN WINS MCT CLASSIC

Oct.11,2017

The MCT Womens Classic saw Team Joelle Brown pick up their 1st win of the year.  Coleen Kilgallen was filling in and along with Sue Baleja, Natalie Claude and Carlene Strand they manged to get into the playoffs through the C Side.  They kept picking up steam beating Katie Chappellaz in the QF and Jennifer Clark-Rouire in the SF.  In the finals they came up against Shannon Birchards team.  After team Brown took an early lead they added to it with a big steal of 4 in the 3rd end.  Team Birchard tried to apply pressure and close the gap with steals of 1 in the 6th and 7th ends.  In the final end team Brown had an open hit for the win.  The win moves team Brown into 7th on the Kristi Green MCT Rankings and they also pick up $1800.  Team Birchard won $1400 for making the finals and they now find themselves in 4th spot.

Jennifer Clark-Rouire and her team made a semi final exit this weekend.  They are in 5th spot and take home $1000.  The quarter finalist was Katie Chappellaz.  They pocket $800 and move into 10th spot on the rankings. The next event is the Atkins Curling Supplies Classic and it kicks off this Friday night at AMCC.

 

 

DENNIS BOHN WINS KKP CLASSIC

Oct.3,2017

12 teams entered the weekend with hopes of walking away as champion but at the end Dennis Bohn and his team of Neil Kitching, Kennedy Bird, Daniel Hunt took home the title and the $1,300 winners prize.  Bohn started off by loosing the opening game then rattled off 5 straight wins.  In the final they beat Travis Bale and his previously unbeaten team 5-3.  Team Bohn moves up to 8th place on the Gord Green MCT Rankings.  Bale went 3-0 in pool play and earned a direct spot in the semi finals.  For making the final they pick up $1,000 and enough points to slide into 5th spot.

JT Ryan and his team made another semi final this past weekend.  They take home $750 and are now in 4th spot overall.  Joey Witherspoon and his new team played their first event of the season and made a semi final as well. Braden Calvert and Tanner Lott both made the quarter finals.  Each team pockets $600.  Calvert remains in 3rd spot while Lott moves up to 7th. This weekend is the Man Curl Classic at the Thistle for both women and mens teams.  The games start Friday at 6pm.

  ENGLOT DEFENDS TITLE

Sept.27,2017

The Motherclub fall classic took place this past weekend at the Granite curling club.  12 womens teams played and when the dust settled it was a finals showdown between defending champ Michelle Englot and recent tier 2 winner Kerri Einarson.  Both teams had advanced straight into the semi finals after strong records in their pools.  In the final Einarson had the lead until a steal in the 6th end tied the game.  A deuce back in the 7th left Englot down 2 coming home.  Englot, along with Kate Cameron, Leslie Wilson, and Raunora Westcott would score 3 coming home with the hammer to defend their championship from a year ago.  With the win team Englot moves into 2nd on the Kristi Green MCT womens rankings and takes home $2,000.  Einarson and her team picked up $1,300 and enough points to remain on top of the rankings.

Semi finalists this weekend each took home $850.  They were Darcy Robertson and Briane Meilleur.  They are now ranked 3rd and 4th in the season long points race. Kristy Watling and Jennifer Clark Rouire each had solid weekends that resulted in quarter final showings.  Both teams earned $500 and slide into 7th place on the MCT rankings.

Next up for the womens teams is the Man Curl Classic held at the Thistle Oct.6-9.

 

GUNNER RUNS THE TABLE

Sept.27,2017

20 mens teams showed up to play the Motherclub fall classic this past weekend.  The final was a showdown between 2 undefeated rinks.  Pat Simmons and Jason Gunnlaugson both went 4-0 in their pools.  Simmons beat Daniel Birchard and JT Ryan to make the final while Gunnlaugson beat Tanner Lott and Willy Lyburn.  Gunnlaugson along with Alex Forrest, Ian McMillan, Connor Njegovan scored 3 in the 3rd end to go ahead by 2.  Simmons and team wouldnt go away scoring 2 in the 5th to tie the game.  After a single in 6 and a blank in 7 Simmons was down 1 coming home with hammer.  Gunnlaugson would steal 1 and win the game.  They earned $2,500 and move into 2nd place on the Gord Green MCT rankings.  Simmons and team won $1,800 and are now ranked 4th in points.

Willy Lyburn and JT Ryan each made the semi finals and pick up $1,250.  Lyburn now moves into top spot on the rankings while JT moves up to 6th spot. Quarter finalists each pocket $800 and they were Travis Bale, Daniel Birchard, Richard Muntain, and Tanner Lott.  Team Bale is in 8th spot overall whit the other teams move up to 9th.

Next up for the men is the KKP Classic this weekend at Fort Rouge curling club.

 

EVENT UPDATE

Sept.13, 2017

As we reach the mid point of September the MCT events are about to kick into high gear. Several events are seeing more teams start to get their entries in. The KKP Classic at Fort Rouge is just around the corner. Currently they are at 13 teams and would like to get 24. To enter visit the events page for details or contact [email protected]. To avoid missing out on this event or any other get entries in soon as last season most events ended up with waiting lists.

  TEAM EINARSON OFF TO HOT START

Aug.30, 2017 This past weekend was the opening event of the MCT season.  The Spider Performance Icebreaker was held at the Granite and had 12 mens teams and 10 womens teams kick the season off.  On the womens side Kerri Einarson and her team of Selena Kaatz, Liz Fyfe, Kristen MacCuish finished the round robin at 3-1 and earned a direct spot in the semi final game.  After beating team Varnes, avenging an earlier loss to them,  they met team Robertson in the final.  Scoring 3 in the 4th and 7th ends would go along way to securing a 9-5 win and a payday of $2100. Darcy Robertson also had the direct berth into the semi finals with a 3-1 record.  For making the final they take home $1500.

The 2 semi finalist won $890 each.  They were team Shannon Birchard and Rhonda Varnes.  Michelle Englot and her team won $640 for finishing 5th.

Up next is the Motherclub fall classic held at the Granite.  It takes place Sept.21-24.

NO CALVERT, NO PROBLEM

Aug.30, 2017

Team Calvert was missing skip Braden but Kyle Kurz stepped up and led the team to their first win of the year.  Robbie Gordon filled in all weekend and after loosing the opening game Team Calvert rattled off 5 straight wins.  Calverts team knocked off Craig Brown in the quarters, Jason Gunnlaugson in the semis and in the final they scored an impressive 8-4 win over John Shuster.  A 4 spot in the 4th end was the turning point and allowed Team Calvert to cash in.  They received $2200 for winning. Team Shuster qualified out of the A side and earned $1500 for making the finals.

The 2 other A side qualifiers were Jason Gunnlaugson and William Lyburn.  Both teams lost in the semi finals and put $1000 in their pockets.  Sean Grassie and Craig Brown each picked up $700 for making the quarter finals.

Up next is the Motherclub fall classic held at the Granite. It takes place Sept.21-24.

  TOUR UPDATE

Aug.16, 2017

After a busy summer, with the first event of the new season coming up next weekend, we would like to update everyone with what’s in store this year for the MCT.  There are some new events for both women’s and men’s teams this 2017 season.  Many thanks go out to the organizers and clubs that are able to run these events.  Hopefully we can fill them and keep the growing the tour.  Check out the events page to enter your team – they will fill up fast!  There are 8 women’s events plus a fall and spring berth this season. For the men, there are 12 events along with a fall and spring berth.  We are looking to add an event in February or March before the spring berths take place – more information to come on this. The Men’s King Spud Classic in Carberry is returning to the MCT.  It will be held Dec. 15-17 and will have a berth into the 2018 Viterra Championship for the highest finishing eligible team. We are currently working on finding a place to host the Tour Championships.  The Championship will award 2 women’s and 3 men’s provincial berths.  This is the same as last season.  Each team’s best 5 events will count towards your season total. Various teams have requested the points summary be emailed and posted on the site every week – we will implement this.  If you have not received any emails from the MCT and would like to get our communication, please send us your email address to be added to our list.

  MCT NEWS

Apr. 20, 2017

The Manitoba Curling Tour (MCT) is now actively seeking a new title sponsor for the 2017-18 curling season.  The former MCT title sponsor, MLCC, has decided to move its support elsewhere.  The title sponsors and all other funding is used to top-up prize payouts for the numerous Tour events, as well as paying for fees at Curling Clubs that host these events. If you have any sponsor contacts in mind for the Tour, please reach out to us!  All sponsors are promoted throughout the season on the MCT website, through event signage, and through social media.  Additionally, If you have other thoughts on ways to promote our sponsors, we would love to hear your ideas.

  2017/18 Schedule

Mar. 6, 2017

Hello Curlers, sponsors, fans, event hosts We are currently working on the schedule for next season.  There will be an email sent when the schedule is done and also it will be posted on this site.  Please check back in the next month or so for more information.

 

Mixed Doubles at Deer Lodge

Jan. 18, 2017

Deer Lodge will be hosting a mixed doubles event from March 31 – April 2 for any curlers that are interested.  This is the weekend before the national mixed doubles so teams that are looking to get some games in this is a good opportunity to do so.  If youre still pretty new to mixed doubles this is a way to get a few more games in as well.  The cost is $80 per team.  To register contact Sean Grassie at 204-250-3873 or [email protected]

 

Lyburn Wins Brandon Mens,  Jim Renwick Earns Berth

Jan. 16, 2017

This past weekend was the Brandon Mens bonspiel with a berth.  Willy Lyburn and team kept up their solid play and capped off a 6-0 weekend with an extra end draw to the four foot to edge out Steve Irwin 4-3 for the title.  Lyburn along with Richard Daneault, Jared Kolomaya, Braden Zawada, Jim Coleman qualified through the A side while Steve Irwin and his team of Travis Taylor, Travis Brooks, Travis Saban went through the C side.  The final was a rematch of the A side qualifier game, also won by Lyburns team.  The Brandon mens was the first event in the 2017/18 MCT season.  Team Lyburn now holds the early lead in the Gord Green MCT Rankings.

Semi finalist this weekend were Kelly Marnoch and Jim Renwick.  By making the semi finals team Renwick has earned a berth into the 2017 Viterra championship in Portage.  The other 3 remaining teams already had their spots.  Joining Jim Renwick is Geg Rabe, Ray Mcphail and Harvey Heisey.

The 4 quarter finalist this weekend were Daley Peters, Braden Calvert, Ryan Hyde and Glen Parrott.

 

New Event

Dec. 29, 2016

There has been a new event added to the MCT schedule.  The Buffalo Buster Classic will be played Jan.27-29 in Beausejour.  This 15 team event will be a tune up for teams before provincials.  MCT points earned from this event will go towards next years totals.  To enter or for more details see the mens tour dates page.

 

Berth Winners

Dec. 12, 2016

With the tour championship now over we would like to congratulate the following womens and mens teams on earning their spots into provincials this past weekend.

Womens Teams

Michelle Englot – YTD CTRS points, Darcy Robertson – MCT Tour Championship, Shannon Birchard – MCT points

Mens Teams

Jason Gunnlaugson & Dennis Bohn – YTD CTRS points, David Bohn – MCT Tour Champoionship, Trevor Loreth & Daley Peters – MCT points

Great seasons so far by all these teams.  Best of luck at provincials.

 

David Bohn Wins Tour Championship

Dec. 12, 2016

15 mens teams went to Dauphin as well this weekend to play for berths into provincials and the tour championship.  The final had some familiar faces as David Bohn, Justin Richter, Tyler Forrest, Bryce McEwen battled Braden Calvert.  Calvert is making his 4th finals appearance this year.  Team Calvert, along with Kyle Kurz, Lucas Van Den Bosch, Brendan Wilson, tied the game at 2 after the 2nd end.  Bohns team kept the pressure on and scored 2 back.  They managed to steal 2 more in the 4th end and never looked back.  By scoring another 2 points in the 6th they put the game out of reach and went on to win 9-4.  With the win Bohn and his team continue to have success on the tour.  They win $2,000 and their 2nd event of the season.  They also win the berth into the provincail championships and move to #5 on the Gord Green MCT Rankings.  Calvert and company won $1,500 and finish the year ranked #4.

The semi finalist this weekend won $1,000 each and they were Matt Dunstone and Dennis Bohn.  Dunstone is ranked #7 on the year.  Dennis Bohn and team have had a great season and qualified in every event they have played.  They finish the year ranked #2.  The quarter finalist were Trevor Loreth (#6), Richard Muntain (#11), Rob Atkins (#12), and Micheal Johnson (#16).  Each of these teams won $750 for making the playoffs.

The other berth winners will be announced shortly.  The men now have a break in the schedule until after new years when the regional play downs get started.

 

Robertson Wins Tour Championship

Dec. 12, 2016

This weekend the MCT Tour Championship was held in Dauphin with a provincial berth on the line.  The 8 womens teams played a round robin to determine which 4 teams would advance to the playoffs.  After the round robin was completed 7 of the 8 teams were still alive.  After 2 tiebreakers the field was narrowed down to 4 teams.  The final was between #1 seed Darcy Robertson with her team of Karen Klien, Vanessa Foster, Michelle Madden and #2 seed Shannon Birchard.  These teams played in the 1 vs 1 game with Robertson earning the win and the direct spot in the finals.  Birchard along with Nicole Sigvaldason, Sheyna Andries, Mariah Mondor dropped into the semi final which they would win.  In the final it was tied at 2 after 4 ends.  Birchard would take 3 points in the 5th but Robertson would not go away scoring 2 in the 6th.  After a blank in 7 Birchard was 1 up coming home with hammer.  Robertsons team managed to steal 2 points in the final end and win the game.  Along with the win they earn $1,750 and a berth into provincials.  They finish the season ranked #3 on the Kristi Green MCT Rankings.  Birchards team won $1,250 for making the final and move to #4 overall.

Joelle Brown was the semi finalist this weekend.  Her team walks away with $750 and finish the year ranked #7 on the rankings list.  Beth Peterson and her rink finished 4th this weekend and pocket $500.  Team Peterson is ranked #6 after this weekends event.  The other berth winners will be announced shortly.  Regional playdowns start this coming weekend for the womens teams.  Winners of the regional playdowns will earn spots into provincials.

 

Tour Championship

Dec. 7, 2016

The Tour Championship will be starting Friday morning in Dauphin.  There are 8 womens teams and 16 mens teams attending.  The womens teams will be split into 2 pools and play a round robin.  The top 2 teams in each pool will advance to a page playoff.  The men will play a TKO event with 8 qualifiers moving on to the playoffs.  Both events are eligible for CTRS/OOM points.

The 2 mens teams and 1 womens team with the most MCT points, (top 5 MCT events counted), at the end of the weekend will earn berths into the provincial championships.  The winners of each event, or highest finishing eligible team if the winner has a spot, will each also earn a berth into the provincial championship.

The draw was sent out to teams yesterday and will be posted on the website as soon as possible.  If your team did not receive the email with the draw or has any questions please contact us.

 

Team Loreth Wins 2nd Event

Dec. 6, 2016

The Thistle curling club was hosting the annual Integrity Stakes event this past weekend.  16 mens teams started out Friday night and last night Trevor Loreth and his team from the Granite took down Braden Calvert in the final.  Calvert ,along with the team he will play junior provincials with, Colton Lott, Kyle Doering, Robbie Gordon qualified out of the A side and started with hammer.  They blanked the 1st end and would take a single in the 2nd.  Loreth would make the most of his chance with the hammer and score 2 in the 3rd end.  The turning point came in the 5th as Loreth, Brad Haight, Ryan Lowden, Brett Cawson would steal 2 and go up 4-1.  Calverts team came back to take 2 in the 6th but Loreth again would cash in with the hammer in the 7th and score 2 more to put the game out of reach.  This is the 2nd win of the season for team Loreth.  They Pocket $1,300 for the win and also vault into the #5 ranking on the Gord Green MCT Rankings.  They also continue to pick up momentum as they look for a berth into provincials.  For making the Final the Calvert rink picks up $900.

The semi finals also were held Monday night.  Dennis Bohn and Taylor McIntyre each made the semis and earn $750 for the weekend.  Bohns strong season continues and they remain at #2 in the rankings while McIntyre slides into #13.  Stephen Dropkin was the only team not from Manitoba to play this weekend and he along with Rob Atkins each made a quarter final appearance.  Both of these teams won $550 for qualifying.  Team Atkins moves up 1 spot to #12 on the overall rankings.

Up next is the MCT Tour Championship in Dauphin that kicks off Friday morning. 16 mens teams and 8 womens teams will make the trip and try to pick up the available provincial berths.

 

Fleury Wins Sunova Spiel

Nov. 29, 2016

16 womens teams were also in East St.Paul this weekend for the Sunova Spiel.  Tracy Fleury and her Sudbury Ontario team of Jennifer Wylie, Jenna Walsh, Amanda Gates were wanting to get some good competition in before the Canada Cup started.  After loosing their 1st game of the event they went on a 6-0 run and now have some good momentum heading to the Canada Cup.  The final was Fleury against Michelle Englot.  Engot along with Kate Cameron, Leslie Wilson-Westcott, Raunora Westcott are playing in the final for the 2nd straight weekend.  Fleury got out to a 4-0 lead with a steal of 3 in the 2nd end.  Englots team would try and rally back but would be forced to a single in the 3rd end.  After scoring 1 in the 4th end Fleury would steal 3 more in the 5th and take the title along with the $2,600 winners prize.  Engot and her team walk away with $1,800 and now move into top spot on the Kristi Green MCT Rankings.

Barb Spencer and Colleen Kilgallen each pick up $1,200 for making the semis this weekend.  Spencer jumps to #8 overall while Kilgallen moves up to #10 in the rankings.  Quarter finalists each took home $800 and they were Briane Meilleur (#3), Darcy Robertson (#4), Rachel Burtnyk (#7) and Meghan Armit (#13).

The Sunova was the final event for the womens teams before the Tour Championship begins Dec.9 in Dauphin.

 

Dunstone Dominates Sunova

Nov. 29, 2019

The Sunova Spiel was held in East St.Paul this past weekend.  16 mens teams started play Friday night and when it was all over Matt Dunstone and his team of Alex Forrest, Ian McMillan, Connor Njegovan were left standing on top with a $2,600 cheque and an event win.  Dunstone finished off a perfect 6-0 weekend by beating David Bohn in the final.  Bohn along with Justin Richter, Tyler Forrest, Bryce McEwen found themselves down 3-0 after 5 ends as Dunstone stole singles in the 4th and 5th.  In the 6th Bohn could only muster a single point and that is as close as they would get.  Bohn’s team picked up $1,800 and move to #5 overall on the Gord Green MCT Rankings.  Dunstone and company now find themselves at #6 with only 1 weekend left until the Tour Championship.

The semi finalists this weekend were Daley Peters and Dennis Bohn.  For making the semis each teams pockets $1,200 and earn valuable points.  Peters is currently #7 in the rankings while Bohn continues to sit at #2.  William Lyburn (#3), Braden Calvert (#4), Rob Atkins (#13) and Bill Kuran (#14) all made the quarter finals at the Sunova.  The each won $800 and now all sit comfortably inside the top 16 in the rankings heading into the final weekend.

The next event for the men starts Friday evening at the Thistle.  This is the final event before the Tour Championship.

 

Tour Championship Invites

Nov. 24, 2016

With only a couple weeks left before the MCT Tour Championships in Dauphin invites are starting to get sent out to teams.  If the top 12 womens and top 16 mens teams all do not go then we will invite the next team down on the list.  This is the same as years past.

Draws will start Friday morning at 9 am and the final has been tentatively scheduled for 4pm Sunday.  Depending on your seed your teams first game could be at 9, 12, or 3 on Friday.  If your team is interested in playing the Tour Championship and you have not received an invite yet you can send us an email using the contact form so we know you’re interested.  We will be at East St Paul this weekend and should get a chance to contact most teams.

Accommodations and Info:

Hotel locations for those who don’t know – Boulevard and Dauphin Inn Express are directly across the street from the complex – Super 8 is on the edge of town and requires driving.

When contacting the hotels please mention Ray Baker and the Manitoba Curing Tour Championship

Rooms are blocked off at the following:

Dauphin inn express  (204-638-4430)     6 rooms – all they have are 2 – 1 room suites and 4 – 2 room suites they sleep quite a few people all rooms are around $152

Super 8  (204-638-0800)                         29 rooms – 8 with 2 standard beds – the rest are suites mostly with 2 or more beds

Reg room $128.88 – suites/business rooms $138.88

Boulevard   (204-638-4410)                     14 rooms – we have pretty much the entire hotel

The sooner the better to book these as there is a hockey tournament in town this weekend as well.  As always any questions feel free to contact us.

 

Jones Wins 2nd Straight DEKALB

Nov. 22, 2016

This past weekend the curling world stopped in Morris for the DEKALB superspiel.  This was yet another strong field of 24 womens teams battling for the $10,000 top prize.  The final was an all Manitoba affair that had Jen Jones defend her title from last season.  Jones along with her foursome of Kaitlyn Lawes, Jill Officer, Dawn McEwen capped off a perfect 6-0 weekend and move into top spot on the Kristi Green MCT Rankings by defeating Michelle Englot.  The final game was back and forth until a steal of 3 in the 5th end by Jones let her pull away for good.  Englot and her team of Kate Cameron, Leslie Wilson-Westcott, Raunora Westcott tried to battle back but couldn’t make up the points in the last half of the game.  The final was 8-3 for team Jones.  For their work this weekend team Englot picked up $6,600 and also find themselves in 2nd place overall on the season long rankings.

The semi finalists were Julie Tippin and Jamie Sinclair.  For making the semi finals their teams each took home $4,000.  The 4 quarter finalist each got $3,000 for making the playoffs.  They were Allison Flaxey, Shannon Birchard, Briane Meilleur, and Darcy Robertson.  With only a couple events left the points race is getting tight as Birchard, Meilleur, Robertson are currently sitting 3rd, 4th and 5th overall.

This coming weekend the ladies teams head to East St.Paul for the Sunova Spiel.  The first draw is Friday afternoon at 4pm.

McEwen Gets 1st Win Of Season

Nov. 22, 2016

32 mens teams came to Morris this weekend in search of points, experience, and a good pay day.  The final, just like the womens final, was a battle of Manitoba.  Mike McEwen and his team from the Fort Rouge curling club took on William Lyburn.  This was a rematch of the A side qualifier game Saturday night that had Lyburn and his team of Richard Daneault, Jared Kolomaya, Braden Zawada, Jim Coleman get the upper hand on McEwen.  The final started with McEwen and his team of BJ Neufeld, Matt Wozniak, Denni Neufeld stealing in the 1st and 3rd ends and jump out to a 3-0 lead.  Team Lyburn would close the gap but with hammer in ends 5 and 7 team McEwen would hang 3 points up each end and win the game 9-4.  Along with the 1st win of the year they also get the $11,000 cheque and make a huge jump all the way to #5 on the Gord Green MCT Rankings.  Team Lyburn adds $6,600 to their bank account and also makes a move in the rankings to #4.

Reid Carruthers and Gustav Eskilsson were the semi finalists and each pocket $4,000.  By making the semis team Carruthers remain the top ranked team for another week.  Steffen Walstad, Kody Hartung, Jason Gunnlaugson and Dennis Bohn all made the quarter finals and earn $3,000.  Bohns team remain in 2nd place in the points race while the quarter final appearance moves Gunnlaugson inside the top 10 to 9th overall.

The next event for the men will be at East St.Paul.  The Sunova Spiel kicks off at 4pm Friday afternoon.

 

Loreth Conquers Galaxy

Nov. 8, 2016

The latest stop on tour brought 30 teams to Rossmere for the Ken Kurbis Galaxy Memorial event.  Majority were Manitoba rinks but there was a couple teams that made the trip from the USA as well as a team from Ontario.  Late Monday night only 2 were left standing.  Trevor Loreth and his team of Brad Haight, Ryan Lowden, Brett Cawson finished off a 10 game weekend in style with a 6-5 win over Braden Calvert.  Calvert along with Kyle Kurz, Lucas Van Den Bosch, Brendan Wilson also had a 10 game weekend as both teams had to qualify out of the C side.  Loreth’s team picked up $3,400 for winning the event.  With the win they also jump into 5th place overall on the Gord Green MCT Points List.  For making the final team Calvert took home $2,000 and slides into 3rd place in the points race.

The 2 semi finalist this weekend also took the long road and qualified out of the C side.  They were the Daley Peters rink and Dennis Bohn Rink.  Both teams picked up $1,200 for their efforts and continue their consistent play this season.  Peters holds down 4th place while Dennis Bohn remains in 2nd overall.  Quarter finalists in this event got to pocket $800 and they were Al Hackner, Willy Lyburn, Rob Atkins and Sean Grassie.

The next MCT event is starting Nov. 18 in Morris and at the Rosenort Arena.  The Dekalb Superspiel will host 24 womens teams and 32 mens teams from around the world.

 

Team Homan Wins Canad Inns Classic

Oct. 25, 2016

This weekend all eyes were on Portage La Prairie again as the Canad Inns Womens Classic was going on.  A lot of the top ranked teams were there for this event.  The final took place last night and was between Rachel Homan of Ontario and Chiaki Matsumura of Japan.  Matsumura and her team of Emi Shimizu, Ikue Kitazawa, Hasumi Ishigooka had to battle from the C side of the event to make it into the playoffs.  After Homan scored 2 with hammer to start the final she forced the team from Japan to a single in the 2nd end.  Then along with her team of Emma Miskew, Joanne Courtney, Lisa Weagle they would blow the game open with a hit and stick for 4 points in the 3rd end.  Matsumura’s team kept fighting and would take their deuce in the 4th but Homan with hammer in the 5th would again score multiple points and put the game out of reach.  The team from Japan could only score 1 in the 6th and would call it a night.  Homan wins the final 9-4 and after she lost the opening game would go on to run the table and win 8 in a row and win $15,500.  Team Matsumura picked up $10,400 for their 2nd place finish.

The semi finalist teams this weekend each got $6,400 and they were Bingyu Wang from China and Anna Hasselborg of Sweden.  Teams that qualified for the quarter finals earned $4,100 this weekend.  They were Ontario’s Tracy Fleury, Sherry Anderson from Saskatchewan, Jennifer Jones and Shannon Birchard from Manitoba.  Along with the money this weekend Jones now moves into 4th place on the Kristi Green MCT rankings.  Birchard and her team are now in a tie for 2nd place overall in the rankings.

 

Peterson Rink Wins Atkins Curling Supplies Classic

Oct. 18, 2016

The MCT also had a womens event on the schedule this weekend and saw 21 teams head to the AMCC, the new home of the Atkins Curling Supplies Classic.  The teams played a round robin format and had the top 8 records moving on to the playoffs.  After the round robin there was a log jam of teams that finished with 2-2 records and the tie breaking scores had to be used to determine which rinks would make the playoffs.

The final was a battle between 2 Manitoba teams.  Beth Peterson along with Robyn Njegovan, Melissa Gordon, Breanne Yozenko were taking on the Darcy Robertson team.  Both teams could only manage singles early in the match but in the 4th end Robertson and her team of Karen Klein, Vanessa Foster and Michelle Madden tried to break away by scoring a huge 3.  Down 4-2 playing the 5th end Peterson’s team took all the momentum back and with a huge 4 as well as a 2 point lead.  Held to a single in 6, Robertson managed a steal of 1 in the 7th to tie the game up.  The Peterson team now had hammer coming home in a tie game and just needed a single point to secure the victory.  They would score their single and earn themselves a $4,000 pay day.  The win also moves them up to top spot on the Kristi Green MCT rankings.  By making the final team Robertson still moves into 4th spot in the rankings and earns $2,500.

The 2 semi finalist teams this weekend each made $1,800.  They were Jackie Dewar who now moves into 7th place and Briane Meilleur who moves into 2nd place on the season long rankings.  Quarter finalists Deb McCreanor and Janet Harvey both slide into 9th overall with their performances.  Them along with fellow quarter finalists Jamie Sinclair and Tori Koana each pocket $1,350 in winnings.

Next on the MCT schedule is the Canad Inns Womens Classic beginning this Friday in Portage.

 

Carruthers Captures Canad Inns Crown

Oct. 18, 2016

This past weekend was the Canad Inns Mens Classic in Portage La Prairie.  This event brought in a strong field and by the time the playoff round started Monday morning only 1 Manitoba team was left.  The final saw 2 teams that had to qualify out of the C side and they were Reid Carruthers and his team of Braeden Moskowy, Derek Samagalski, Colin Hodgson take on the Charley Thomas rink from Alberta.  Early in the match the teams traded 2’s and after the halfway mark it was Carruthers up 4-2.  Thomas, who is supported by Nathan Connolly, Brandon Klassen, DJ Kidby, would score 1 in the 5th then steal another in the 6th to tie the game.  Carruthers again would score his duece with hammer in 7 and play a flawless 8th end only leaving Thomas an Al Hackner like double to force the extra.  Thomas was only able to score 1 which handed the Carruthers team $18,000 and the win and also moved them into top spot on the Gord Green MCT rankings.  For finishing 2nd Thomas and his team earned $10,000.

Semi finalist this weekend got to take home $6,000 and they were the Steve Laycock team and the Shaun Meachem team.  The quarter finalists were Kevin Koe, Brad Jacobs, John Morris and Bruce Korte.  For qualifying these teams earned $4,000 each.

There is now a break in the schedule for a couple weeks for the men.  The next mens MCT event will be the Ken Kurbis Memorial event held at Rossmere starting Nov.4/16

 

Westwood Inn Classic Cancelled

Oct. 11, 2016

We have been informed that the Westwood Inn Classic in Swan River, running Nov.11-14, will be canceling their event.  After 18 years of running this event the entries have got to be too low to make it work.  This year there was only 7 mens and 4 womens teams that were entered.  For those teams that entered you will be getting contacted by those who run the event.  Thanks to all the people that have made the Swan River event run for the past 18 seasons.  Your hard work and dedication does not go unnoticed.  Hopefully in the near future this event can be feasible for you to run again.

 

Calvert wins 1st Man Curl Classic

 

Oct. 11, 2016

The 1st Man Curl Classic was held at the Thistle curling club over the long weekend and had 16 mens teams show up to play for the top prize of $3000.  The final was played Monday afternoon between Braden Calvert and his team of Kyle Kurz, Lucas VanDenBosch, Brendan Wilson and Richard Muntain.  Calvert had got out to an early 4-1 lead but Muntain and his team of Kelly Marnoch,(in for Mike McCaughan), Brad Van Walleghem, Rodney Legault refused to go away and would steal 1 in the 5th end to narrow the gap to 4-3.  In the 6th end Calvert sealed the deal when he peeled Muntains last rock freeze out of the 4 foot and left 5 of his own scattered around the rings for the 9-3 win.  Team Calvert won $3000 and moves into 3rd place in the overall standings.  Muntain and his team took home $2000 and now move into 5th place overall.

This weekend the semi finalists earned $1500 each and they were Daley Peters and Trevor Loreth.  These teams are 6th and 7th respectively in the MCT rankings.  The 4 quarter finalist each pocket $1000 and they were Derek Oryniak, Bill Kuran, Dennis Bohn, David Bohn.  By making the quarters this weekend Dennis and David Bohns teams sit 1st and 2nd in the standings after the third week of the season.

We would like to thank Rob Atkins as Atkins Curling Supplies donated a $250 gift card to be raffled off with proceeds again going towards the Tour Championship in Dauphin.  Congratulations to Kyle McCannell for having his name pulled and winning the gift card.

Thanks to the Thistle for hosting us and to all the volunteers that helped make this event run so smooth.  We look forward to running this event again and hope all the teams will be back.

This weekend coming up the women are at the AMCC for the Atkins Curling Supplies Classic while the men head to Portage for the Canad Inns Mens Classic.

 

Winnipeg Cash League Seeking Teams

Oct. 5, 2016

If there are any teams that are wanting to join a league that has competitive games every week the Winnipeg cash league still has a couple openings.  This league is at the Granite on Tuesday nights at 7:45.  Many of the teams that play in the league are competitive teams that qualify for provincials annually.

This season the league has been made eligible to collect CTRS points as well as MCT points.  There will be 2 halves to the season both with a seeded round robin format followed by playoffs.  The 1st half will end before the tour championship so all accumulated points will help your teams standings going into the MCT Tour Championship and OOM ranking.  The 2nd half will end in March so points won in the 2nd half will give you a head start on next seasons MCT rankings.

Teams are paid per win in the round robin and also paid depending on where they finish in the playoffs.  Teams that don’t make the playoffs will continue to play during playoffs against other non playoff teams.  They will continue to be paid per win.  Teams will get about 18 games in over the season.

If your team has goals of reaching slams or qualifying for provincials without the grind of regional play downs then the points earned here can help.  If your team is seeking good competition and wants to improve your skills every week then playing competitive games will also help.

If interested you can contact Trevor Loreth for more details at [email protected]

 

Kim wins KKP Classic

Oct. 3, 2016

This past weekend 20 mens teams competed at the Fort Rouge curling club in the KKP Classic.  After the round robin finished up Saturday night there were 8 teams left standing.  For the 2nd weekend in a row the final featured Chang-Min Kim, Se Hyeon Seong, Eun Soo Oh, Chi Goo Kim from Korea against Team Bohn.  This weekend however it was Dennis Bohn and not David.  Along with Dennis Bohn is his team of Neil Kitching, Kennedy Bird and Daniel Hunt.  These 2 teams also played a round robin game against each other earlier in the weekend that Kim had won.  In the final team Bohn started with hammer but after 4 ends they were down 3-0.  They managed 1 in the 5th and another in the 7th but Kim now had hammer and a 4-2 lead playing the last end.  Team Kim would run Bohn out of stones and claim the KKP Classic prize of $2500.  Team Bohn won $1800 and by making the final they now move into top spot on the MCT rankings.

The semi finalist took home $1250 each and they were Hayden Forresters team and Matt Dunstones team.  Dunstone now moves into 2nd place on the MCT rankings after this weekend.  The 4 quarter finalists and $800 winners were Taylor McIntyre, Andrew Wickman, Braden Calvert and Daley Peters.

Thanks to the volunteers this weekend for updating line scores and also thanks to Brad Haight for donating a set of Jets tickets to the game tonight.  Raffle tickets were sold over the weekend for a chance to win the Jets tickets.  Congratulations to Andrew Irving for winning the draw.  All proceeds from this draw will go towards the tour championship.

Up next on tour is the Manitoba Curling Tour Classic held at the Thistle curling club.  The first draw is this Friday at 6pm.  The draw is posted on the events page.

 

Events filling up fast

Sept. 29, 2016

Hello curlers,

This season the events are all filling really fast.  Most womens and mens events only have a couple spots left to fill.  Some later in the season have some more room but that can change fast.  Here is a list of roughly how many spots are left in each event.  If your team is wanting to enter don’t wait or you could miss out.  Visit the events page to see all the contact info and details.

Womens MCT Events

Atkins Curling Supplies Classic – 2 teams

Sunova – 1 team

Dekalb – 8 teams

Westwood Inn Classic – 12 teams

Mens MCT Events

Canadinns Mens Classic – NOW FILLED

Ken Kurbis – 5 teams

Dekalb – 3 teams

Sunova – NOW FILLED

Westwood Inn Classic – 10 teams

Integrity Streaks and Brandon still have more as they are late in the season

 

All other events are full at the moment but feel free to get in touch with the event contact person as a waiting list could be started.

Hopefully we can fill all of our events and try to expand on the number next season.

 

Back to back for Bohn

Sept. 26, 2016

The first MCT event for the men was also the Motherclub Fall Classic held at the Granite curling club.  There were 24 mens teams split into 4 pools and the top 8 made the playoffs.  The final was an impressive match between David Bohn and his team of Justin Richter, Tyler Forrest, Bryce McEwen and a team from Korea that consisted of Chang-Min Kim, Se Hyeon Seong, Eun Soo Oh, Chi Goo Kim.  Team Kim had a slight lead early on in the game but after team Bohn scored a big 3 in the 7th end Kim and his undefeated rink was down 1 heading into the last end.  Team Kim managed to score a single point and force the extra end.  With the last stone in the extra Bohn threw it to the boards confident his team had shot stone already.  The teams measured for the win and team Bohn was indeed shot rock meaning for the 2nd year in a row they have won the season opening event.  The are now at the top of the points list and won $3000.  Team Kim won $2000.

The semi finals both were decided in extra ends and saw Matt Dunstone and Dennis Bohn come out on the wrong side of the scoreboard.  They both earned $1500.  The 4 quarter finalist were Richard Muntain, Jason Gunnlaugson, J.T Ryan and Sean Grassie.  They all pocket $1000 to start the season.

The next MCT event for the men will be starting on Thursday at Fort Rouge as the KKP Classic gets underway.

 

 

Englot wins 2016 Motherclub Fall Classic

Sept. 26, 2016

The first event of the MCT season was held at the Granite and saw 15 womens teams battle all weekend with 6 teams making the playoffs.  The final was a back and forth match between Michelle Englot and Joelle Brown.  Brown got out to an early 3 point lead after 2 ends but team Englot clawed back and took the lead after steals in ends 4,5,6.  Brown and her team of Alyssa Calvert, Erika Sigurdson, Lindsay Baldock scored 2 in the 7th end to tie the game up.  With the hammer in the final end Englot along with Kate Cameron, Leslie Wilson-Westcott, Raunora Westcott scored 1 and secured the win.  The win puts team Englot at the top of the points list early on in the year and earned them $2500.  Team Brown took home $1600.

The semi finalists were Lisa Menard and Briane Meilleur and their teams walked away from the event with $1100.  Beth Peterson’s team and Rachel Burtnyk’s team each qualified for the quarter finals and got $850 for their efforts this weekend.

Thanks to all the teams who came out and treated us to some great curling.  The next event on the womens MCT schedule is the Atkins curling supplies classic at the AMCC starting Oct.14.

 

 

Sweeping Regulations

 

Sept.12, 2016

With the MCT season about to kick off we have been asked about sweeping and what the rules will be this season.  We have decided to follow the new sweeping rules and regulations since all of our events earn CTRS points.

To read the new rules and regulations click this link http://17962-presscdn-0-57.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/58/files/2016/09/2016-18_Sweeping_Moratorium.pdf

If you’re interested in the results of sweeping summit those details have also been published as well.

To review the results from the summit click this link http://17962-presscdn-0-57.pagely.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/58/files/2016/09/Sweeping-Summit-Summary.pdf

If there are any questions feel free to contact us.

Thanks

 

 

Aug 30, 2016

Hello curlers

As you know the Manitoba curling tour Presented by Manitoba Liquor Marts has a new leadership group and with that has come a few exciting changes.  Just so there are no surprises before the season starts we would like to introduce our changes publicly.

First off the www.mancurltour.ca website is brand new and mobile friendly!  Here you will find tour dates and information regarding bonspiels, Event history and points recaps as well as a contact us page.  Some future additions to our website include team pages with headshots, room to display team sponsors and teams schedules, As well as updated list on which teams have entered a specific event. If there is anything else you would like to see apart of the website please share your ideas.

We have worked hard to get all the events compliant with the WCT rules and guidelines.  This allows all events to earn CTRS points.  All of the events have been posted on the WCT site for added exposure.  So far we have teams from Korea, Scotland, Japan, China, Norway, USA, and neighboring provinces entering events that in the past years have been mainly Manitoba teams.

There are 6 events on the women’s schedule this season and 10 events on the men’ schedule.  Women’s teams can still enter into men’s events providing there is no women’s event being played that weekend on the MCT.  A women’s team playing in a men’s event can still earn MCT points towards the tour championship but according to the WCT rules they will be ineligible to earn CTRS points.

This season the MCT points that will count towards the MCT Championship will be simplified. There is no longer a gold, silver, bronze label placed on events.  Instead we are using a formula much like the CTRS points to eliminate any confusion.  Our system will now take strength of field into consideration, based on purse ($300/team minimum), and size of field.  If you qualify in an event with a strong field you earn more points than a team that qualified in an event with a weaker field.  1 point will be awarded per win for non-qualifying teams. Strength of field multiplied by 3 points will be earned for quarter finalists, SFM multiplied by 4.25 points for semi finalist, SFM multiplied by 5.5 points for runner up and SFM multiplied by 7 points for the bonspiel champions.

Your teams 5 best point earning bonspiel’s will be counted towards MCT championship qualifying.  The spring and fall berth bonspiels are not eligible for MCT points due to not meeting the $300 per team entry fee criteria.

Curl Manitoba has given berths to provincials to the tour again this season.  The men have 3 berths, 1 to the winner of the tour championship and 2 to the highest finishing eligible teams in the points standings.  The women have 2 berths.  1 to the winner of the tour championship and 1 to the highest finishing eligible team in the points standings

The tour championship will be held in Dauphin again this season.  This event is an invite only event for the top 16 eligible men’s teams and the top 12 women’s teams in the point standings. We are working hard to raise sponsorship in order to make the tour championship a free entry event! The curling tour will cover your entry fee into the championships and still provide a prize purse. We are hoping this will increase entries into bonspiels throughout the year, and show support to the teams that play on the tour as often as possible.

We are still searching for and accepting new sponsors for the tour, if you or your business would like to learn about the opportunities of becoming a tour sponsor please contact us!

Best of luck to everyone this season!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

May 26, 2016

To our valued MCT supporters and curlers

I would like to first briefly introduce myself to you. My name is Curtis Atkins, President of the Manitoba Curling Tour elected 2016. I grew up in curling clubs all over Manitoba.  I have participated in junior programs, high school curling, the MCT and WCT circuit my whole life. Curling has been not only an extracurricular activity for me but also a lifelong passion.

Upon hearing about Resby’s transition into the CCA I had dabbled at the idea of volunteering my time to our curling community.  It wasn’t until I had shared the idea with my curling friends and family that I took action.  I had overwhelming support on the idea of possibly being involved with the MCT.  A few emails exchanged with past president Resby Coutts eventually led to public meetings with other likeminded individuals.  I was eventually elected as Tour President and gladly accepted the daunting position.  I must say I am quite excited about the venture.

Luckily my volunteer position came with more volunteers;  Keith Doherty accepted position of Vice- president and Justin Twiss as Secretary.  As the transition was being made, we were fortunate enough to bring on Kevin Wiebe as our website guru and marketing master.  After a few team meetings, and the decision to bring on a female representative,  Lisa DeRiviere happily agreed to come on board and volunteer her time.

I assure you we have been hard at work this past month and a half.  Our brand new mobile friendly website is up and running!  Our schedule is set!  We have had overwhelming support from clubs, bonspiel  coordinators and  league chairmen.  As you can imagine putting all these details together  is time consuming.  We plan to release our schedule of events as early as the first week of June!

There are more exciting changes to the MCT for the upcoming season. All bonspiels will be registered with the World Curling Tour,  allowing teams to collect CTRS points!  There have been two competitive leagues expressing interest in multi week bonspiels, which will also award CTRS points.  An ambitious idea we are working to confirm is the elimination of the entry fee completely from the MCT Championship, meaning the top 16 point earners will be playing for sponsored money and a berth into the Provincial Championships.  Another change we have made and something we would like to continue moving forward with is an MCT schedule with no conflicting bonspiels. Our goal is to fill the clubs again.  Since we have had their continued support over the years, we wish to return the favour!

The MCA has also confirmed their support of the tour, awarding the Men’s division with three berths – the MCT CHAMPION and the two highest ranked eligible teams at the conclusion of the championship. In the women’s division – the MCT CHAMPION and the highest ranked team at the conclusion of the championship.

Our biggest task, and certainly one of the most important tasks, is too reach out to our existing sponsors, as well as approach new sponsors. We have been in contact with our presenting sponsor Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries, and they have expressed great excitement to continue their support.

As we strive to please our curling community, we will graciously accept any ideas or concerns from the public.  Our website  www.mancurltour.ca has a contact page if you wish to leave an email for our volunteers.  On behalf of the Manitoba Curling Tour we would like to extend  thanks for your continued support and we wish you a fun filled summer.  See you in September!

Regards,

Curtis Atkins,

President, Manitoba Curling Tour

 

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March 21, 2016

MANITOBA CURLING TOUR “UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

An “Under New Management” sign has been posted on the virtual doors of the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries.Curtis Atkins, Keith Doherty and Justin Twiss will head the volunteer Manitoba Curling Tour (MCT) Committee as of March 21, 2016. Atkins has been elected President with Doherty as his Vice-President. Twiss will serve as the committee’s secretary.The new leaders plan to expand the organizing committee to include both rural and Winnipeg as well as female and male representation. While they have identified some possible additions to the Board, they invite other interested curler-volunteers to contact with them.The plan for the immediate future of the Manitoba Curling Tour includes a return to its roots with the volunteer-directed committee taking a very hands on approach.”As curlers we want to work directly with the event organizers, the players, our sponsors and partner organizations such as CurlManitoba to build upon the success of the Manitoba CurlingTour” said new President Curtis Atkins. “We also want to explore ways to re-new and improve upon the way the MCT has operated, basically unchanged since its inception.”The Manitoba Curling Tour was created in the summer of 1991, to provide a means of co-ordination and support for the series of local bonspiels or cashspiels in the province. Initially it involved men’s events, but in 1996 -97, a women’s division was added. Atkins says the new MCT organizing committee will be contacting event organizers , players, sponsors and other stakeholders during to remaining few weeks of the current curling season to hear comments and suggestions for the future and to confirm an MCT schedule for 2016-2017.”On behalf of all the curlers, we want to express their appreciation to retiring Tour Coordinator Resby Coutts and former Coordinator Bob Picken as well as to Andy Stewart and all of the past volunteer directors of the Manitoba Curling Tour. their efforts have helped the MCT play an important role on the Manitoba curling scene” Atkins said.

Interested curlers may contact:Curtis Atkins ([email protected])
Keith Doherty ([email protected])
Justin Twiss ([email protected])

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<Dec 13, 2015>

 

Lyburn Wins 25th Anniversary Manitoba Curling Tour Men’s Championship

Twenty-five curling seasons after Vic Peters and his Manitoba champions won the inaugural Manitoba Curling Tour Men’s Championship, William Lyburn’s Granite team of Jason Gunnlaugson, Richard Daneault, and Braden Zawada have won the 2015 MCT Championship presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. The event was played December 11-13 in Dauphin.Lyburn posted a 4-3 victory, with a final end last rock draw to the eight foot circle to defeat Alex Forrest-East St. Paul (Travis Bale, Ian MacMillan, Connor Njegovan).Lyburn and his team won the championship’s $2,500 first prize. Team Forrest picked up $2,000 and the Viterra provincial championship berth which goes to the highest finishing eligible team. Lyburn and his team already had a provincial men’s berth in hand.In the semi-finals, Lyburn defeated Scott Ramsay-Granite (7-3) while Forrest defeated David Bohn-Granite (6-1). The semi-finalists each earned $1,500. Team Bohn had already earned an entry into the Viterra Championship in Selkirk through the CTRS process while Ramsay’s semi-final finish earned his team a Viterra invitation.Quarterfinalists Matt Dunstone-Granite and Dennis Bohn-Assiniboine Memorial picked up the final two provincial berths as a result of their final MCT ranking positions. The other two quarterfinalists were Jared Kolomaya-Stonewall and Richard Muntain-Pinawa. The quarterfinalists all picked up $1,000 cheques.

 

Montford Wins 20th Anniversary Manitoba Curling Tour Women’s

 

Championship The Manitoba Curling Tour’s Women’s championship, an event which started five years after its men’s counterpart, was won Sunday in Dauphin by Michelle Montford-Assiniboine Memorial (Lisa DeRiviere, Sara Van Walleghem, Sarah Neufeld). Montford defeated clubmate Joelle Brown 4-3 in the final.In the semi-finals, Brown defeated Darcy Robertson-Rossmere (7-4) and Montford beat Beth Peterson-Fort Rouge (5-2). Robertson and Peterson each earned $1500.A pair of Dauphin teams, the Tiffany McLean and Melissa Barsewsky foursomes reached the quarterfinals.The Montford, Brown, and Robertson teams all earned Manitoba Curling Tour invitations to compete in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts presented by Monsanto in January 2016 in Beausejour.In the semi-finals, Brown defeated Darcy Robertson-Rossmere (7-4) and Montford beat Beth Peterson-Fort Rouge (5-2). Robertson and Peterson each earned $1500.A pair of Dauphin teams, the Tiffany McLean and Melissa Barsewsky foursomes reached the quarterfinals.The Montford, Brown, and Robertson teams all earned Manitoba Curling Tour invitations to compete in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts presented by Monsanto in January 2016 in Beausejour.

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Dec 10, 2015>

Field & Draws Set for MCT Championships

The draw has been finalized for the Manitoba Curling Tour Championships to be played in Dauphin, December 11-13, 2015. Eight of the top nine ranked teams on the men’s side of the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries are among the 14 teams who will be competing for the championship.Last weekend’s final event, the Thistle Integrity Stakes, resulted in some small changes in the Men’s rankings which could play a key role in teams earning a provincial championship berth through the MCT Championship.Matt Dunstone’s Granite team posted a final game 3-2 win over clubmate Taylor McIntyre  to win the Thistle Integrity Stakes championship, the $2100 first prize and valuable MCT points which moved the former junior champion into the #3 ranked position (up from #6). McIntyre remains at #2 behind top-ranked Daley Peters-East St. Paul who did not compete on the weekend.McIntyre, who earned $1350 at Thistle, is the only team in the top eight who will not compete in the MCT Championship event.
Semi-finalists Derek Oryniak-Granite and Scott Ramsay-Granite each cashed $750 cheques. Oryniak moved into the top 15 for the first time, finishing the fall season at #11 in the rankings. Ramsay improved from #7 and moved into a tie with Carberry’s Kelly Marnoch at #6.Eighth ranked Dennis Bohn and #9 Alex Forrest did not play in the Thistle event. The quarterfinalists were Andrew Irving-Pembina and Bob Sigurdson-Granite who each earned $500.The draw for the MCT Championship event is seeded based upon the teams ranking after Thistle. Teams who have accepted the invitation to compete, their seeding, and their first game opponents are:9AM FRIDAY#4 Jared Kolomaya-Stonewall vs #13 Greg Todoruk-Dauphin
#5 Scott Ramsay-Granite vs #12 Ray Baker-Dauphin
#8 Alex Forrest-East St. Paul vs #9 William Lyburn-Granite
** First draw bye – #1 Daley Peters-East St. Paul
** First draw bye – #2 David Bohn-Granite
NOON FRIDAY#3 Matt Dunstone-Granite vs #14 Jerry Chudley-Neepawa
#6 Kelly Marnoch-Carberry vs #11 Richard Muntain-Pinawa
#7 Dennis Bohn-Assiniboine Memorial vs #10 Curtis McCannell-Pilot MoundIn the Women’s MCT Championship, a ten team field will compete for the title and the provincial championship berth which goes to the highest finishing eligible team.The Women’s rankings in the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries were not affected by the Thistle Integrity Stakes. Former provincial champions and sisters Darcy Robertson and Barb Spencer finished the fall season in a tie for first place in the rankings.
Spencer already has a provincial Scotties berth and will not compete in Dauphin, giving Robertson the top seed position in the women’s draw. Third ranked Joelle Brown-Assiniboine Memorial and fifth ranked Kim Link-East St. Paul round out the top three seeds in the women’s event.NOON-FRIDAY
#7 Lisa Menard-Dauphin vs Stacey Sime-Dauphin (unranked)
#8 Tiffany McLean-Dauphin vs Melissa Barsewsky-Dauphin (unranked)3PM-FRIDAY
#3 Kim Link-East St. Paul vs #6 Janet Harvey – Assiniboine Memorial
#4 Michelle Wiens (Montford)-Assiniboine Memorial vs #5 Beth Peterson-Fort Rouge6PM-FRIDAY
#1 Darcy Robertson-Rossmere vs Winner Menard/Sime
#2 Joelle Brown-Assiniboine Memorial vs Winner McLean/Barsewsky.

Advisory to Teams

Teams from outside Manitoba, or Manitoba teams who do not get the weekly updates on Manitoba Curling Tour Rankings are asked to contact [email protected], if there is a possibility of you being interested in competing in the MCT Championships, December 11-13 in Dauphin. Invitations to the Men’s & Women’s Championships go to the top 16 (Men) and 12 (Women) teams on the rankings and further down the list as teams decline to attend. To check you status on the MCT Rankings contact Coordinator Resby Coutts at [email protected] Championship presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries
With the support of Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy

 

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Dec 1, 2015>

Team McIntyre Wins Men’s Sunova Spiel at East St. Paul

Taylor McIntyre and his Granite team (Sam Good, Riley Smith, Jared Hancox) defeated Daley Peters-East St. Paul (Corey Chambers, Kody Janzen, Stuart Shiells) 7-3 to win the final game of the Sunova Spiel at East St. Paul and the champion’s prize of $2,600. The win moved McIntyre (#2) closer to Peters in the MCT rankings but Peters retained top spot with one event yet to play before the draw is finalized for the MCT Championship presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries at the Dauphin Curling Club, December 11 to 13. The Peters foursome earned $1,800.00Semi-finalist David Bohn- Granite improved from #4 to #3 on the MCT Rankings list while Wayne Ewasko-Beausejour made a big jump in the rankings with his team’s first playoff appearance of the season. The semifinalists cashed cheques for $1,200.0. The quarter-finalists each earned $800.00. Kelly Marnoch-Carberry improved his team’s ranking to #5 (from #8) while Rob Atkins-Charleswood moved into the top 15 (T-13 with Reid Carruthers-East St. Paul & Charley Thomas-Calgary) and Steen Sigurdson & Trevor Loreth-Granite both also made big moves up the rankings.The last event before the Championship weekend is the Thistle Integrity Stakes, December 5 to 7.

 

Clark-Rouire Foursome Wins Women’s Sunova Spiel at East St. Paul

 

Jennifer Clark-Rouire’s Granite team (Rachel Burtnyk, Lindsay Warkentin, Kylee Calvert) defeated Lisa Menard-Dauphin (San Murata, Lesle Cafferty, Laurie Macdonell, Brandi Oliver) 4-3 to win the $2600 first prize in the East St. Paul Sunova Spiel’s women’s division and with the win moved to #4 on the women’s rankings list of the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. Team Menard earned $1800 and moved into the top 15 for the first time. At #14. The Menard team will earn an invitation to the MCT Championship in their home club, Dauphin, December 11-13.Bonspiel organizer Kim Link was unable to hold onto the top ranking position, falling to #5. Semi-finalist Joelle Brown-Assiniboine Memorial earned $1200 and improved on the rankings list to #3 (up from #7). The other semi-finalist, Barb Spencer-Assiniboine Memorial, moved up from #3 into a first place tie with quarter-finalist Darcy Robertson-Rossmere (up from #2).The other quarter-finalist, Kerri Einarson-East St.Paul, improved to #6 on the rankings (up from #8). The two quarter-finalist teams earned $800.The invitations for the MCT Championship weekend have been extended to the top ranked teams. A total of 12 teams will compete for the championship plus one of three available Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts presented by Monsanto in Beausejour in January 2016.

 

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<Nov 24, 2015>

Provincial Champs Win DEKALB SuperSpiel Finals

Manitoba’s reigning provincial champions are this year’s champions of the DEKALB SuperSpiel in Morris. Reid Carruthers and Jennifer Jones and their teams won the Monday afternoon final games over challengers from out-of-province.

Carruthers and his East St. Paul team (Braeden Moskowy, Derek Samagalski, Colin Hodgson) posted a 6-2 final game win over Charley Thomas and his Alberta team to win the 8th annual event. Carruthers and his team earned $10,000 while the Thomas foursome cashed a cheque for $6,000. The two teams move into the top 15 on the men s rankings for the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries.

The two teams share the 13th place in the rankings.

Semifinalists Dennis Bohn-Assiniboine Memorial (6-4 loss to Carruthers) and Gustav Eskilsson-SWE (4-3 loss to Thomas) each won $3,0000. Bohn moved to #7 on the MCT rankings (up from #8) while Eskilsson and his team make their first appearance on the MCT list.

The four quarter-finalist picked up $2,000 each. Matt Dunstone-Granite moved to #5 on the rankings list (up from #7); Alex Forrest-East St. Paul improved to #9 (up from #12); William Lyburn-Granite moved to #11 (up from #14); and at #24, Mike McEwen-Fort Rouge moved into the top 25 for the first time.

Despite not qualifying for the playoffs in Morris, Daley Peters-East St. Paul, Taylor McIntyre-Granite, Jared Kolomaya-Stonewall, and David Bohn-Granite retained the top four ranking positions respectively.

In the Women’s final Jennifer Jones-St. Vtal (Kaitlyn Lawes, Jill Officer, Dawn McEwen) defeated Erika Brown-USA 8-4 to win the final game. Jones took the $10,000 champion’s purse while the Brown team earned $6,000. The championship,  along with a runner-up finish at their only other Manitoba event – the Canad Inns Classic, moved Team Jones to #11 on the MCT Women’s rankings. It is their appearance in the top 15 in 2015.

The Brown foursome’s finalist finish and $6,000 cheque moved them into the 14th ranking position, also their first appearance in the top 15.

Barb Spencer, who lost the semi-final  6-1 to Jones, improved to #3 (from #7) on the MCT Rankings list. Allison Flaxey-ON lost the other semi-final  7-5 to Brown and moved onto the rankings list for the first time at #28. The two semi-finalists each earned $3,000.

The quarter-finalists, who cashed cheques of $2,000, were #2 Darcy Robertson-Rossmere (up from #3); #7 Joelle Brown-Assiniboine Memorial (up from #10); #15 Cathy OvertonClapham-Fort Rouge (first time in the top 15); and Shannon Kleibrink-AB.

Top ranked Kim Link-East St. Paul did not compete but retained the top position.

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<Nov 16, 2015>

Hartung’s Saskatchewan Team Wins Swan River Westood Inn Classic

Kody Hartung and his Langenburg, Saskatchewan team (Jeff Hartung, Tyler Hartung, ClareDeCock) posted an 8-2 victory over Alex Forrest and his East St. Paul foursome (Travis Bale, Ian McMillan, Connor Njegovan) to win Swan River’s Westwood Inn Classic – the week 8 scheduled event on the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries.

The Hartung team shared the $8,000 first prize while Forrest and his crew took home $5,000. Both teams moved into the top 15 on the MCT’s  Men’s rankings with Hartung at #10 and Forrest at #12.

Semifinalist Daley Peters and his East St. Paul team moved back into first place on the rankings list while Curtis McCannell, the other semifinalist, moved up to #8 on the rankings list. It is the Pilot Mound team’s first appearance in the MCT top 10. The two teams each earned $2,500.

Quarterfinalists #5 Scott Ramsay-Granite (up from #6); #6 Kelly Marnoch-Carberry (up from #7);and Saskatchewan teams skipped by Shaun Meachem and Josh Heidt all earned $1,250 cheques.  Meachem and Heidt make their first appearances on the MCT rankings list, tied in the 28th ranking.

 

On the MCT’s Women’s rankings on the past weekend, Kim Link-East St. Paul and her team moved alone into first place on the ranking (formerly tied) when they reached the final of CurlManitoba’s Scotties berth bonspiel in Gimli. Team Link lost the game (7-5), and the berth, to Shannon Birchard-St Vital (Nicole Sigvaldason, SheynaAndries, Mariah Mondor, Coach Bruce Birchard). Team Birchard moved into #2 spot on the rankings list (up from #8).

Darcy Robertson’s Rossmere team lost the semi-final but moved up to #3 (from #5) on the rankings list. #4 Michelle Montford-Assiniboine Memorial (down from being tied for #1) and #5 Kerri Einarson-East St. Paul & Kristy McDonald-Granite (tied, down from #3) did not compete in the event.

The next event on the Manitoba Curling Tour Men’s and Women’s calendar is the 64 team (32 Men, 32 Women) DEKALB SuperSpiel, to be played in the Morris Curling Club and Rosenort Arena, November 19-23.

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<Nov 10, 2015>

Peters Wins Rossmere Ken Kurbis Memorial Galaxy Spiel

Daley Peters and his East St. Paul foursome (Corey Chambers, Kody Janzen, Stuart Shiells) defeated Taylor McIntyre-Granite to complete an undefeated run through the Rossmere Ken Kurbis Memorial Galaxy Bonspiel presented by Fort Garry Industries. It was the second championship of the season on the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, following an earlier victory in the Fort Rouge KKP Classic.

The 6-3 win helped the Peters team retain the second place ranking on the MCT Men’s list, a mere two points behind McIntyre. Peters picked up $1,800 while McIntyre’s payday was $1300.

Quarterfinalists Dennis Bohn-Assiniboine Memorial and Jared Kolomaya-Stonewall each earned $1000. Kolomaya retained his fourth ranked position (behind #3 David Bohn-Granite) while Dennis Bohn’s team improved their ranking to #8 (up from #15).

Scott Ramsay-Granite, with three wins, improved from #7 to #6 on the rankings, pushing Kelly Marnoch to #7. Fifth ranked Matt Dunstone-Granite and Marnoch did not compete in the Rossmere event.

Quarterfinalists Ryan Hyde-Portage and Tyler Drews-Fort Rouge each cashed cheques for $700. Hyde makes his first appearance on the rankings list, moving in to the top 30. Drews improved to #11, tied with Rob Atkins-Charleswood and William Lyburn-Granite. Richard Muntain is ranked 14th on the MCT rankings, in a tie with Saskatchewan’s Steve Laycock.

Based on end-of-season rankings, teams will receive an invitation to compete in the MCT Championship at Dauphin Curling Club, December 11-13. In addition to the primary sponsorship of Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, the MCT appreciates the valued support of Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy and other local Dauphin sponsors as well as Asham Curling Supplies and ReMax professionals Gord & Kristi Green.

Next on the Manitoba Curling Tour are the Swan River Westwood Inn Classic (November 13-16) and the DEKALB SuperSpiel in Morris & Rosenort (November 19-23)

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<Oct 27, 2015>

Birchard Wins Fort Rouge Ladies Classic

Shannon Birchard and her St Vital team (Nicole Sigvaldason, Sheyna Andries, Mariah Mondor) defeated Jennifer Clark-Rouire’s Granite foursome (Rachel Burtnyk, Lindsay Warkentin, Kylee Calvert) 7-3 to win the final game of the Fort Rouge Ladies Classic, the weekend event on the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. Team Birchard was 3-0 in the round robin portion of the event and a perfect 6-0 through the weekend competition. Team Birchard cashes a $1,400 winners’ cheque to go with the $300 won earlier as the top performing team in the event’s shoot-out plus $120 in ‘per-win’ money.

Clark-Rouire scored a 5-3 victory over Touri Koana-JPN while Birchard was beating Kim Link 7-6 in the semifinals.

The Clark-Rouire team payday was $1,100 (plus $40 for one win) while Link and Koana each earned $800. Link was a perfect 3-0 in round robin play to earn $120 for wins while the Japanese team won a pair of games to earn an added $80.

Quarterfinalists Janet Harvey (Granite) and Berth Peterson (Fort Rouge) each earned $600 plus $120 for their perfect 3-0 record in round robin play. Joelle Brown (Assiniboine Memorial) picked up $600 plus $80 for two wins and Deb Collyer-Killarney earned $600 plus $40 for a single win.

The event’s results changed the Manitoba Curling Tour rankings significantly.

Link (up from #6) moved into a first place tie with Michelle Montford-Assiniboine Memorial and moved Kristy McDonald-Granite and Kerri Einarson back to ‘tied for third’ ranking and Barb Spencer-Assiniboine Memorial back 5th. None of Montford, McDonald, Einarson, or Spencer competed in the weekend event.

Darcy Robertson-Rossmere stayed in a fifth place tie with Spencer along with Beth Peterson–Fort Rouge (up from #7).

Birchard’s championship moved her St Vital team up in the rankings from #14 to #8, tied with Joelle Brown-Assiniboine Memorial (up from #9).

Quarterfinalist Janet Harvey-Granite stayed in the #10 ranking position and just ahead of #11 Jennifer Clark-Rouire-Granite.

The 16-team event was played in four pools of four teams in a round-robin. Four teams with 3-0 records and two with 2-1 records advanced to the playoff based on their winning record. In two of the pools, three teams finished with 1-2 records, bringing into play the bonspiel’s 8-shot tiebreaker. The final two teams to advance based on ‘shoot-out results’ were Jennifer Clark-Rouire-Granite and Debbie Collyer-Killarney.

The ‘shoot-out’ was conducted by each team after their first game and included in & out-turn draws to the button through a port, an in & out-turn raise to the button, hit and rolls to the button from each side of the four-foot, and hit and rolls to the button from each side of the 12 foot circle. The shoot-out contest was based on a model employed by Brandon’s Neil Andrews Legends Classic. Shannon Birchard’s team topped the event with a score of 25 out of a possible 40 points and earned the $300 cheque offered to the winner of the ‘shoot-out’.

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<Oct 27, 2015>ore

Team Kim Wins Portage Canad Inns Classic

A three on the fourth end and four more on the sixth were their only scores but the seven points were enough for EunJung Kim-Korea to win the Canad Inns Women’s Classic final game Sunday in Portage. Team Kim defeated defending champion Jennifer Jones and her St.Vital team 7-6 in the Shaw-TV televised final game. Team Jones reached the final with a 6-5 semifinal victory over Tracey Fleury-NONT while Kim posted a 6-4 win over Michelle Englot-SK.

Team Kim earned $15,400 (first prize plus $100 per preliminary round win) and moved to #11 on the Manitoba Curling Tour women’s rankings. Team Jones earned $10,400 and moved to #13 on the rankings list. It was the first appearance by the finalist teams in a 2015 event on the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries.

In the semifinals in the Canad Inns Women’s Classic in Portage feature Englot defeated Kerri Einarson-East St Paul 7-5 while Fleury defeated Stefanie Lawton-SK 8-3. Englot and Fleury earned $6,400 and $6,300 respectively and share the 15th ranking position on the Manitoba Curling Tour.

The quarterfinalists were Kerri Einarson-East St Paul, Kristy McDonald-Granite, Stefanie Lawton-SK, and Erika Brown-USA. Einarson and McDonald improved their MCT ranking and continue to share the #2 position (up from #3) behind Michelle Montford-Assiniboine Memorial. Montford missed the playoffs in Portage but the team’s one win was enough to keep them just slightly ahead of Einarson and McDonald in the rankings. Barb Spencer’s four wins were enough to stay in the top five (#4, down from #3) and Darcy Robertson’s Rossmere team won a pair of games. Team Robertson dropped from #2 in the rankings to #5.

The next five in the rankings remain unchanged with Kim Link-East St Paul (#6), Beth Peterson-Fort Rouge (#7), Jill Thurston-Granite (#8), Joelle Brown-Assiniboine Memorial (#9), and Janet Harvey-Granite (#10).

Based on end-of-season rankings, teams will receive an invitation to compete in the MCT Championship at Dauphin Curling Club, December 11-13. In addition to the primary sponsorship of Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, the MCT appreciates the valued support of Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy and other local Dauphin sponsors as well as Asham Curling Supplies and ReMax professionals Gord & Kristi Green.

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<Oct 13, 2015

Robertson, Laycock Win Week Four MCT Events

Darcy Robertson and her Rossmere team (Karen Klein, Vanessa Foster, Michelle Kruk) posted a 7-2 victory over Barb Spencer-Assiniboine Memorial (Katie Spencer, Holly Spencer, Sydney Arnal) to win the Atkins Curling Supplies Women’s Classic at East St. Paul. Team Robertson picked up a $4,250 cheque and moved into the number two position on the Manitoba Curling Tour women’s rankings (up from #8).

Spencer took home $2,400 and moved up to #3 on the rankings list tied with Kerri Einarson-East St Paul and Kristy McDonald-Granite who did not compete.

The East St Paul event was the second women’s event of the fall season on the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. Michelle Montford-Assiniboine Memorial, winner of the season opening Mother Club Women’s Classic, continues to hold the top spot on the MCT women’s rankings list.

Semi-finalists Kim Link-East St. Paul, who lost 5-2 to Robertson, and Meghan Armit-Granite, who lost 6-4 to Spencer, earned $1,700 and $1,650 respectively. The finish allowed the Link foursome to retain the sixth position in the rankings while Armit moved up the rankings to #11.

Quarterfinalist Joelle Brown-Assiniboine Memorial, Shannon Birchard-St Vital, Jennifer Clark-Rouire and Beth Peterson-Fort Rouge all earned $1,000 plus $50 per win. Peterson is now #7 (down from #5) on the MCT rankings while Brown remains at #9. Birchard and Clark-Rouire moved into the top fifteen, at #12 and #13 respectively.

All earnings figures for the bonspiel include $50 per round-robin win.

Jill Thurston-Granite (#8, down from #4) did not compete in the weekend event. Former bonspiel champion Janet Harvey-Granite (#10, down from #7) won three round-robin games but did not qualify for the playoff round.

In Portage at the Canad Inns Classic, the weekend’s Men’s MCT/WCT event, the Reid Carruthers-East St. Paul team (Braden Moskowy, Derek Samagalski, Colin Hodgson) was the only Manitoba foursome to reach the quarterfinals. The Manitobans were joined by Alberta’s Kevin Koe, Charlie Thomas and Brendan Bottcher; Jeff Hartung and Steve Laycock from Sakatchewan, Brad Jacobs-Northern Ontario, and Japan’s Yasuke Morozumi.

The event was won by Laycock (8-5 over Koe), earning his team $18,000 and moving them to #9 on the MCT rankings. Koe cashed a $10,000 cheque.

Semifinalists Jacobs (8-5 loss to Koe) and Thomas (7-4 loss to Laycock) each earned $6,000 while quarterfinalists Carruthers, Bottcher, Hartung, and Morozmi earned $4,000.

A pair of round-robin victories moved Daley Peters-East St Paul into a tie with Taylor McIntyre at the top of the MCT Men’s rankings list. McIntyre did not compete in the weekend event.

Thanks to round robin victories, Andrew Irving-Pembina moved into the top ten (#10, up from #12), Matt Dunstone-Granite (#4, up from #6) and Braden Calvert-Deer Lodge (unchanged at #7) both improved their rankings and Jared Kolomaya-Stonewall stayed in the top five (#5, down from #4).

David Bohn-Granite (unchanged at #3) and Scott Ramsay-Granite (unchanged at #8) did not compete.

 

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<Oct 13, 2015>

Team David Bohn Wins Second ‘Spiel in Two Starts

David Bohn and his Granite team (Justin Richter, Tyler Forrest, Bryce McEwen) posted a 5-3 win over Braden Calvert-Deer Lodge (Kyle Kurz, Connor McIntyre, Colin Kurz, Brendan Wilson) to win the Nott Autocorp Thanksgiving Charity Classic at Thistle. The week three championship matched the week one success of the new David Bohn foursome when they won the Mother Club Classic at Granite.

Bohn and his team earned $2,000 and moved into third place on the MCT Men’s Rankings list for the season. Calvert cashed a $1250 cheque and moved to #7 on the MCT Rankings list.

Semifinalists Jared Kolomaya-Stonewall, who lost 6-3 to Bohn, and Taylor McIntyre-Granite, who lost 5-3 to Calvert, earned $825. McIntyre moved to the top of the MCT Rankings (up from #2) while Kolomaya improved to #4 (up from #5).

Quarterfinalists Eugene Desjarlais-Granite, Derek Oryniak-Granite, Scott Ramsay-Granite, and Steen Sigurdson all earned $400 cheques in the 2o team bonspiel. Ramsay moves to #7 on the rankings while Sigurdson and Oryniak share the 12th ranked position. Desjarlais’ team makes their first appearance on the season’s rankings list – at #19.

Accumulated rankings across the MCT season earn the teams an invitation to the championships of the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries.

The MCT Championships will be played December 11-13, 2015 in Dauphin. In addition to the valued sponsorship of Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, the Manitoba Curling Tour acknowledges the support of Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy, Asham, and ReMax Professionals Gord & Kristi Green.

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<Oct 7, 2015>

 

Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Renews Manitoba Curling Tour Sponsorship

Manitoba Curling Tour (MCT) and Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries (MBLL) are pleased to announce the renewal of the Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries sponsorship of the season long Manitoba Curling Tour and support for the season ending MCT Championships.

Now identified province-wide as the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, the MCT coordinates a series of 18 bonspiels in five Winnipeg curling clubs and five clubs in rural Manitoba. The MCT is also responsible for maintaining a ranking of Manitoba’s competitive men’s and women’s teams which leads to the 2015 allocation of four invitations to compete in the provincial men’s curling championship in Selkirk in February 2016, and three invitations to compete in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts presented by Monsanto in Beausejour in January, 2016.

The Men’s and Women’s Championships of the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries will be hosted by the Dauphin Curling Club, December 11-13, 2015. Invitations to participate are based upon the MCT rankings. The winner, or highest finishing eligible teams, will earn a provincial championship invitation. The remaining provincial invitations will be assigned to the top ranked eligible teams after the championships.

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<Oct 7, 2015>

CurlManitoba Introduces New Men’s Championship Title Sponsor

CurlManitoba has announced that Viterra Inc. has signed a partnership agreement which will see the grain industry leader become the title sponsor of the Manitoba Men’s Curling Championship for the next 2 years.

 

 

 

 

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<Oct 5, 2015>

Peters Captures Inaugural KKP Classic Title

Daley Peters and his East St Paul team (Corey Chambers, Kody Janzen, StuShiells) topped the new KKP Classic bonspiel at Fort Rouge to win the $2,500 first prize and to move up into the first place ranking on the Men’s Manitoba Curling Tour after weekend #2.

The new Fort Rouge event on the second weekend of the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries attracted 15 teams and was played in a round-robin, three groups of five format.

Peters defeated Jared Kolomaya-Stonewall (Neil Kitching, Kennedy Bird, Daniel Hunt) 5-3 in the championship final. Kolomaya’s payday was $1500 and the Stonewall team moved to the #5 ranked position on the MCT list.

Semi-finalists Matt Dunstone-Granite (6-1 loss to Kolomaya) and Dennis Bohn-Assiniboine Memorial (5-3 loss to Peters) cashed $1000 cheques. Dunstone’s junior team is now ranked fourth (up from fifth) on the MCT Rankings. Dennis Bohn joined his brother David, winner a week ago at the Mother Club Fall Classic) in the MCT top ten. Dennis moved into a three way tie in the ninth ranked position with Scott Ramsay-Granite and JT Ryan-Assiniboine Memorial. Neither was entered in the KKP Classic.

Taylor McIntyre-Granite, retained the second ranked position by qualifying for the playoff round before losing in the quarterfinal to Bohn (5-4). Andrew Irving-Pembina moved into the top ten and is ranked eighth after losing a quarterfinal to Kolomaya (6-2).

Next on the Manitoba Curling Tour is the Nott Autocorp Thanksgiving Charity Classic at the Thistle Curling Club, on Thanksgiving weekend.

 

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<Sept 28, 2015>

Montford, Bohn Teams Win Season Opener Mother Club Classic

Michelle Montford’s Assiniboine Memorial team captured the championship of the Mother Club Fall Classic with a 10-3 final game victory Sunday over Beth Peterson and her Fort Rouge team. The event at Winnipeg’s Granite Curling Club was the first event of the fall season the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries.

Montford (Lisa DeRiviere, Sara Van Walleghem, Sarah Neufeld, Courtney Blanchard) earned the $2,500 first prize and solidified their hold on first place in the MCT Rankings as the fall season begins. Going into the weekend event, the Montford team already topped the ranked thanks to their performances in the earlier January-March 2015 events.

The finalist finish for Peterson (Robyn Njegovan, Melissa Gordon, BreanneYozenko) moved the 2014-15 Manitoba Junior champion team into the top five of the MCT rankings as they make their move into the women’s ranks for 2015. Team Peterson earned $1,800.

Semi-finalists Kerri Einarson-East St. Paul and Kim Link-East St. Paul each earned$1,250 and moved to second and sixth place on the MCT Women’s rankings respectively.

Defending champion Kristy McDonald-Granite qualified for the playoff round along with Joelle Brown-Assiniboine Memorial, Jill Thurston-Granite and Darcy Robertson-Rossmere. The quarterfinalists earned $800 and all are in the top ten in the early season rankings.

 

In the Mother Club Fall Classic Men’s division, David Bohn-Granite posted an extra end 4-2 win over Matt Dunstone-Granite in the final game. Bohn (Justin Richter, Tyler Forrest, Bryce McEwen) also cashed a $2,500 first prize cheque to start the season while Dunstone (Colton Lott, Kyle Doering, Robbie Gordon) pocketed $1,800. Bohn and Dunstone start the seasons ranked fourth and fifth respectively on the MCT Rankings thanks to their Mother Club Classic results.

Semifinalists Scott Ramsay-Granite and JT Ryan-Assiniboine Memorial earned $1,250 and share sixth place in the rankings.

Taylor McIntyre’s Granite foursome, winner of a provincial men’s championship berth at a spring qualifying event, reached the playoffs along with Richard Muntain-Pinawa, Braden Calvert-Deer Lodge, and Daley Peters-East St. Paul. The four quarterfinalists earned $800 and also are all in the top 10 in the early season rankings.

Accumulated rankings across the MCT season earn the teams an invitation to the championships of the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries.

The MCT Championships will be played December 11-13, 2015 in Dauphin. In addition to the valued sponsorship of Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, the Manitoba Curling Tour acknowledges the support of Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy, Asham, and ReMax Professionals Gord & Kristi Green.

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<Sept 23, 2015>

Fort Rouge MCT Spiels Looking for Entries

The KKP Men’s Classic at Fort Rouge (October 2-4) currently has 14 entries and Fort Rouge Manager is encouraging curlers to add the extra pair of entries which the bonspiel needs for a perfect 16-team draw.

For the new Women’s Fort Rouge Women’s Classic, organizer Deb McCreanor would like to see entries get to 16 but needs one more to be at 14, a number that is workable in making the draw.

Interested teams are asked to contact Jeff Hodge ([email protected]) and/or Deb McCreanor ([email protected])  as soon as possible.

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<Sept 13, 2015>

WESTWOOD INN New Sponsor of Swan River Cash ‘Spiel

Organizers are welcoming the Westwood Inn as the new title sponsor of the long running fall men’s cash bonspiel in Swan River. The bonspiel will run the weekend of November 13-16, 2015.

The entry fee for the bonspiel is $800 with an entry limit of 24 teams.

With a full entry, cash prizes will be $9,000 (champion), $7,000 (finalist), $4,000 (semifinalist), and $3,000 (quarterfinalist).

The contact person for the bonspiel is Kelly Tibble – (H: 204-734-4161, C: 204-734-0488) Email: [email protected]. Entry cheques can be sent to PO Box 725, Swan River MB R0L 1Z0

Organizers of long-standing event on the cash bonspiel circuit encourage teams to get their entry in as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. The community provides a significant level of sponsorship for the bonspiel and a full entry is an important factor in ensuring the future of the event.

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Change of Venue for January Women’s Cash Event

Assiniboine Memorial and Granite Curling Clubs have announced plans to move the Granite Womens Bonspiel, which they established in January 2015, to Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club (AMCC) for 2016.

The new Assiniboine Memorial Womens Open Bonspiel will be played January 7-10, 2016 at the club which bills itself as ‘The Home of Champions & Championships”.

The move was necessary when previously open ice at Granite was no longer available in 2016.

AMCC looks forward to hosting the event in 2016, and depending upon participation, will give serious consideration to making it a permanent event on the Manitoba curling calendar. The timing of the bonspiel, just ahead of the January 19-24 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, makes it an excellent tune-up opportunity for teams competing in the provincials.

AMCC Manager Paul Batchelor assures participants in the Womens Open Bonspiel they can look forward to great ice, superb hospitality and lively action from recently refurbished striking bands on their rocks.

For more information on the bonspiel, teams are invited to contact Paul Batchelor by email at [email protected].

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<Aug 13, 2015>

Fort Rouge Announces KKP as Men’s ‘Spiel Title Sponsor

Fort Rouge Curling Club (FRCC) has announced that their inaugural Men’s fall cash spiel will be known as the KKP Classic. The event at Fort Rouge will take place October 2-4, 2015.

FRCC Manager Jeff Hodge announced the title sponsorship of Clark Norman and KKP (formerly Kwik Kopy Printing) with an expression of appreciation to Norman and KKP for continuing support of the club.

“We have always been able to rely of Clark for both volunteer support and corporate support of our club’s activities such as this winter’s Manitoba Senior Championships. So we are delighted to have that support expanded with our new Manitoba Curling Tour event.” Hodge says.

“KKP values its relationship with curling and curlers and we appreciate the support we get from the curlers who are in a position to utilize our printing and sign services,” Norman says. “We appreciate Fort Rouge giving us the opportunity to be a part of a new early season bonspiel which we anticipate can become an important early-season competition.”

Hodge went on to stress that entries have become to come in for the bonspiel so interested teams are advised to make contact soon to avoid disappointment. During the summer months, bonspiel details can be obtained or interest can be expressed by email ([email protected]). Entry fee will be $500 per team.

In addition to the new men’s KKP Classic, Fort Rouge will also host a Manitoba Curling Tour Women’s event, October 30 to November 1, 2015. Interested teams are encouraged to contact Deb McCreanor. ([email protected])

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<Aug 13, 2015>

Dauphin to Host Manitoba Curling Tour Championships

The Manitoba Curling Tour (MCT) presented by Manitoba Liquor& Lotteries has announced that the annual MCT Men’s and Women’s Championships will be played in Dauphin on the weekend of December 11-13, 2015.

Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy and the Dauphin Curling Club, along with the club’s loyal bonspiel partners, will be major supporters of the championship weekend.

The decision to host the MCT Championship event in Dauphin has been made in tandem with the organizing committee of the long-standing Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy Cash ‘Spiel. That annual event will not run in 2015 as organizers consider the future of the event.

“For a couple of years, we have been discussing the future and especially the timing of the bonspiel,” says Bonspiel Chair Ray Baker. “We initiated the discussion about hosting the MCT Championships as a way of maintaining a significant competitive curling presence in Dauphin while we consider future direction for the bonspiel.”

Both the bonspiel committee and Manitoba Curling Tour are delighted with the decision of Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy’s Myles Haverluck to continue a significant sponsorship contribution in support of the Dauphin Curling Club’s efforts to present championship calibre curling in the community.

“We are pleased to be able to help the Dauphin Curling Club host the top Manitoba Curling Tour teams again this winter,” says Haverluck. “It is a privilege for us to be involved with the major expansion of our previous efforts by bringing the top-ranked Manitoba women curlers to Dauphin for the first time along with the competitive men.”

The Manitoba Curling Tour Championships presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries will feature 16 men’s teams and a dozen women’s teams playing triple-knockout bonspiel format competitions. The invitation list is based on the season’s team rankings developed over the MCT season involving cash bonspiels across the province as well as CurlManitoba’s competitive qualifying events.

The championships represent the final event of the MCT season. The winner, or highest finishing eligible team, in each of the men’s and women’s events will earn an invitation to compete in CurlManitoba’s provincial championships. The highest ranking teams, after the championships, will also earn provincial championship invitations.

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<May 7, 2015>

TENTATIVE MCT SCHEDULE SET FOR 2015-16

A tentative schedule, with very few changes from 2014-15, has been established for next season’s Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. Including two Open events, the MCT schedule includes ten events for men and nine events for women prior to the Manitoba Curling Tour Championships in Mid-December.

Fort Rouge has scheduled new Men’s and Women’s events in October. The new men’s event has been scheduled tentatively on the first weekend of October. In order to make a determination on the potential, Fort Rouge Manager Jeff Hodge requests an indication from men’s teams interested in a Manitoba-level event.

The new Women’s event has been confirmed at Fort Rouge. It will replace the former event in La Salle and will be moved ahead a week to be played on the last weekend in October.

Discussions are on-going in regard to the timing of the Swan River and Dauphin MCT events and the CurlManitoba Safeway Berth Bonspiel.

On the schedule listed on the Schedule page, the Friday-Sunday dates are noted. Some events may begin Thursday evening OR conclude on Monday. Please contact Event organizers directly for details.

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<April 16, 2015>

The new 2015-2016 MCT Schedule is currently being finalized with all of the organizing committee and should be available within the next few months. We have confirmed the following bonspiels and have updated their respctive details under the Schedule link. Please stay tuned for updates as they become available.

Mother Club Fall Curling Classic (Men’s and Ladies)
DeKalb SuperSpiel (Men’s and Ladies)
Fort Rouge Curling Club (Ladies)

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<January 11, 2015>

McDonald Wins Granite Cash ‘Spiel

Kristy McDonald and her Granite team (Kate Cameron, Raunora Westcott, Leslie Wilson) scored a five on the third end to pave the way to a 9-4 victory over Kerri Einarson-East St Paul (Selena Kaatz, Liz Fyfe, Kristin MacCuish) in the first Granite Ladies January Cash ‘Spiel.  McDonald and her team had also won the Granite’s fall cash bonspiel – the Mother Club Classic in September. McDonald’s champion’s purse was $1,500 while Einarson earned $1,200. (The champions are pictured with Granite President Scott Edmonds)

McDonald defeated Jill Thurston-Granite 6-4 in the semi-final while Einarson was a 7-3 victor over Michelle Montford-Assiniboine Memorial. Thurston and Montford teams each cashed $900 cheques and quarterfinalists Michelle Englot-SK and Janet Harvey-Assiniboine Memorial each picked up $750.

In the 12-team bonspiel, six teams with positive round-robin records advanced to the playoff round. Einarson was the only undefeated team in the bonspiel, winning all three of her preliminary games. Manitoba teams skipped by Montford, Thurston, McDonald and Harvey and Saskatchewan’s Englot all advanced with 2-1 records.

The Granite Ladies event featured many of the teams competing in the provincial Scotties Tournament of Hearts later this month. The bonspiel was also the first women’s event on the Manitoba Curling Tour rankings for the 2015-16 season.

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<January 5, 2015>

Grassie Begins 2015 With Another Bonspiel Championship

The Manitoba Curling Tour’s rankings process for the 2015-16 season began with the Deer Lodge Curling Club’s annual first weekend in January Cash Spiel. Being so close to New Year’s Day this year may have been a reason for a small entry but quality of play was still high. Sean Grassie’s Deer Lodge team (Corey Chambers, Stu Shiells and Scott McCamis playing in place of Kody Janzen) needed an extra end for a 5-4 win over Nolan Bradshaw (Justin Twiss, Julien Leduc, Eric Leduc).

Grassie and Bradshaw had finished their five game round robin with equal 4-1 records but Grassie had beaten Bradshaw x in the final round robin game to earn the bye to the three team playoff.

Steen Sigurdson posted a 3-2 round robin record to earn the other semi-final spot with Bradshaw posting a 5-2 victory in that semi-final game.

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<December 15, 2014>

Bohn Foursome Wins MCT Championship & Safeway Berth

David Bohn’s Assiniboine Memorial team (Bryan Galbraith, Dennis Bohn, Larry Solomon) posted an 8-2 victory over Daley Peters-West Kildonan (Brendan Taylor, Taren Gesell, Greg Melnichuk) in the Men’s final game at the Manitoba Curling Tour Championships presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. With the victory, Team Bohn claimed not only the annual MCT Championship but also eligibility for the Safeway provincial men’s championship in Brandon in early February.

Stolen deuces on the first two ends gave Team Bohn an early four point cushion. Peters blanked the next two ends in an attempt to regain the kind of control the team had exhibited in going undefeated through the qualifying round and first two playoff rounds. The Bohn foursome, playing in only their third bonspiel of the season, was not to be denied and went on to win their second championship of the year.

Having played a limited schedule, the Bohn team came into the event needing to win the title to earn a Safeway Championship berth. Peters played the final game of the championship secure in the knowledge that his team had already secured one the Safeway berths available to the top four teams on the MCT’s season-long rankings.

With Peters, MCT rankings invitations to the Safeway Championship were also earned by Sean Grassie-Deer Lodge, Scott Ramsay-Granite, and Jared Kolomaya-Stonewall.

To reach the final, Team Bohn won a semifinal victory over Matt Dunstone-Granite (6-1) and a quarterfinal victory over Steen Sigurdson-Granite (4-3EE).Peters beat Grassie (4-3) in the semifinal and Kolomaya (7-3) in the quarterfinal. Ramsay and William Lyburn-Granite also qualified for the playoff round in the 16-team Men’s Championship but lost in the opening round.

In addition to the available Safeway berth invitations, the championship earned the Bohn team $1,600; Peters earned $1,200; semifinalists Dunstone and Grassie both had $1,000 paydays; and qualifying was worth $800 to Ramsay, Kolomaya, Lyburn and Sigurdson.

In addition to the valued support of Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, the Manitoba Curling Tour expresses appreciation to Asham Curling Supplies, CurlManitoba, ReMax professionals Gord & Kristi Green, Best Western Plus Winnipeg West, and Shaw TV.

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<December 15, 2014>

Montford Wins MCT Women’s Championship, Ursel-Harvey-McDonald Earn Scotties Entries

Michelle Montford and her Assiniboine Memorial team (Lisa DeRiviere, Sara Van Walleghem, Sarah Neufeld pictured with AMCC Manager Paul Batchelor) went undefeated through the Women’s Manitoba Curling Tour Championship presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, defeating clubmate Barb Spencer (Katie Spencer, Holly Spencer, Sydney Arnal) 5-2 in the final.

When both Montford and Spencer advanced unbeaten to the final game, the host Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club was assured of a double winner as David Bohn and his team had won the men’s title earlier in the day for Assiniboine Memorial.

As the finalists were both already qualified for the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the three Scotties berth invitations had already been awarded earlier in the day. The first berth assigned went to Kristy McDonald and her Granite team who held down the top spot on the MCT Women’s Rankings before the event. Janet Harvey-Assiniboine Memorial earned the second rankings berth by qualifying for the playoff round in the championship.

The third berth was up for grabs in the quarterfinal playoff round. Harvey lost to Kristy Watling-East St Paul (6-2) but Watling’s junior team was ineligible due to age, and the other two semifinalists, Spencer & Montford, did not need the invitation to the Scottie in Winkler.

That meant the spotlight was on Darcy Robertson-Fort Rouge and Terry Ursel-Lansdowne. Ursel won that quarterfinal (8-7) with a last rock draw to the edge of the button on an extra end and picked up the berth awarded to the ‘highest finishing eligible team’.

In the semifinals, Ursel lost to Spencer (9-3) and Watling lost to Montford (6-2).

In addition to the available Scotties berth invitations, the champion Montford team pocketed $1,600; Spencer earned $1,200; semifinalists Ursel and Watling cashed cheques for $1,000; and qualifying was worth $800 to Robertson and Harvey.

In addition to the valued support of Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, the Manitoba Curling Tour expresses appreciation to Asham Curling Supplies, CurlManitoba, ReMax professionals Gord & Kristi Green, Best Western Plus Winnipeg West, and Shaw TV.

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<December 9, 2014>

Grassie Foursome Top Seed in MCT Men’s Championship Presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries

Sean Grassie and his Deer Lodge team (Corey Chambers, Kody Janzen, Stu Shiells – with Dennis Bohn subbing for Janzen) won the Thistle Integrity Stakes, the final qualifying event for the 2014 Manitoba Curling Tour Championship presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. The team’s third bonspiel championship of the season, along with earlier victories at the Granite’s Mother Club Classic and the Sunova Spiel at East St. Paul, gave them the top seed position for the MCT championship which begins Friday, December 12 at Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club.

In the Thistle final Team Grassie defeated William Kuran-Heather who moved up the rankings list to the 10th position. Semi-finalists Jared Kolomaya-Stonewall and Steen Sigurdson-Granite also improved their championship seed position to 5th and 9th respectively.

With the win, Grassie took the top rankings spot away from Scott Ramsay-Granite, who is seeded #2 for the championship. Steve Irwin’s Brandon foursome is seeded #3 and Matt Dunstone’s Granite junior team rounds out the top four.

The Manitoba Curling Tour Championship gets underway with eight men’s games at 9AM, Friday morning. The draw features top-seed Grassie against the #16 seed clubmate Cliff Beaulieu-Deer Lodge . Other first round games include:

#2 Scott Ramsay-Granite vs #15 David Bohn-Assiniboine Memorial
#3 Steve Irwin-Brandon vs # 14 Justin Stanus-Granite
#4 Matt Dunstone-Granite vs #13 Braden Calvert-Deer Lodge
#5 Jared Kolomaya-Stonewall vs #12 Kelly Marnoch-Carberry
#6 Daley Peters-West Kildonan vs #11 Ray Baker-Dauphin
#7 William Kuran-Heather vs #10 Steen Sigurdson-Granite
#8 Richard Muntain-Pinawa vs #9 William Lyburn-Granite

The  Men’s and Women’s Championships will feature five draws Friday (9am, noon, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm); four draws Saturday (9am, 12:15pm, 3:30pm, 7:30pm); and three draws Sunday (9:30am, 1pm-Men’s final, 4:30pm-Women’s final).

Admission is free at Assiniboine Memorial. Both the Women’s and Men’s finals will be delay-broadcast on Shaw TV (Channel 9 in Winnipeg), on Shaw outlets across Manitoba, and on WCG-TV (Westman Communications Group) in western Manitoba with the Men’s game to be aired at 5:00pm and the Women’s final immediately after.

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<December 8,2014>

Draw Announced for MCT Women`s Championship presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries

Three Assiniboine Memorial teams are ranked in the top four teams among the 12 which have accepted invitations to compete in the Manitoba Curling Tour Women`s Championship presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. The event will be hosted by their home club, Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club, Dec. 12-14 and will also include two other Assiniboine Memorial teams: Joelle Brown and Rachel Burtnyk, whose Junior team has qualified for the Canola Junior Provincials to be played at Assiniboine Memorial two weeks later.

Top ranked is Barb Spencer and her team who have earned the #1 seed in the championship as the MCT’s season long rankings leader, Kristy McDonald and her Granite team will be playing in the Canadian Open in Yorkton, SK that weekend.

The rest of the top five seeds are Michelle Montford-Assiniboine Memorial (#2), Colleen Kilgallen-Roland (#3), Janet Harvey-Assiniboine Memorial (#4) & Kim Link-East St. Paul (#5). Harvey and Link were tied for the fourth ranked position and  Harvey defeated Link in a Sunday evening playoff for the fourth seed position.

Montford, Spencer, Kilgallen, and Harvey have first round byes in the 12-team triple knock out championship. They will play their first games Friday, December 12 at 3:00PM at Assiniboine Memorial against first game winners from the noon draw.

On the noon draw, the game match-ups are:
#5: Kim Link-East St Paul vs #12: Kristy Watling-East St Paul
#6: Kerri Einarson-East St Paul vs #11:Rachel Burtnyk-Assiniboine Memorial
#7: Joelle Brown-Assiniboine Memorial vs #10 Terry Ursel-Lansdowne
#8: Darcy Robertson-Fort Rouge  vs #9: Jennifer ClarkRouire-Carman

The Women’s and Men’s Championships will feature five draws Friday (9am, noon, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm); four draws Saturday (9am, 12:15pm, 3:30pm, 7:30pm); and three draws Sunday (9:30am, 1pm-Men’s final, 4:30pm-Women’s final)

Admission is free at Assiniboine Memorial. Both the Women’s and Men’s finals will be delay-broadcast on Shaw TV (Channel 9 in Winnipeg), on Shaw outlets across Manitoba, and on WCG-TV (Westman Communications Group) in western Manitoba with the Women’s game to be aired at 5:00pm and the Men’s final immediately after.

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<December 2,2014>

Montford Wins First SUNOVA SPIEL AT EAST ST PAUL

Michelle Montford-Assiniboine Memorial (Lisa DeRiviere, Sara Van Walleghem, Sarah Neufeld, Courtney Blanchard) defeated clubmate Barb Spencer(Katie Spencer, Holly Spencer, Sydney Arnal) 7-5 to win the inaugural edition of The Sunova Spiel at East St. Paul. Montford and Spencer moved up the Women’s Rankings of the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries and now hold down the 2nd and 3rd ranking positions respectively. Both teams have already earned invitations to compete in the Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts presented by Monsanto.

Team Montford earned $2,600 and the Spencer foursome picked up $1,800.

Semifinalists Janet Harvey (5-3 loss to Spencer) and Darcy Robertson (6-5 EE loss to Montford each earned $1200. Harvey improved to #5 on the MCT Rankings while Robertson improved to #9.

Quarterfinalists Kerri Einarson-Gimli, Kim Link-East St Paul, Rachel Burtnyk–Assiniboine Memorial and Kristy McDonald-Granite all earned $800. McDonald retained her top spot on the MCT Women’s Ranking list while Linkand Einarson improved their MCT Ranking positions to 5th& 7th respectively. Burtnyk moved into the top 20 for the first time this season, the highest ranking enjoyed by a team still eligible for the provincial junior women’s championship.

Next on the MCT Women’s schedule will be MCT Championship presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, December 12-14 at Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club.

Pending final confirmation of Ranking positions, invitations to compete in the December 12-14 MCT Championship will be issued later in the week.

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Grassie Foursome Wins New SUNOVA SPIEL at EAST ST PAUL

 

Sean Grassie’s Deer Lodge team (Corey Chambers, Kody Janzen, Stu Shiells) posted their second bonspiel championship of the season when they won the Men’s Division of the new Sunova Spiel at East St Paul, December 1st. Team Grassie picked up $2,600 and moved into second place on the Men’s Rankings of the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries thanks to their 6-4 victory over Travis Bale-East St. Paul

Bale (Brad Van Walleghem, Ronan Gueret & a rotating spare corps subbing for Ryan Bay) earned $1,800 and moved in to the top 20 for the first time this season.

In the semifinals, Grassie defeated Richard Muntain-Pinawa (6-0) while Bale defeated Wayne Ewasko-Beausejour (7-1). The semifinalists each cashed cheques for $1,200. Muntain moved into fifth position on the MCT Rankings while Ewasko made a significant move up the rankings and can move into the top 15 with a strong showing at the Thistle Integrity Stakes next weekend.

Quarterfinalist Trevor Loreth& Scott Ramsay-Granite, William Kuran-Heather, and Daley Peters-TBA all earned $800. By qualifying for the playoff round, Ramsay moved into the top position on the MCT Rankings. The other quarterfinalists improved their respective positions on the Rankings list and the likelihood of earning invitations to the season ending MCT Championship presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, December 12-14 at Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club.

Next on the MCT schedule will be the Thistle Integrity Stakes, an Open Event, December 5-8. Based on results of that event, the final rankings will be used to issue invitations to the MCT Championship the weekend later.

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<November 29,2014>

Granite to Host NEW Women’s Cash Spiel

The Granite Curling Club, on the heels of a successful new cash spiel to start the 2014-15 curling season, is adding a second Women’s Cash Bonspiel to their schedule of events.

The new GRANITE LADIES CASH SPIEL is set for January 8-11, 2015 with the timing selected to allow teams some competitive preparation for the 2015 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Winkler later in the month.

The bonspiel will be a 16 team event with eight qualifiers advancing to playoffs. With a $500 entry fee, and 100% payout of entry fees, the event will meet CTRS eligibility standards. It will also be an MCT affiliated event, allowing teams to begin accumulating MCT Rankings points toward the 2015-16 season rankings.

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<November 24,2014>

HORGAN Beats JONES in Extra End DEKALB Women’s Final

Tracy Horgan and her Sudbury, ON team (Jennifer Horgan, Jenna Enge, Amanda Gates) forced Team Jennifer Jones to take an eighth end single point and then had an open last rock hit on an extra end to win the Women’s Division final of the DEKALB SuperSpiel in Morris. (Team Horgan is pictured with l-Andrew Kaminsky-DEKALB and r-Doug Eidse-Meridian Manufacturing).

The Horgan foursome’s 8-7 victory earned the team the bonspiel’s $10,000 first prize. The Jones team payday was $6,000.

When Horgan and Jones went to an extra end in the final game, it was the second extra end match of the day for both teams.

Jones needed an extra end and a steal to win her quarterfinal game (7-6) over Joelle Brown Monday morning in Morris before posting a 6-3 victory over Kristy McDonald to advance to the final. For Tracy Horgan’s Sudbury team, the first extra end of the day came in the semifinal, a 6-5 victory over Jill Thurston. Horgan had defeated Breanne Meakin-ON 8-2 in the quarterfinal. Both extra end points were steals.

Thurston defeated Michelle Montford 8-5 and McDonald beat Cathy Auld-ON 7-3 in their quarterfinals.

In addition to winning $4,000, reaching the semi-final moved the McDonald team into the top ranking position on the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries while Thurston moved to the #5 position on the rankings list.

Quarterfinalists Brown, Meakin, Montford and Auld all picked up $2,500 cheques for their efforts.

Dunstone Captures Mens Dekalb

Matt Dunstone’s University of Manitoba team, the current Canadian University Men’s champions, have won the Men’s Division of the DEKALB SuperSpiel in Morris. With the win, the team has added $10,000 to the bank account they are accumulating to fund their trip to the World University Championship in Spain in February. (Pictured with the team are Town of Morris rep Bill Ginter (l) and Darrel Penner-Rocky Mountain Equipment/Case IH)

With the 7-3 win over Scott Ramsay-Granite, the Dunstone U of M  team(Jim Coleman, Dan Grant, Chris Gallant) moves into the top 20 on the Rankings list of the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. This creates the unique situation of one skip being ranked in the top 20 with two completely different teams as Dunstone’s junior team is currently ranked #4.

Ramsay and his team earned $6,000 and improved their ranking from #4 to #2 for the season.

Dunstone defeated a USA national High Performance Team skipped by Craig Brown in the semifinals while Ramsay beat Tommy Sullivan-NS. The semifinalists earned $3,000 each.

Quarterfinalists Daley Peters-TBA, William Lyburn-Granite, Cliff Beaulieu-Deer Lodge, and Jeff Hartung-SK all earned $2,000.

The playoffs in the Women’s Division of the DEKALB SuperSpiel will be played Monday in Morris.

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<November 18, 2014>

Bryden Tops Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy Spiel; Spencer Wins Scotties Berth

Five Manitoba teams and three from Saskatchewan qualified for the playoff round of the Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy Cash Bonspiel on the November 14-17 weekend with Randy Bryden’s Regina team taking home the bonspiel championship and top prize of $10,000 with a 6-5 extra end win over Scott Ramsay (Mark Taylor, Kyle Werenich, Ross McFadyen).

Ramsay, who had beaten the other two Saskatchewan teams in the playoff round, earned $5,000 and the finalist finish moved the Granite team into the fourth position on the Men’s Rankings of the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. Bryden’s championship moved his team onto the rankings list, and into the top 20, for the first time this season. (Pictured with BarretProcyshyn is the Bryden foursome Trent Knapp, Kelly Knapp, Troy Robinson, RandyBryden).

Semifinalists Greg Todoruk-Dauphin and Scott Bitz-SK earned $3500. Quarterfinalists Steve Irwin-Brandon, Ryan Hyde-Portage, Ray Baker-Dauphin, and Jeff Hartung-SK all cashed $2,500 cheques. Qualifying for the playoff round solidified Irwin’s season-long hold on the top spot in MCT Rankings.

The next scheduled MCT event is the dual venue DEKALB SuperSpiel in Morris, which will also have games played in the Rosenort Community Arena. The November 20-23 event features 32 Women’s teams with a prize purse of $40,000 and 16 Men’s teams playing for $30,000.

While not directly a Manitoba Curling Tour event, victory in the CurlManitoba Scotties Berth Bonspiel in Swan Lake provided Barb Spencer-Assiniboine Memorial (Katie Spencer, Holly Spencer and Sydney Arnal) with an entry into the Scotties Tournament of Hearts presented by Monsanto at the same as it impacted the Women’s MCT Rankings. Team Spencer moved to #3 in the Women’s Rankings while finalist Joelle Brown-Assiniboine Memorial moved up to #11

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<November 11, 2014>

Stoughton Wins White’s Drug Store Classic; Bohn Tops at Rossmere

Jeff Stoughton (Rob Fowler, Alex Forrest, Connor Njegovan)-Charleswood defeated David Murdoch’s Scottish team 8-2 in the final game of the White’s Drug Store Classic in Swan River, capturing the $9,000 first prize and moving into the sixth position on the Manitoba Curling Tour’s rankings. Murdoch’s payday was $7,000

The Swan River event was one of two of the weekend events featured on the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries.

At Rossmere in the Ken Kurbis Memorial Galaxy Bonspiel presented by Fort Garry Industries, Dennis Bohn and his team (Bryan Galbraith, David Bohn, Larry Solomon, Shane Walker) scored a pair of five enders in a final game victory over Trevor Loreth-Granite. The Bohn team, playing their first event of the season took home the winner’s purse of $2,500 while the Loreth foursome earned $1,600.

The victory moved the Bohn team into the top 20 on the MCT Rankings list to start their season.

At Swan River, the semifinalists were Kevin Marsh-SK and Clint Dieno-SK ($4,000 each) while the quarterfinalists were Brent Scales-MB, Mario Freiberger-SUI, Drew Heidt-SK and Jeff Hartung-SK ($3000 each).

At Rossmere, semifinalists Ryan Thomson-Morden and Daley Peters-TBA earned $1000 each while quarterfinalists Scott Ramsay-Granite, Sean Grassie-Deer Lodge, Murray Woodward-TBA, and Scott Madams-TBA all cashed $600 cheques.

The next scheduled MCT event is the Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy Cash Spiel (Open) November 14-17

<October 21, 2014>

Team Harvey Captures Atkins Curling Supplies Classic Title

Janet Harvey’s Assiniboine Memorial team (Cherie-Ann Sheppard, Kristin Napier, Carey Kirby)  defeated Colleen Kilgallen-MB 7-3 in the final to win the 2014 edition of the Atkins Curling Supplies Charity Classic, the past weekend’s women’s event on the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries.

With the championship, the Harvey foursome took home the champion’s purse of $4,500 as well as 40 Manitoba Curling Tour Rankings points, moving them into the MCT Women’s Rankings Top Ten. Team Kilgallen’s payday was $2,500 and their 34 MCT Rankings points moved them into second place in the Rankings.

Semifinalists Beth Peterson-MB (7-4 loss to Harvey) and Kerri Einarson-Gimli (8-7 loss to Kilgallen) both earned $1,500 with Einarson improving to #4 and Peterson appearing in the Top Ten (#9) for the first time.

Quarterfinalists Darcy Robertson-Fort Rouge(9-3 loss to Harvey); Kristy McDonald-Granite (8-5 loss to Kilgallen); Barb Spencer-Assiniboine Memorial (5-3 loss to Peterson);  and Michelle Montford-Assiniboine Memorial (7-1 loss to Einarson)  all earned $900 and solidified Top Ten Rankings positions with Team Montford remaining at #1.

Money earnings were increased as well by a per win payout of $40 to all teams for round robin victories.

The season end rankings, based upon each team’s best five results, will determine invitations to the MCT Championship at the Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club, December 12-14. Final rankings on the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries will determine who earns one of the available invitations to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts presented by Monsanto in Winkler in January. The Champion, if eligible, plus the top two ranked teams after the championship earn provincial invitations.

The next scheduled MCT events are the October 24-27 Canad Inns Women’s Classic in Portage and the October 24-26 La Salle Women’s Classic.

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<October 21, 2014>

Team McEwen Wins Fourth Canad Inns Men`s Classic in Five Years

Mike McEwen (BJ Neufeld, Matt Wozniak, Denni Neufeld) posted a 6-4 victory over Kevin Koe-AB in the final of the Canad Inns Men’s Classic in Portage Monday evening, October 20.  The win gave Team McEwen their fourth Canad Inns championship in the past five years. It was also the third bonspiel championship of the season for the McEwen foursome which has only lost one game in three events. They were undefeated in winning WCT events in Oakville in September and in Saskatoon earlier in October. Their only loss came in Portage when they were defeated 7-5 by Jeff Hartung-SK in an A-Event game.

The win earned the team $18,000, valuable CTRS (Canadian Team Ranking System) points, and moved them into the top ten on the Men`s rankings in the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. Team Koe earned $10,000.

Mike McEwen-Fort Rouge defeated William Lyburn-Granite 7-2 in their semifinal while Koe Glenn Howard-ON 6-3. Lyburn and Howard each cashed $6,000 cheques.

The quarterfinalists were Jeff Stoughton-MB (7-3 loss to Lyburn); Jared Kolomaya-MB (6-2 loss to Howard); Steve Laycock-SK (5-2 loss to Koe); and YasukeMorozumi-JPN (8-6 loss to McEwen. Each quarterfinalist team earned $4,000.

Reaching the semifinal moved Lyburn into the MCT top 15 while qualifying bumped Kolomaya into the seventh position on the rankings.

Despite going winless in three games in Portage, Steve Irwin`s Brandon team retains the top spot on the MCT Men`s Rankings list. Matt Dunstone`s Granite Junior team, with three wins in Portage, remains in second place on the Men`s rankings while Sean Grassie-Deer Lodge and Richard Muntain-Pinawa had a win each and remain tied for third in the rankings after three weekend bonspiels in the fall season.

The season end rankings, based upon each team’s best five results, will determine invitations to the MCT Championship at the Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club, December 12-14. Final rankings on the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries will determine who earns one of the available invitations to the Safeway Championship in Brandon in February. The Champion, if eligible, plus the top four ranked teams after the championship earn provincial invitations.

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<October 15, 2014>

MCT Finals to be Broadcast on Shaw TV

The Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries is pleased to announce the December 14 Men’s and Women’s MCT final games at Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club will both be featured as Community Access broadcasts on Shaw TV. The telecasts are possible thanks to the support of the new Presenting Sponsor, Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, and MCT’s partners; Asham, CurlManitoba, CurlingZone, ReMax Professionals Gord & Kristi Green, and Best Western Plus Winnipeg West.

The games are tentatively scheduled for 1:30pm (Men’s final) and 4:00pm (Women’s final) as the culmination of men’s 16-team triple knock-out and women’s 12-team triple knock-out competitions. The 28 teams participating in the championships will be invited based upon their season-end rankings.

The fall 2014-15 Manitoba Curling Tour season includes 17 bonspiels in 7 rural communities and 4 Winnipeg clubs. In addition, current season rankings include the results of the January 2014 Deer Lodge Cash Spiel as well as the January – March Safeway and Scotties provincial berth qualifying events in Brandon & Carman.

The results of CurlManitoba’s Safeway Berth Bonspiel in Neepawa (November 27-29) and the Scotties Berth Bonspiel in Swan Lake (November 14-16) will also be included in the calculation of MCT rankings to determine eligibility for MCT Championship invitations. The rankings also determine post championship eligibility for invitations to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts presented by Monsanto in Winkler (January, 2015) and the Safeway Championship in Brandon (February, 2015).

If eligible, the winners of the televised final games will earn invitations to compete in the respective Provincial Championships. In addition, the four top ranked eligible men’s teams two top ranked eligible women’s teams after the championship will also earn provincial invitations.

Spectators at Manitoba Curling Tour events can also win! Three lucky spectators will win a special championship package which will include reserved seating at Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club with hospitality & promotional merchandise compliments of Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries along with a comfortable room for a one-night stay compliments of Best Western Plus Winnipeg West. The winner of these special championship packages will be drawn randomly from spectator entries at each MCT bonspiel.

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<October 13, 2014>

Peters Team Wins Nott Autocorp Classic

Daley Peters (Brendan Taylor, Taren Gesell, Greg Melnichuk) were undefeated through three round robin and three playoff games to win the Nott Autocorp Thanksgiving Charity Classic at Thistle CC, their first bonspiel together as a team. The Peters foursome scored three on the seventh end to beat Braden Calvert-Deer Lodge (Kyle Kurz, Lucas Van den Bosch, Brendan Wilson) by a final score of 7-3 in the Thanksgiving Day afternoon final.

To reach the final, Peters and his team defeated Travis Bay-E. St. Paul (Brad Van Walleghem, Curtis Bale, Ronan Gueret) 5-2 in the Monday morning quarterfinal and Steen Sigurdson-Granite (Barrie Sigurdson, Ian McMillan, Nick Curtis) by the same score in the semifinal.  The Calvert team’s two playoff victories were 7-2 over Matt Dunstone (Tanner Lott, Kyle Doering, Robbie Gordon) and 5-4 over Steve Irwin-Brandon (Joey Witherspoon, Travis Taylor, Travis Saban).

Making it to the final game moved both Peters and Calvert into the top ten in the Men’s Rankings of the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. Modest success at the season opening Granite bonspiel plus the finalist finish at Thistle moved Calvert to the sixth position in the rankings while Peters is at number nine after only one event.

Steve Irwin and his team retained top spot in the MCT Rankings while Steen Sigurdson’s team moved up to the fifth position as a result of their semifinalist finishes.

Along with Dunstone and Bay, Richard Muntain-Pinawa  (Mike McCaughan, Curtis Atkins, Rodney Legault) and Sean Grassie-Deer Lodge (Corey Chambers, Kody Janzen, Stu Shiells) reached the quarterfinals. This result kept Dunstone at #2 with Grassie and Muntain tied at #3 in the rankings while Bay’s playoff result moved his team into the ranking for the first time, at #19

The season end rankings, based upon each team’s best five results, will determine invitations to the Championship at the Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club, December 12-14. Final rankings on the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries will determine who earns one of the available invitations to the Safeway Championship in Brandon in February. The Champion, if eligible, plus the top four ranked teams after the championship earn provincial invitations.

Including the results at the Nott Autocorp Classic, and revisions based upon lineup clarifications, the MCT Top Ten Men’s Teams as of October 13 are:

(Rank-Skip-Club-Points)

1.       Steve Irwin-Brandon    (84)
2.       Matt Dunstone-Granite  (63)
T3.     Sean Grassie-Deer Lodge (57)
Richard Muntain-Pinawa          (57)
5.       Steen Sigurdson-Granite (48)
6.       Braden Calvert-Deer Lodge (37)
7.       Justin Stanus-Fort Rouge (35)
8.       Kelly Marnoch-Carberry   (34)
9.       Daley Peters-TBA         (30)
T10.   Scott Ramsay-Granite       (28)
Ray Baker-Dauphin                 (28)
William Kuran-Heather             (28)

Despite being in third position on the MCT Men’s Rankings list, Sean Grassie’s Deer Lodge team leads the MCT fall bonspiel money winners list. A championship at the Mother Club Fall Classic and quarterfinal finish in the Nott Autocorp Classic have earned Grassie and his Deer Lodge team $3,000 since late-September. Steve Irwin’s Brandon team, with finalist and semifinalist finishes in the two events, is close behind at $2,800 in winnings.

MCT Men’s Cash Winnings, as of October 13:

(Rank-Skip-Club-$$$$)

1. Sean Grassie – Deer Lodge                                $3,000
2. Steve Irwin-Brandon                                         $2,800
3. Daley Peters-TBA                                              $2,500
4. Matt Dunstone-Granite                                      $1,750
5. Braden Calvert-Deer Lodge                               $1,500
6. Richard Muntain-Pinawa                                    $1,300
7. Scott Ramsay-Granite                                       $1,250
8. Steen Sigurdson-Granite                                   $1,000
T9. Ray Baker-Dauphin                                          $   800
T9. Justin Stanus-Fort Rouge                                $   800
T9. William Kuran-Heather                                     $   800
12. Travis Bale-East St. Paul                                  $   500

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<September 28, 2014>

Grassie Foursome First Winner of Granite’s Mother Club Men’s FallClassic

Sean Grassie’s Deer Lodge team has won the Mother Club Men’s Fall Classic, the first event of the fall season on the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, with an 8-5 victory over Steve Irwin-Brandon in the final.

The victory earned Grassie (Corey Chambers, Kody Janzen, Stu Shiells) the winner’s purse of $2,500 plus 40 MCT Rankings points while Irwin (Joey Witherspoon, Travis Saban, Travis Taylor) picked up $1,800 and 34 MCT points. (Pictured are bonspiel Honourary Chair Cathy Gauthier and Granite President Pat Bourassa with Team Grassie)

In the semi-finals, Irwin defeated Matt Dunstone-Granite (7-1) while Grassie defeated Scott Ramsay-Granite (5-3). Dunstone and Ramsay each earned $1,250 while the four quarter-finalists (Justin Stanus-Ft. Rouge, Richard Muntain-Pinawa, Ray Baker-Granite, and William Kuran-Heather) started the season with $800 paycheques.

The Mother Club Fall Classic attracted 18 men’s teams for the first-time event which was co-sponsored by Asham, Assiniboine Dental Group, Dakota Lock & Safe, Enns Brothers, Exchange Income Corporation, and Lake of the Woods Hotel.

The results of the Granite Bonspiel, combined with results from the January-March 2014 events, place Irwin’s Brandon foursome at the top of the Men’s MCT Rankings. The top ten ranked teams on the Men’s Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, as of September 28, 2014, are:

Rank-Skip Name-Club-Points

1. Steve Irwin – Brandon (64)
2. Sean Grassie-Deer Lodge (40)
3. Richard Muntain-Pinawa (38)
4. Steen Sigurdson-Heather (32)
T5. Matt Dunstone-Granite (28)
T5. Scott Ramsay-Granite (28)
T5. Kelly Marnoch-Carberry (28)
T5. Justin Stanus-Ft Rouge (28)
T9. Wes Jonasson/Ray Baker-Dauphin (22)
T9. William Kuran-Heather (22)

The MCT Rankings are significant for Manitoba curlers as invitations to the season ending Championship, to be played  at Assiniboine Memorial, December 12-14,are based on the rankings. The champion that weekend plus the four top-ranked teams after the championship weekend will all earn invitations to compete in the Safeway Championship in Brandon in February 2015. The rankings are based upon a team best five finishes over the season.

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<September 28, 2014>

McDonald Wins First Mother Club Women’s Fall Classic at Granite

Kristy McDonald and her new Granite team have won the Mother Club Women’s Fall Classic, the first event of the fall season on the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, with a final game 6-3 victory over Colleen Kilgallen.

The victory earned McDonald (Kate Cameron, Lesley Wilson-Westcott, Raunora Westcott) the winner’s purse of $2,500 plus 40 MCT Rankings points while Kilgallen (Susan Baleja, Janice Blair, Kendra Georges)  picked up $1,800 and 34 MCT points. (Pictured are Honourary Chair Cathy Gauthier & Granite CC President Pat Bourassa with the McDonald team)

In the semi-finals, McDonald defeated Barb Spencer-Assiniboine Memorial (7-2) while Kilgallen defeated Michelle Montford-Assiniboine Memorial (6-5 EE). Spencer and Montford each earned $1,250 while the four quarter-finalists (Kim Link-East St Paul, Jill Thurston-Granite, Kerri-Einarson-Gimli, and Darcy Robertson-Ft Rouge) started the season with $800 paycheques.

The Bonspiel attracted 18 women’s teams for the first-time event which was co-sponsored by Asham, Assiniboine Dental Group, Dakota Lock & Safe, Enns Brothers, Exchange Income Corporation, and Lake of the Woods Hotel.

Despite not advancing to the final, the results of the Granite Bonspiel, combined with results from the January-March 2014 events, place Montford’s Assiniboine Memorial foursome at the top of the Women’s MCT Rankings. The top ten ranked teams on the Women’s Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, as of September 28, 2014, are:

1. Michelle Montford-Assiniboine Memorial (48)
2. Kristy McDonald-Granite (40)
3. Colleen Kilgallen-TBA (34)
4. Barb Spencer-Assiniboine Memorial (28)
T5. Kerri Einarson-Gimli (22)
T5. Darcy Robertson-Fort Rouge (22)
T9. Jill Thurston-Granite(22)
T9. Kim Link-East St Paul (22)
T10. J. Brown-Fort Rouge (20)
T10. J. Clark-Rouire-Granite (20)

The MCT Rankings are significant for Manitoba curlers as invitations to the season ending Championship, to be played  at Assiniboine Memorial, December 12-14,are based on the rankings. The Champion that weekend plus the two top-ranked teams after the championship weekend will all earn invitations to compete in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts presented by Monsanto in January 2015. The rankings are based upon a team’s best five finishes over the season.

The next scheduled event is the Nott Autocorp Thanksgiving Charity Classic, October 10-13, at the Winnipeg Thistle Curling Club.

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<September 23, 2014>

MCT Announces Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Partnership

The Manitoba Curling Tour (MCT) is pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached with Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries which will see the tour renamed the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries for the 2014-15 season.

First established in the 1991-92 season, the Manitoba Curling Tour provides a coordinating function for the fall cash bonspiel season across Manitoba. The Tour will conclude with a December 12-14 championship event at Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club featuring 16 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams invited based on rankings points for the top five finishes by each team in cash bonspiels and CurlManitoba berth bonspiels.

The fall season opens September 25-28 with a Men’s event and a Women’s event at Winnipeg’s Granite Curling Club. Subject to confirmation of event affiliation, the tour season continues with 13 more bonspiels hosted by Thistle (2) and Rossmere in Winnipeg as well as Swan River, Dauphin, Portage (2), Morris (2), LaSalle and East St Paul (3) in rural Manitoba. A bonspiel at Winnipeg’s Deer Lodge club in January 2014 was actual start of the 2014 season. The event will go again in January 2015 as a kick-off to the next competitive season.

Plans for support of the individual tour bonspiels as well as for the championship event at Assiniboine Memorial are being finalized and will be announced in the near future.

“Curling is not only one of Manitoba’s most popular winter sports, but our competitive edge is world class and places us on the podium,” said Winston Hodgins, President & CEO of Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. “We have sponsored some of the most notable curling championships in the country, with home grown talent leading the field. We are honoured to partner with the Manitoba Curling Tour to help all curlers in the province reach for new levels of success.”

The bonspiels on the Manitoba Curling Tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries provide an opportunity for Manitoba teams to qualify into the Men’s Safeway Championship and Women’s Scotties Tournament of Hearts presented by Monsanto. The champions at Assiniboine Memorial on December 14, if eligible, will earn provincial championship invitations. In addition, the four men’s teams and two women’s teams at the top of the rankings, after the championship, will earn provincial championship invitations.

“We look forward to working with Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries,” says Tour Coordinator Resby Coutts. “The new partnership enhances Manitoba curling’s competitive season at the same time as it provides support for Manitoba curling clubs in their effort to provide competitive opportunities as well as great curling entertainment for curlers and curling fans.”

The first bonspiel of the fall season is the new Mother Club Fall Classic, September 25-28 at the Granite CC, Winnipeg. The complete bonspiel schedule and other information about the Manitoba Curling tour presented by Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries is available at www.mancurltour.ca.

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<August 25, 2014>

Assiniboine Memorial to Host MCT Championships

The Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club (AMCC) will serve as host club for the Manitoba Curling Tour’s Men’s and Women’s Championships, December 12-14, 2014.

“The AMCC is excited to host many of Manitoba’s top curlers over three days of what we expect to be the best Men’s and Women’s curling competition Winnipeg curling fans will be able to see in-person this season,” says Club Manager Paul Batchelor. “Matt Rankine, our Ice Technician, delivers championship calibre ice all season long so we know the curlers will have the kind of surface they want for making all of the shots.”

Batchelor says facility upgrades in recent years have made the AMCC an excellent venue for championship curling. From improved ice-shed lighting, reverse osmosis water, very recent installation of a dehumidifier and a replacement chiller to installation of a public lift and fully accessible washrooms facilities, AMCC will provide an enjoyable championship experience for both competitors and spectators.

The Manitoba Curling Tour Championship events will feature a 16-team Men’s Division and a 12-team Women’s division. Each is scheduled to play a triple knock-out with a playoff round. The teams will play for a cash prize pool plus the opportunity to add to their chances of earning Men’s Safeway Championship invitations and Women’s Scotties Tournament of Hearts invitations. In addition, the MCT Championships will be CTRS (Canadian Team Ranking System) eligible in order to allow interested teams to earn coveted points on the national competitive scene.

Teams will be invited to compete in the MCT Championship based on their season-long MCT rankings. Each team’s top five finishes in MCT bonspiels are counted in the determination of the rankings. The champions plus the four top ranked men’s teams and two top ranked women’s teams will qualify for their respective provincial championships.

The MCT’s fall season begins with the September 25-28 Mother Club Classic at the Granite Curling Club.

For information contact MCT Coordinator Resby Coutts (204-799-2250)
AMCC Manager Paul Batchelor (204-479-7528)

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<August 13, 2014>

DEKALB SuperSpiel expands to the Rosenort Arena and World Class Ice!!

The DEKALB SuperSpiel, presented by Meridian, Rocky Mountain Equipment and official host Sponsor, the Town of Morris, is excited to announce the expansion of the DEKALB SuperSpiel into the Rural Municipality of Morris and the Rosenort Arena.(15 minutes north west of Morris) on November 20-24.

With the expansion to 48 teams (32 women-16 men) the DEKALB SuperSpiel needed more ice. The event will now be held at the Morris Curling Club Nov 20-24th and at the Rosenort Arena Friday, Nov 21 and Saturday, Nov 22.

“This is exciting news for the Rural Municipality and gives us the opportunity to showcase the RM, the Rosenort arena and the sport of curling to the World.” said Reeve Ralph Groening of the RM of Morris.

World Class Ice maker Greg Ewasko will provide 4 sheets of Olympic quality ice for the teams..

The prize money (subject to full entry) will increase to $40,000 for the women and $30,000 for the men, bringing the total DEKALB SuperSpiel purse to $70,000. 32 women’s teams also increases the value of the CTRS Points for teams hoping to qualify for the 2018 Olympics.

The DEKALB SuperSpiel welcomes Team Jennifer Jones-2014 Olympic Gold Medalist and many others from around the world and Canada !!

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<August 13, 2014>

Granite Looks to Expand Men’s Event

Response has been positive to the new Mother Club Classic, the Granite Curling Club’s first bonspiel of the new season, according to organizer Darryl Gunnlaugson. The men’s event has already posted 17 entries, one more than the original target and Gunnlaugsoon says they will expand the bonspiel to 18 if they get one more entry. In the event of a change, the 18 teams will play in groups of six – guaranteeing them five games in the opening spiel of the year and a minimum $10,000 purse.

On the Women’s side of the bonspiel, there are 11 entries at this stage but lots of time before the event for it to fill up as well.

Interested teams are encouraged to contact Darryl Gunnlaugson – [email protected]

Entry fee checks, payable to Granite Curling Club, are requested for the full amount ($500) but may be post-dated to September 1, 2014.

Mail to: MOTHER CLUB FALL CURLING CLASSIC
One Granite Way, Winnipeg Manitoba, R3C OY9

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<July 15, 2014>

Introducing the SUNOVA SPIEL AT EAST ST PAUL

East St. Paul Curling Club has partnered with Sunova Credit Union for two new bonspiels on the MCT and WCT circuits this fall. The Sunova Spiel will be held November 27 – 30, which is perfect timing for some fine-tuning before zone playdowns. The format will be a triple knock-out 16 team women’s bonspiel and 16 team men’s bonspiel. The purse will be $10,000 for each bonspiel, with an entry fee of $600.

Entries can be submitted to Kim Link: [email protected]. Please forward a list of team members and post-dated cheque (October 1), payable to The Sunova Spiel, to: Kim Link, 116 North Hill Drive, East St. Paul, MB, R2E 0H7.

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<June 23, 2014>

CANAD INNS INITIATES CLASSIC FOR WOMEN…

RETAINS PREMIERE MANITOBA SPIEL ON WORLD CURLING TOUR

Manitoba will continue to attract world-class women’s curling, with Canad Inns announcing The Canad Inns Classic for Women from October 24-27 in Portage la Prairie.

“Canad Inns is pleased to host this first-class event on the World Curling Tour,” said Paul Robson, CEO for Canad Inns.  “Manitobans are huge curling fans and love to watch our home-grown talent compete against the best in Canada and the world. “

With a purse of $60,000, the 32-team triple knockout event attracts the top women competitors with teams expected from across Canada as well as International Teams.

“The fall spiel has always been important to women’s curling and further building our level of competitiveness in Manitoba and across the Prairies,”said Cathy Overton Clapham.  Canad Inns has a track record in supporting curling, and we know that this event will be a huge success.”

Canad Inns has extensive experience and commitment to supporting competitive curling.  Since 2010, Canad Inns has been the Title Sponsor for the Canad Inns Prairie Classic, a prestigious spot on the men’s world curling tour, which will take place again in Portage la Prairie from October 17-20th.  Canad Inns was also a Gold sponsor for the 2008 Tim Horton’s Brier in Winnipeg and Title Sponsor for the 2009 Men’s World Curling Championship in Grand Forks North Dakota.

The curling will take place at the Portage la Prairie Curling Club, which is part of Canad Inns Destination Centre Portage la Prairie.  Further details on draws and ticket prices will be announced in the fall.

“Canad Inns is proudly committed to our community and partnerships supporting events important to Manitoba,” said Robson.  “We look forward to supporting Manitoba’s proud tradition of world-class curling.”

 

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<June 13, 2014>

Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Women’s Curling Classic Ends its Run

The following email was sent earlier this week by Cathy Overton-Clapham (on behalf of the Manitoba Liuquor and Lotteries Curling Classic Committee) to the bonspiel’s team list. It includes the news that the bonspiel will not be running this year. That news will be a disappointment to competitors and local fans alike. Both groups have looked forward annually to the spiel at Fort Rouge as the first real chance every winter to compete against or watch the best female curlers in the world. The Manitoba Curling Tour says a big THANK YOU!! to the volunteers who have put the time and effort into the bonspiel over the years.

Hello Everyone……….As the 2014 curling season will soon be upon us, the organizing committee of the Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Women’s Curling Classic has made a difficult decision.  For over 20 years, Winnipeg has hosted a major women’s curling event, with the departure of some key committee members as well as volunteers, we have decided not to run the event this year.  We sincerely thank our dedicated committee members as well as our volunteers who have worked for many years on this event, we could not execute a first class event without your support and efforts.

We would also like to thank our many sponsors who have been supporting the event for long time, we sincerely appreciate their support over the years..

As we look forward to the future, we will endeavor to search out other opportunities to give back to this sport that we love.

To the many teams that have participated over the years, we thank you and hope that you understand that this decision was a difficult one for us to make.

Good luck to all teams in the 2014/2015 season……………….Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Women’s Curling Classic Committee.

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<Jan 5, 2014>

GRANITE TO HOST NEW MCT MEN’S & WOMEN’S EVENTS

The Granite Curling Club has announced plans to host new men’s and women’s cash bonspiels as a Manitoba season opener in the fall of 2014. The events will be both MCT and WCT affiliated.

The details of the MOTHER CLUB FALL CURLING CLASSIC are posted on the Granite Curling Club website (www.granitecurlingclub.ca/Bonspiel). A 16-team Men’s event (triple knock-out, eight qualifiers) and a 16-team Women’s event (triple knock-out, eight qualifiers) will run at the same time, September 25-28, 2014.

The entry fee will be $500 per team with a prize payout of $9,000 per event.

On behalf of the organizing committee, spokesperson Darryl says the first 16 paid entries per bonspiel will be accepted and the 16 teams per event are the maximum which will be accepted.

Draws will take place Thursday and Friday evenings and all day Saturday and Sunday.

Entry fee checks, payable to Granite Curling Club, are requested for the full amount ($500) but may be post-dated to September 1, 2014.

Mail to: MOTHER CLUB FALL CURLING CLASSIC
One Granite Way, Winnipeg Manitoba, R3C OY94

Contact for information: Darryl Gunnlaugson email:[email protected]

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<Jan 5, 2014>

SIGURDSON WINS DEER LODGE MCT SPIEL

Steen Sigurdson and his Heather team (Riley Smith, Ian McMillan, Nick Curtis) won the championship and the $1,300 first prize at the Deer Lodge Open MCT Bonspiel with four wins and a single loss. Team Sigurdson defeated Richard Muntain 8-3 in the final game. The 12-team event included six teams bound for the Safeway Championship and three headed for the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Muntain earned $700. Semi-finalists Kate Cameron and Darcy Robertson (skipped by Kyle Foster) each earned $550 while the quarterfinalists Joelle Brown and Kevin Brown each earned $400. The Cameron and Robertson teams were the unbeaten A-Side qualifers.

Team Sigurdson starts the 2014-15 MCT season at the top of Gord Green’s MCT Men’s Rankings with Muntain ranked second and Kevin Brown ranked third.

As the Robertson foursome was ineligle, Cameron starts the 2014-15 MCT season at the top of Kristi Green’s MCT Women’s Rankings with Joelle Brown ranked second.

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<Dec 1, 2013>

FORT ROUGE’S JOELLE BROWN TEAM WINS MCT CHAMPIONSHIP AND SCOTTIES CHAMPIONSHIP BERTH

The Manitoba Curling Tour’s 2013 Women’s championship has been won by Joelle Brown-Fort Rouge (Alyssa Vandepoele, Jolene Rutter, Kelsey Hinds) with a final game 6-2 victory over Michelle Motford-Assinboine Memorial (Lisa DeRiviere, Sara Van Walleghem, Sarah Neufeld). The championship wrapped up Sunday on Beausejour.

The two teams entered the Sunday after final game secure in the knowledge that both would advance to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in early January in Virden as one would earn the MCT champion’s invitation and the other would earn the invitation available to the highest ranked eligible team.

In the semi-finals Montford defeated Kerri Einarson-Gimli (4-3) while Brown defeated and Darcy Robertson-Fort Rouge (7-1).

In the quarterfinal games, Montford defeated Kim Link-East St. Paul (7-6EE) and Brown beat Kate Cameron-Balmoral (7-2)

Brown ended the season at the top of Kristi Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS MCT Women’s rankings with Robertson ranked second and Montford ranked third. Einarson is the fourth ranked team at the end of the season. Both Robertson and Einarson had previously earned Scotties berth invitations.

The allocation of all Scotties Championship berth invitations awaits final confirmation  of rankings points and team eligibility by CurlManitoba.

The MCT and the annual Championship are sponsored by Asham Curling Supplies and Gord/Kristi Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS and locally by Beausejour Optical, Thrifty Carwash, and Chicken Delight.

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<Dec 1, 2013>

TEAM MARNOCH WINS MCT CHAMPIONSHIP AND SAFEWAY CHAMPIONSHIP BERTH

The Manitoba Curling Tour’s annual Men’s championship has been won by the William Kuran skipped Marnoch team (Kelly Marnoch, Branden Jorgensen, Chris Cameron) from Carberry. with a final game 6-5 extra end victory over William Lyburn-Fort Rouge (Alex Forrest, Connor Njegovan, Tyler Forrest). The championship wrapped up Sunday on Beausejour.

Along with the MCT title, the Carberry foursome picked up the champion’s cheque for $1,600 and the champion’s invitation to compete in the Safeway Championship in late January at the Winnipeg Free Arena – MTC Iceplex.

As finalist, the Lyburn team picked up $1,200.

In the MCT Men’s semi-finals, William Lyburn defeated Sean Grassie-Deer Lodge (8-6) while Marnoch won his semi-final against David Kraichy-Fort Rouge (9-5).

The quarter-final scores were:
Marnoch over Richard Daneault-Granite (5-2)
Lyburn over Dennis Bohn-Assiniboine Memorial (6-4)
Kraichy over Jared Kolomaya-Stonewall (6-2)
Grassie-Deer Lodge over Steen Sigurdson-Heather (7-2)

Steen Sigurdson’s Heather team (Riley Smith, Ian McMillan, Nick Curtis) entered the weekend at the top of Gord Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS MCT Men’s Rankings and were the number one seed in the chalmpionship. Kraichy’s Fort Rouge foursome moved to the top of the rankings but already has a Safeway berth in hand. Therefore, as the top ranked eligible team, the Sigurdson foursome also earned a Safeway Championship invitation.

One additional Safeway berth invitations was then awarded to the next highest ranked team on Gord Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS MCT Men’s season-end rankings and that invitation went to Sean Grassie-Deer Lodge (Kody Janzen Scott McCamis, Stu Shiells)

The allocation of all Safeway Championship berth invitations awaits final confirmation  of rankings points and team eligibility by CurlManitoba.

The MCT and the annual Championship was sponsored by Asham Curling Supplies and Gord/Kristi Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS and locally by Beausejour Optical, Thrifty Carwash, and Chicken Delight.

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<Nov 30, 2013>

PLAYOFFS SET IN MCT CHAMPIONSHIPS AT BEAUSEJOUR

The Manitoba Curling Tour’s annual championship, a total prize purse of $14,400, and five provincial championship berth invitations will be awarded Sunday, December 1 at the Beausjour Curling Club.

The 16-team MCT Men’s Championship and 12-team MCT Women’s Championship wrap up with draws scheduled for 9:30AM, 12:30PM, and 3:30PM.

In the MCT Women’s Division, Kerri Einarson-Gimli and Darcy Robertson-Fort Rouge are the A-Event Qualifiers and they have earned byes to the championship round semi-finals. Einarson awaits the winner of a quarter-final match between Michelle Montford-Assiniboine Memorial and Kim Link-East St. Paul. Robertson awaits the winner of a game between Kate Cameron-Balmoral and Joelle Brown-Fort Rouge.

The MCT Women’s prize purse is $6,400 with $1,600 to the champion. The champion, or highest finishing eligible team, receives the first of two invitations to compete in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Virden. A second Scotties berth invitation will then be awarded to the highest ranked team on Kristi Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS MCT Women’s season-end rankings.

In the MCT Men’s Division, William Lyburn-Fort Rouge and Richard Daneault-Granite are the unbeaten A-Event qualifiers for the playoff round. Lyburn will play Dennis Bohn-Assiniboine Memorial on the 9:30AM draw while Daneault will play Kelly Marnoch-Carberry.

In the other two MCT Men’s quarter-finals, David Kraichy-Fort Rouge will play Jared Kolomaya-Stonewall and Sean Grassie-Deer Lodge will play Steen Sigurdson-Heather.

The MCT Men’s prize purse is $8,000 with $1,600 to the champion. The champion, or highest finishing eligible team, receives the first of three invitations to compete in the Safeway Championship in the Winnipeg Free Press Arena at MTS Iceplex. Two additional Safeway berth invitations will then be awarded to the highest ranked team on Gord Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS MCT Men’s season-end rankings.

The MCT and the annual Championship are sponsored by Asham Curling Supplies and Gord/Kristi Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS and locally by Beausejour Optical, Thrifty Carwash, and Chicken Delight.

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<Nov 29, 2013>

A-QUALIFER GAMES SET IN MCT CHAMPIONSHIP

After the first day of play in the Manitoba Curling Tour Championships in Beausejour four teams are unbeaten in each of the Men`s and Women`s Division, setting up the A-Side Qualifying games early Saturday.

In the Men`s Championship, Steen Sigurdson and his Heather foursome came into the championship seeded number one. The Sigurdson team topped Gord Green`s REMAX PROFESSIONALS MCT Men`s ranking after capturing the championship in the Morris DEKALB SuperSpiel last weekend. However, after an opening win over Tyler Waterhouse-Carbeery, Sigurdson lost 7-1 to Richard Daneault.

Daneault advanced to one A-Side Qualifer game and will play Sean Grassie-Deer Lodge on the noon draw Saturday.

In the other Men`s A-Side Qualifying game, William Lyburn-Fort Rouge will play David Kraichy-Fort Rouge/Jared Kolomaya-Stonewall.

In the Women’s Championship, Kerri Einarson’s Gimli team came into the championship as the top seed based on Kristi Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS MCT Women’s rankings. EInarsaon will play Joelle Brown-Fort Rouge on the 9:30AM draw Saturday in one A-Side Qualifying game while Kim Link-East St. Paul will play Darcy Robertson-Fort Rouge in the other.

The Manitoba Curling Tour Championship will continue through an 8-team men’s, 6-team women’s playoff on Sunday with the final games at the Beausejour Curling Club.

The MCT and the annual Championship are sponsored by Asham Curling Supplies and Gord/Kristi Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS and locally by Beausejour Optical, Thrifty Carwash, and Chicken Delight.

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<Nov 25, 2013>

Sigurdson Moves to Top Gord Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS MCT Men’s Rankings

A championship final game victory in the Morris DEKALB SuperSpiel has earned Steen Sigurdson and his Stonewall team (Riley Smith, Ian McMillan, Nick Curtis) $10,000 and a spot at the top of Gord Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS MCT Men’s Rankings.

Sigurdson defeated Jeff Hartung-SK 7-1 in the Morris final game. Hartung and his team pocketed $6,000.

Sigurdson defeated Josh Heidt-SK 7-3 and Hartung beat James Kirkness-West Kildonan 6-4 in the semi-finals, earning Heidt and Kirkness $3,000.

The quarterfinalists were Kelly Marnoch-Carberry (4-3 loss to Sigurdson), Kyle Foster-Arborg (8-2 loss to Hartung), Richard Daneault-x (9-5 loss to Kirkness), and Sean Grassie-Deer Lodge (5-3 loss to Heidt).

The DEKALB SuperSpiel is the concluding event of the MCT season setting up the Manitoba Curling Tour Championship in Beausejour on the upcoming weekend. Sigurdson will  enter the championship seeded #1 in the draw, followed by #2 David Kraichy-Fort Rouge, #3 Kelly Marnoch-Carberry, #4 Scott Ramsay-Granite, and #5 Sean Grassie-Deer Lodge.

The final draw will be announced by Wednesday, November 27. Three provincial Safeway Championship berths are available through the MCT and MCT Championship. The first berth awarded will go to the champion (or highest finishing eligible team) and the other two berth invitations will go to the top ranked teams at the end of the championship event. Kraichy and Ramsay have already earned Safeway berths.

Sponsors for the MCT Championship include Asham Curling Supplies, Gord Green and Kristie Green of REMAX PROFESSIONALS, and three local sponsors Thrifty Carwash, Beausejour Optical and Chicken Delight.

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<Nov 25, 2013>

Einarson Tops Kristi Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONAL MCT  Women’s Rankings

Kerry Einarson and her Gimli team (Selena Kaatz, Liz Fyfe, Kristin MacCuish) advanced to the semi-final of the DEKALB Super Spiel in Morris and by so-doing climbed into the season ending top spot on Kristi Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONAL MCT Women’s Rankings. Einarson lost the semifinal 6-5 in an extra end to Barb Spencer-Fort Rouge (Katie Spencer, Jenna Loder, Raunora Westcott) who went on to win the championship with a 3-2 victory over Michelle Jaggi-Switzerland. Jaggi defeated Joelle Brown-Fort Rouge 5-4 in the other semifinal.

Team Spencer earned $8,000 while the Jaggi foursome took 4,000 back to Switzerland. Brown and Einarson earned $2400. The quarterfinalists were Kim Link-East St Paul (6-5 loss to Spencer), Michelle Montford-Assiniboine Memorial (6-3 loss to Jaggi), Colleen Kilgallen-Pinawa (6-4 loss to Brown), and Karen Fallis (6-0 loss to Einarson.

The top five seeds for the MCT Championship in Beausejour will be Einarson followed by #2 Janet Harvey-Assiniboine Memorial, #3 Darcy Robertson-Fort Rouge, #4 Joelle Brown-Fort Rouge, and #5 Jill Thurston-Granite.

The final draw will be announced by Wednesday, November 27. Two provincial Scotties Championship berths are available through the MCT and MCT Championship. The first berth awarded will go to the champion (or highest finishing eligible team) and the other two berth invitations will go to the top ranked team at the end of the championship event. Einarson and Robertson have already earned Scotties berths.

Sponsors for the MCT Championship include Asham Curling Supplies, Gord Green and Kristie Green of REMAX PROFESSIONALS, and three local sponsors Thrifty Carwash, Beausejour Optical and Chicken Delight.

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<Nov 20, 2013>

Kraichy Tops Gord Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS MCT Men’s Rankings

David Kraichy and his Fort Rouge team (Andrew Irving, Taylor McIntyre, Brad Van Walleghem) lost the final game of the Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy Cashspiel (5-2 to Scott Bitz-SK) but picked up the $5,000 second prize AND the invitation to compete in the 2014 Safeway Championship which was available to the highest finishing eligible team.

The Kriachy foursome also vaulted into first place on Gord Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS MCT Men’s Rankings for the 2013-14 season.

Bitz and his Saskatchewan team cashed an $8,000 cheque.

The Kraichy team was one of five Manitoba teams who qualified for the playoff round.

In the semi-finals, Bitz was an 5-3 winner over Kelly Marnoch-Carberry (William Kuran, Brandon Jorgenson, Chris Cameron) while Kraichy posted a 6-5 extra end score over Richard Muntain-Pinawa (Mike McCaughan, Curtis Atkins, Rodney Legault). Marnoch and Muntain and their teams each earned $3500.

Quarterfinalists, who each earned $2500, were Steen Sigurdson-Stonewall, Jerry Chudley-Neepawa, Jeff Hartung-SK and Pascal Hess-Switzerland

At the same time, former Manitoba champion Mark Lukowich and his West Kildonan team (Stuart Gresham, Chris Chimuk, Kevin Wiebe)  picked up the $1700 champions purse at the Thistle Integrity Stakes. It was their first bonspiel appearance of the season.

Lukowich defeated Wayne Ewasko-Beausejour (Randal Thomas, Dave Beaudoin, Gord Stelmack) to move into the top 25 on Gord Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS MCT Men’s Rankings. The Ewasko foursome cashed a $1,000 cheque.

Semi-finalists were Bob Sigurdson-West Kildonan and Trevor Loreth-West Kildonan who each earned $600.

HARVEY #1 on Kristi Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS MCT Women’s Rankings

Janet Harvey-Assiniboine Memorial (Cheri-Ann Loder, Kristin Loder, Carey Kirby) continues to top Kristi Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS MCT Women’s Rankings while Darcy Robertson’s Fort Rouge foursome (Tracey Lavery, Vanessa Foster, Michelle Kruk) moved into second place with a Scotties berth bonspiel victory a week ago n Neepawa. While not an MCT event, the berth spiels ere added this year to the events eligible to determine the MCT rankings.

Jill Thurston-Granite (Brette Richard, Brandi Oliver, Blaine DeJager) and Kerri Einarson-Gimli (Selena Kaatz, Liz Fyfe, Kristin MacCuish) dropped to #3 and #4 respectively. Joelle Brown-Fort Rouge (Alyssa Vandepoele, Jolene Rutter, Kelsey Hinds) moved into the fifth ranked position with her Scotties spiel final game loss to Robertson.

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<Nov 5, 2013>

Kraichy Wins Rossmere; Grassie Still Tops Standings

David Kraichy  and his Fort Rouge team won Rossmere’s weekend Manitoba Curling Tour bonspiel, the Ken Kurbis Galaxy Bonspiel presented by Fort Garry Industries, with a pair of wins Monday evening.

Kraichy (Andrew Irving, Taylor McIntyre, Brad Van Walleghem & Rob Gordon sparing the last two games in place of McIntyre) defeated Sean Grassie-Deer Lodge (Kody Janzen, Stu Shiells and spare Scott McCamis playing in place of injured Corey Chambers) in the semi-final before scoring a 6-2 final game win over Richard Muntain-Pinawa (Mike McCaughan, Curtis Atkins, Rodney Legault)

Muntain’s semi-final victory came over Kelly Marnoch (William Kuran, Brandon Jorgenson, Chris Cameron).

In the quarterfinals Kraichy defeated David Bohn, Muntain eliminated Trevor Loreth, Grassie beat Scott Madams, and Marnoch defeated Steve Irwin.

Kraichy’s winner’s share of the $8100 prize pool was $2,500 while Muntain’s finalist cheque $1,600. The Grassie and Marnoch teams earned $1,000 while $600 went to Bohn, Loreth, Madams, and Irwin.

Grassie’s semi-final performance kept his Deer Lodge team at the top of Gord Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS MCT Rankings while Kraichy’s victory moved his Fort Rouge team into a second place tie in the rankings with Scott Ramsay and his Granite foursome.

Kelly Marnoch (Carberry) and Trevor Loreth (West Kildonan) moved into the top ten with their playoff performances. Steve Irwin(Brandon) moved onto Gord Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS MCT Men’s Ranking for the second time as he qualified for the playoffs with Justin Rabe, Travis Brooks, and Cody Rabe – the team which will compete at the national Dominion Club Championships later this month.

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<Nov 1, 2013>

Harvey Still #1 on Kristi Green’s MCT Women’s Rankings

A semi-final finish at the Atkins Curling Supplies Women’s Classic followed by a quarter-final finish in the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Women’s Classic have allowed Janet Harvey and her Winnipeg team (Cherie-Ann Loder, Kristin Loder, Carey Kirby) to maintain their early season hold on the top spot on Kristi Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS Manitoba Curling Tour Women’s Rankings.

Jill Thurston (Brette Richards, Brandi Oliver, Blaine DeJager), who lost the final game of both events, jumped up the rankings to #2, followed by the winners of the three events on the Manitoba Curling Tour on the past two weekends.

Third ranked is Kerri Einarson-Gimli (Selena Kaatz, Liz Fyfe, Kristin MacCuish, Cheryl Neufeld), winners of the inaugural LaSalle Credit Union Women’s Classic.

Ranked #4 is Darcy Robertson-Fort Rouge (Tracey Lavery, Vanessa Foster, Michelle Kruk) who defeated Thurston 9-5 in the final of the Atkins Curling Supplies Women’s Classic. Jennifer Jones-Fort Rouge (Kaitlyn Lawes, Jill Officer, Dawn McEwen) moved into fifth position with a 7-0 victory over Thurston in the final of the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Women’s Classic with Ashley Howard subbing for Officer.

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<Nov 1, 2013>

Grassie Continues to Top Gord Green’s MCT Men’s Rankings

Reigning Manitoba Curling Tour Champion continues to top Gord Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS Manitoba Curling Tour Men’s Rankings as play begins Friday, November 1 in the Rossmere Galaxy Ken Kurbis Memorial Bonspiel presented by Fort Garry Industries.

A solid four wins performance at the CanadInns Prairie Classic combined with a semi-final appearance in the Rivers Safeway Berth Bonspiel kept the Grassie and his team (Kody Janzen, Scott McCamis, Stuart Shiells) at the top of the rankings despite the absence from the line-up of injured Corey Chambers.

Scott Ramsay and his Granite team (Mark Taylor, Ross McFadyen, Kyle Werenich) has moved into second place on the rankings list with a Safeway berth win in Rivers.

Bob Sigurdson-West Kildonan (Darren Oryniak, Al Purdy, Chad Barkman, Wayne Sigurdson) moved up to sixth place on the rankings with his Safeway berth win tied with CanadInns Prairie Classic champion Mike McEwen-Fort Rouge (BJ Neufeld, Matt Wozniak, Denni Neufeld).

Despite not qualifying in either of the Portage or Rivers events, Steen Sigurdson-Heather (Riley Smith, Ian McMillan, Nick Curtis) and Jared Kolomaya-Stonewall (Neil Kitching, Kennedy Bird, Daniel Hunt) have stayed in the top five on Gord Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS Manitoba Curling Tour Men’s Rankings. Sigurdson is ranked third and Kolomaya is fifth.

Ranked fourth is the Brandon Steve Irwin team (Joey Witherspoon, Travis Taylor, Travis Saban) who reached the semi=final of the Safeway Berth ‘Spiel after earlier winning the Carberry King Spud Classic.

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<Oct 17, 2013>

Manitoba Curling Tour Adds Women’s Champion Scotties Berth for 2013-14

A total of 18 events, at 13 different curling clubs, comprise the Manitoba Curling Tour for the 2013-14 season. The Manitoba Curling Tour for this year actually began after the 2012 MCT Championship with the Fort Rouge Coors Light Classic in December, 2012 and the Deer Lodge Cash Spiel in January, 2013.

The Manitoba Curling Tour will wrap up a week early with the championship scheduled for November 29-December 1, in Beausejour. This is a week earlier this season due to the Canadian Curling Trials schedule.

In addition to the MCT Championship, the Tour will lead to the Safeway Championship for four teams and to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts for two teams. New this year is an MCT Champions’ Scotties berth invitation in the Women’s Division which will go to the champion (or highest finishing eligible team), paralleling the MCT Men’s Champions’ Safeway berth invitation which has been available for several years. One additional Women’s berth and two Men’s berths are awarded to the highest ranked eligible teams at the conclusion of the MCT Championship events. In addition, this year a Men’s provincial berth invitation is available to the highest finishing eligible team in the playoffs at the Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy bonspiel.

To establish a better ranking of teams participating in competitive events in Manitoba, for the first time the results of Scotties and Safeway berth bonspiels (excluding the Manitoba Open) will be included in the MCT team rankings.

The first bonspiels of the 2013 fall season took place on the past weekend with the team skipped by Scott Ramsay-Granite winning the 6th Nott Autocorp Thanksgiving Charity Classic and the teams of Steve Irwin-Brandon and Janet Harvey-Assiniboine Memorial winning the two divisions of the Carberry King Spud Classic. Ramsay and his team picked up $2,100 for their championship at the Thistle Curling Club. In Carberry, Team Irwin earned $1,300 and the Harvey foursome banked $1,000.

With the accumulated results of the early events and the events on the past weekend, Janet Harvey opens the fall season at the top of the Kristi Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS MCT Women’s Rankings while Sean Grassie appears at the top of Gord Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS MCT Men’s Rankings.

Gord Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS MCT Men’s Rankings & Kristi Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS MCT Women’s Rankings will be circulated weekly to media and posted at the MCT website (mancurltour.org) following each weekend’s scheduled events.

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<Oct 14, 2013>

HARVEY, IRWIN, RAMSAY  WIN SEASON OPENING BONSPIELS

Janet Harvey (Cherie-Ann Loder, Kristin Loder, Carey Kirby), Steve Irwin (Joey Witherspoon, Travis Taylor, Travis Saban) and Scott Ramsay (Mark Taylor, Ross McFadyen, Kyle Werenich) have won the opening weekend bonspiels on the Manitoba Curling Tour.

Harvey’s championship game victory over Meghan Armit (Nikki Hawrylyshen, Sarah Lund, Nadine Cabak-Ralph) in the Carberry King Spud Classic Women’s Division placed her team at the top of Kristi Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS MCT Women’s Rankings to start the fall bonspiel season. Harvey also earned $1,000  while Armit and her team earned $600 and rank second.

Semi-finalists in the eight team bonspiel were D’Arcy Maywood (April Jorgenson, Lindsay Irving, Shea Maywood) and Kortney Teale (Darla Hayward, Pam Robins, Jolene Cumming) which earned each team $400.

At Winnipeg’s Thistle Curling Club, Scott Ramsay’s Granite foursome won the 6th Nott Autocorp Thanksgiving Charity Classic with a final game 5-4 win over Jared Kolomaya-Stonewall (Neil Kitching, Kennedy Bird, Daniel Hunt). It was the second championship in a row for the Ramsay team which won in St. Paul, Minnesota a week ago. The Ramsay team’s $2,100 payday puts them at the toip of the early season MCT money list.

Kolomaya picked up $1,500 as the finalist. Steen Sigurdson-Heather, who lost 6-4 to Ramsay, and Bob Sigurdson-West Kildonan, who lost 7-2 to Kolomaya, each earned $1,000 as the semi-finalists.

The losing teams in the quarter-finals were skipped by Sean Grassie-Deer Lodge, Trevor Loreth-West Kildonan, plus Andrew Wickman and Justin Stanus both of Fort Rouge, who earned $600 apiece.

Including points earned at the Fort Rouge Christmas Coors Light Classic and the January Deer Lodge Bonspiel, Grassie tops Gord Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS MCT Men’s Rankings with 50 points.  Steen Sigurdson is second with 45 points and Kolomaya is third with 40.

Ramsay’s championship moved him into fourth place with 35 points.

In the Men’s Division of the Carberry King Spud Classic, Irwin and his Brandon team defeated Geoff Trimble-Gladstone (Jeff Stewart, Darren Pennell, Alan Christison) in the final. Team Irwin earned the $1,000 first prize plus $300 ($100 per round robin win) and open the season ranked sixth on Gord Green’s REMAX PROFESSIONALS MCT Men’s Rankings while Trimble opens the season ranked eleventh.

Semi-finalists in the eight team bonspiel were Kelly Marnoch-Carberry (Skip-William Kuran, Brandon Jorgenson, Chris Cameron) and Jerry Chudley-Neepawa (Kevin Cooley, Brent McKee, Paul Robertson). Chudley needed a tiebreaker win over Tyler Waterhouse-Carberry to reach the playoffs.

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<Dec 31, 2012>

Birchard Wins Fort Rouge’s MCT Coors Light Christmas Classic

Prepping for next week’s Canola Junior Championships in Brandon, Daniel Birchard (Kelly Fordyce, Brody Moore, Andrew Peck, Coach Ray Fillion)and defending provincial junior champion Kyle Doering-West Kildonan (Conner Njegovan, Derek Oryniak, Kyle Kurz, Coach Cal Edie) met in the final of the Fort Rouge Coors Light Christmas Classic.

The Birchard foursome won this round with a 5-1 victory to earn a $1650 pay-cheque. Team Doering picked up $850. Birchard’s victory also puts his young team at the top of Gord Green’s Manitoba Curling Tour Men’s Rankings as a new round of rankings begins, building toward the 2013-14 season.

Birchard defeated Sean Grassie–Deer Lodge (Corey Chambers, Kody Janzen, Stu Shiells) 6-4 in the semi-final and Kevin Brown 6-2 in the quarterfinal. Doering had beaten Andrew Irving 9-3 in the semifinal and Dale Lott 6-3 in the quarterfinal.

The other quarterfinalists were Randy Dutiaume and Reid Carruthers who, along with Irving, declared themselves ineligible for MCT Rankings based on line-up.

The semifinalists earned $550 while the quarterfinalists pcked up $325.

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<Dec 9, 2012>

Grassie, Spencer Teams Win MCT Championships & Top Season-End Rankings

The Manitoba Curling Tour Championships for the 2012 year were hosted successfully December 6-9, 2012 by the Beausejour Curling Club. Beausejour’s volunteers with the support of local sponsors Thrifty Carwash, Beausejour Optical, Chicken Delight provided a new level of hospitality which was much appreciated by curlers.

Sixteen men’s teams from the top of Gord Green`s REMAX professionals MCT Men`s Rankings and eleven women’s teams from Kristi Green’s REMAX professionals MCT Women`s Rankings along with a Beausejour club host women’s team took part in the championship.

The championship concluded the season long Manitoba Curling Tour series of 7 Men’s, 5 women’s, and 5 open events. For the 21st year, Asham Curling Supplies was a valued Manitoba Curling Tour sponsor. The support of CurlingZone and CurlManitoba is also noted with appreciation.

GRASSIE WINS CHAMPIONSHIP: Sean Grassie-Deer Lodge won his first Manitoba Curling Tour championship with a 6-2 final game victory over Scott Ramsay-Granite. Grassie (Corey Chambers, Kody Janzen, and Travis Bale subbing for regular lead Stu Shiells) picked up the champion`s $2,000 cheque.

Team Grassie’s championship marked the fourth championship title they had earned beginning with the Deer Lodge Cash Spiel in January 2012 and including Rossmere’s Ken Kurbis Galaxy Speil and the Thistle Integrity Stakes in 2012. Grassie also advanced to the semi-finals in the 2012 DEKALB SuperSpiel. That record of accomplishment also earned the Grassie foursome the top spot on the season-ending rankings.

The finalist Ramsay foursome (Mark Taylor, Ross McFadyen, Kyle Werenich) picked up $1600 and a berth invitation for the Safeway Championship in Neepawa in February. The MCT champion`s berth went to the highest finishing eligible team, which was the Ramsay team, because the Grassie foursome had previously won a Safeway berth.

Semifinalist William Lyburn-West Kildonan (Alex & Tyler Forrest and Ken Tresoor subbing for regular third James Kirkness) earned $1,200 and earned a Safeway berth invitation, as well. Qualifier Daley Peters-Gimli (Chris Galbraith, Kyle Einarson, Mike Neufeld) also picked up a Safeway berth invitation.

The Peters and Lyburn invitations were to the two highest ranking teams, at the end of the championship, on Gord Green`s REMAX professionals MCT Men`s Rankings. Again, these two berths were both available as Grassie had previously earned a bonspiel berth.

Bob Sigurdson-Granite (Darren Oryniak, Alan Purdy, Chad Barkman) was the second semifinalist, losing 8-4 to Grassie while Lyburn lost 7-4 to Ramsay.

With Peters, the quarterfinalists were Kyle Foster-Arborg, Steen Sigurdson-Fort Rouge, and Dave Elias-West St Paul.

SPENCER WINS CHAMPIONSHIP: In the Women`s championship, Barb Spencer won her fourth MCT title with a 7-3 win over her Assiniboine Memorial clubmate Janet Harvey. Spencer (Katie Spencer, Ainsley Champagne, Raunora Westcott) earned $1,950.

Harvey (Cherie-Ann Loder, Kristin Loder, Carey Kirby), like Ramsay in the Men’s division, had already earned the MCT rankings provincial berth invitation berth. While the Spencer foursome ended the season at the top of the rankings, like Grassie, they had already earned a provincial Scotties berth prior to the event.

In the semifinal, Harvey had defeated Lisa DeRiviere (Karen Klein, Jolene Rutter, Theresa Cannon, Laryssa Grenkow) 5-1 and Spencer had eliminated Kim Link-East St Paul (Maureen Bonar, Renee Fletcher, Pam Kolton) 9-3.

Quarterfinalists were Darcy Robertson-Fort Rouge and Michelle Montford-Assiniboine Memorial.

Harvey’s team earned $1550, DeRiviere & Link picked up $1150, and Robertson & Montford cashed cheques for $750.

The Harvey and Robertson teams were tied as the highest ranked eligible team on Kristi Green’s REMAX professionals MCT Women`s Rankings at the conclusion of the championship. The berth was awarded to Harvey on the basis of the tie-breaker formula whose first criterion was which team advanced furthest in the playoffs of the 2012 MCT Championship event.

In addition to the Tour Championship, to earn top spot on the Women’s rankings list Team Spencer qualified at the Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Classic, reached the semifinal in the Atkins Curling Supplies Classic, and reached the final of the DEKALB SuperSpiel.

The Championship event ends the 2012 Manitoba Curling Tour season. The first two events of the 2013 season will be the Fort Rouge Coors Light Christmas Classic and the Deer Lodge Cash Spiel, hosted by MCT champion Sean Grassie January 3-6, 2013.

PROVINCIAL BERTH INVITATIONS FROM THE MCT

MEN:
Champion’s Berth – (Granite) Scott Ramsay, Mark Taylor, Ross McFadyen, Kyle Werenich
#1 Points – (Gimli) Daley Peters, Chris Galbraith, Kyle Einarson, Mike Neufeld
#2 Points – (West Kildonan) William Lyburn, James Kirkness, Alex Forrest, Tyler Forrest

WOMEN:
#1 Points – (Assiniboine Memorial) Janet Harvey, Cherie-Ann Loder, Kristin Loder, Carey Kirby

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<Dec 8, 2012>

Four men`s teams and four women`s teams are a win away from the playoff round in the Manitoba Curling Tour Championships underway in Beausejour.

In the 16-team men`s championship William Lyburn-West Kildonan, Sean Grassie-Deer Lodge, Scott Ramsay-Granite and Dave Elias-West Kildonan have won a pair of games and their next victory puts them into the eight team championship round. Those games go at 9AM Saturday, December 8 as Lyburn plays Grassie and Ramsay meets Elias.

The highest finishing eligible team in the championship earns a berth invitation for the Safeway Championship in Neepawa. Two additional berth invitations will be awarded at the conclusion of the event to the top two eligible teams on Gord Green`s REMAX professionals MCT Men`s Ranking.

In the 12-team women`s championship,  a trio of Assiniboine Memorial teams skipped by Barb Spencer, Janet Harvey, and Kerri Einarson are joined by Kim Link-East St Paul as the four teams looking for one more win on the short route to a Scotties berth invitation. The berth invitation will be awarded at the conclusion of the event to the top eligible team on Kristi Green`s REMAX professionals MCT Women`s Ranking.

Play to qualify a total of eight men`s teams and six women`s teams for the Sunday playoff rounds will continue with five draws Saturday. (9AM, Noon, 3PM, 6PM, 9PM)

The championship round will be played over three draws Sunday – quarterfinals at 9:30AM, semi-finals at 1PM, and finals at 4:30PM.

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<Dec 5, 2012>

Beausejour to Host 12-Team MCT Women’s Championship: Spencer Top Seed

The five top-ranked Manitoba teams on Kristi Green’s Manitoba Curling Tour Women’s Ranking have accepted invitations to compete in the MCT Championship in Beusejour, December 6-9, 2012. Four of them hope to turn a championship run into an invitation to compete in the provincials at Stonewall in January.

Top-ranked Barb Spencer-Fort Rouge and her team will compete for the title but are not concerned about the available invitation to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts as they won a berth earlier in the season.

The four teams who can still earn that Scotties invitation include #2 Darcy Robertson-Fort Rouge, #3 Kate Cameron-Stonewall, #4 Janet Harvey-Assiniboine Memorial, and #5 Lisa DeRiviere-Pembina.

The remainder of the 12-team field includes #7 Kerri Einarson-Assiniboine Memorial, #9 Joelle Brown-Fort Rouge, #13 Stacey Fordyce-Brandon, #16 Meghan Armit-Granite, #18 Michelle Montford-Assiniboine Memorial, #19 Colleen Kilgallen-Pinawa, #34 Kim Link-East St Paul, and Donna Borkowsky – Beausejour representing the host club..

Beausejour Curling Club sponsors Thrifty Carwash, Beausejour Optical and Chicken Delight will serve as the host sponsors for the championship which will wrap up with a three-draw championship round on Sunday, December 9.

The Championship format, adopted a year ago by the MCT, will feature 12 teams competing in a triple knockout plus playoff .  The Women’s Championship will award an invitation to compete in the 2013 Scotties Championship in Stonewall to the highest ranked eligible team on Kristi Green’s REMAX professionals MCT Women’s Rankings, at the conclusion of the championship.

Asham Curling Supplies, a dedicated supporter since year one, continues as a sponsor of the Manitoba Curling Tour.

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<Dec 5, 2012>

Grassie Top Seed in 16-Team MCT Men’s Championship

Sean Grassie and his Deer Lodge team, coming off a championship in the Thistle Integrity Stakes and a semi-final appearance the week before at the Morris DEKALB SuperSpiel, has retained Manitoba Curling Tour top ranking and is seeded #1 in the MCT Men’s Championship which begins Thursday evening in Beausejour. (December 6-9, 2012)

With Grassie’s domination of MCT events in the 2012 season, the good news for the other teams in the championship is that his team has already qualified for the Safeway Championship in Neepawa so the three championship berths available will go to other teams.

Also ineligible is Junior Champion Kyle Doering-West Kildonan whose #8 ranked team is too young to earn a Safeway berth.

Along with #1 Grassie, the top four teams on Gord Green’s REMAX professionals MCT Men’s Rankings list will all compete. Second ranked Daley Peters-Gimli, #3 Jared Kolomay-Stonewall, and #4 William Lyburn-West Kildonan are the teams favoured to earn the two Safeway berth invitations which go to the top ranked pair of teams after the championship.

All 14 of the teams, excluding Grassie and Doering, will compete for the Safeway berth invitation awarded to the highest finishing eligible team in the Sunday playoff round.

Included in the competition are #7 Randy Dutiaume-Thistle, #11 David Bohn-Assiniboine Memorial, #12 Richard Muntain-Pinawa, #13 Kyle Foster-Arborg, #14 Scott Ramsay-Granite, #16 Steen Sigurdson-Stonewall, #18 Geoff Trimble-Gladstone, #21 David Kraichy-Fort Rouge, #25 Dave Elias-West Kildonan, #31 Bob Sigurdson-Granite, and #33 Rob Van Kommer-Carberry.

The Championship format, adopted a year ago by the MCT, will feature 16 teams competing in a triple knockout plus playoff .

Beausejour Curling Club sponsors Thrifty Carwash, Beausejour Optical and Chicken Delight will serve as the host sponsors for the championship which will wrap up with a three-draw championship round on Sunday, December 9.  Asham Curling Supplies, a dedicated supporter since year one, continues as a sponsor of the Manitoba Curling Tour.

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<Nov 27, 2012>

MCT WEEK 8: Lyburn, Robertson Win DEKALB SuperSpiel’s Titles

William Lyburn and his Deer Lodge Team have moved into contention for one of the Safeway Championship berths which will be awarded through the Manitoba Curling Tour Championship December 6-9 in Beausejour with an 8-1 final game victory over Switzerland’s Alexander Attinger in the final of the DEKALB SuperSpiel in Morris. With the championship, Lyburn, James Kirkness,  Alex Forrest and Tyler Forrest also cash a cheque for $10,000.

Team Lyburn moved from #28 to #4 on Gord Green’s REMAX professionals MCT Men’s Rankings and Daley Peters moved back up to #2 by reaching the semi-final.  Sean Grassie, the other semi-finalist, retained his position as the #1 ranked team on the rankings.

Lyburn defeated Peters and his Gimli team 7-2 in the semi-final while Attinger posted a 6-4 victory over Deer Lodge’s Grassie. Attinger’s payday was for $6,000 while the Peters and Grassie teams each earned $3,000.

Quarterfinalists Dave Elias, Kyle Doering, David Bohn, and Scott Bitz-SK each picked up $2,000.

In the Women’s Division of the DEKALB SuperSpiel, Darcy Robertson-Fort Rouge (Tracey Lavery, Vanessa Foster, Michelle Kruk) defeated Barb Spencer-Fort Rouge (Katie Spencer, Ainsley Champagne, Raunora Westcott)  6-5 in an extra end victory which earned Team Robertson $8,000. It also moved the Robertson foursome to # 2 on Kristi Green’s REMAX professionals MCT Women’s Rankings. The Spencer team retained the #1 spot.

In the semi-finals Spencer defeated Deb McCreanor-LaSalle 6-5 while Robertson was a 7-6 winner over Janet Harvey-Assiniboine Memorial. Team Spencer picked up $4800 while McCreanor and Harvey each pocketed $2400.

The qualifiers were Sherry Just-SK, Joelle Brown, Colleen Kilgallen, and Kate Cameron. Each cashed cheques for $1600.

The next, and final, event on the 2012-13 Manitoba Curling Tour calendar before the December 6-=9 MCT Championships in Beausejour, will be next weekend’s Thistle Integrity Stakes. The Manitoba Lotteries Men’s Fall Classic in Brandon has been cancelled.

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<Nov 15, 2012>

MCT WEEK 6 – McEwen Wins Swan River White’s Drug Store Classic

Mike McEwen and his Fort Rouge team (BJ Neufeld, Matt Wozniak, Denni Neufeld) won their first event of the season and with it $12,000 with an 4-2 win over Randy Bryden-SK in the final of the Swan River White’s Drug Store Classic. McEwen’s win moved him up the CTRS listing as well as moving the team up to #3 on Gord Green’s REMAX professionals MCT Men’s Ranking. Bryden and his team banked $9000.

Terry McNamee and his Brandon team (Steve Irwin, Travis Taylor, Travis Saban) earned the Safeway Championship berth invitation available to the highest finishing eligible team in the bonspiel when they qualified for the playoff round. The McNamee foursome lost 5-4 to Bryden in the semi-final but still improved to #2 on the rankings behind Sean Grassie whose ranking remained unchanged with no MCT Rankings points gained in Swan River. Grassie had three wins, valued at 12 points, but these are not included in his tally as only the four best events are included.

McNamee and BC’s Jim Cotter, who lost the other semi-final 5-2 to McEwen, both earned $6500.

Kevin Martin-AB, Jeff Stoughton-MB, Josh Heidt-SK, and Jeff Hartung-SK were the four quarterfinalists. Each team earned $4,000.

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<Nov 8, 2012>

MCT WEEK 5: Grassie Wins Rossmere, Still #1 Ranked MCT Team

Sean Grassie and his Deer Lodge team (Corey Chambers, Kody Janzen, Stu Shiells) posted a 7-0 final game win over Steen Sigurdson  (Riley Smith, Ian McMillan, Nigel Curtis) to capture the championship in the Rossmere’s Kurbis Galaxy Bonspiel presented by Fort Garry Industries.

Grassie’s team cashed a cheque for $3,800 and also solidified their hold on the #1 ranking on Gord Green’s REMAX professionals MCT Men’s Rankings list. Sigurdson earned $2,300 and moved up to 34 on the rankings list, an improvement from #18.

Semi-finalists Randy Dutiaume-Thistle, who lost 6-3 to Grassie, and Scott Madams, who was beaten 4-3 by Sigurdson, each earned $1,400 and retained their #2 and #3 rankings respectively.

Quarter-finalists Trevor Loreth, Tyler Drews, Mark Lukowich, and Dean Dunstone all picked up $900. Loreth’s ranking improved to #13 (from #30) while the other three appear on the list for the first time.

Six Women’s teams took part in the Open event with only one change to the rankings.. Although posting only two win, Karen Rosser’s Springfield team used the 2.5 points per victory to move up to #13 (from #24) on Kristi Green’s REMAX professionals MCT Women’s Rankings.

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<Oct 31, 2012>

MCT WOMEN WEEK 4: Fordyce Wins Carberry’s King Spud Women’s Classic

Stacey Fordyce-Brandon (Kelsey Russell, Janelle Vachon, Roslyn Ripley) defeated Lisa DeRiviere-Pembina (Karen Klein, Jolene Rutter, Theresa Cannon) 7-5 to win the $1500 champions purse in the weekend’s Manitoba Curling Tour action – the King Spud Women’s Classic in Carberry.

With the win, Fordyce moved  to #7 on Kristi Green’s REMAX professionals MCT Women’s Rankings. DeRiviere, whose team picked up $800, improved to #2 on the rankings list.

The semi-finalists in the 10-team bonspiel, Meghan Armit-Granite (Nikki Hawrylyshen, Sarah Lund, Nadine Cabak-Ralph) and Tina Kozak-Carberry (Erin Mahoney, Betty Buurma, Suzie Scott), each earned $350. Team Kozak jumped up to #8 in the rankings while Team Armit moved up to #14.

Next weekend’s event on the Manitoba Curling Tour is Rossmere’s Ken Kurbis Galaxy Bonspiel presented by Fort Garry Industries.

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<Oct 23, 2012>

MCT WOMEN WEEK 3: Spencer Tops MCT Rankings After Manitoba Lotteries Classic

Barb Spencer and her Fort Rouge team (Katie Spencer, Ainsley Champagne, Raunora Westcott) qualified for the playoff round in the Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Classic at Fort Rouge on the weekend and in so doing moved into the top spot on Kristi Green’s REMAX professional MCT Women’s Rankings.

Kate Cameron’s Stonewall foursome did not play on the weekend and as a result dropped from #1 to #2 in the Women’s Rankings.

Stefanie Lawton’s Saskatchewan team picked up the $15,000 first prize by defeating Rachel Homan-Ontario 6-4 in the final. Homan picked up $10,000. Lawton and Homan moved to 3rd and 4th respectively in the MCT Rankings.

Janet Harvey’s Assiniboine Memorial team and Darcy Robertson’s Fort Rouge foursome each scored a pair of wins and enough added points to move up to sixth spot on the MCT Rankings.

Semi-finalists Cheryl Bernard-Alberta, who lost 6-3 to Homan, and Shannon Kleibrink-Alberta, who lost 7-3 to Lawton, each picked up $6,000 and moved into the eighth ranked position, tied with Karen Fallis-Wildewood, who was winless on the weekend.

Team Jennifer Jones, skipped by Kaitlyn Lawes; Laura Crocker and Renee Sonnenberg from Alberta also qualified and earned $3700. All wins in the Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Classic also paid $100 per win.
MCT MEN WEEK 3: Grassie Retains Top Spot in MCT Men’s Rankings After CanadInns Prairie Classic

Sean Grassie-Deer Lodge and Randy Dutiaume-Thistle eached posted three wins on the weekend in the CanadInns Prairie Classic and as a result retained the first and second sports respectively on Gord Green’s REMAX professionals MCT Men’s Rankings list.

Kevin Koe-Alberta, who defeated Kevin Martin-Alberta 9-4 in the CanadInns final game picked up $18,000 with Martin earning $10,000. The two Albertans moved into third and forth spot respectively in the MCT rankings.

A pair of victories moved David Bohn’s Assiniboine Memorial team into sixth plac einthe rankings.

With semi-final appearances, Jeff Stoughton-Charleswood (5-3 loss to Koe) and Glenn Howard-Ontario (4-2 loss to Martin) picked up $6,000 each and appear at #10 on the rankings. Qualifiers Mike McEwen-Fort Rouge and William Lyburn-Deer Lodge, Brad Gushue-Newfoundland Labrador and John Epping-Ontario all earned $4000 and moved onto the rankings list at #20.

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<Oct 18, 2012>

Winnipeg hosts the 2012 Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Curling Classic

Winnipeg, October 18 … the Fort Rouge Curling Club in Winnipeg will play host to the 2012 Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Curling Classic on October 19-22, 2012.

We welcome back our title sponsor, Manitoba Lotteries for a 9th consecutive year and look forward to their continued commitment next year.   We are pleased to have Flatlanders Flooring returning as our presenting sponsor  In addition, we have five Gold sponsors, eight Silver sponsors and twenty-one Bronze sponsors.  All of these organizations share our vision and passion for this event and continue to make it a premier event and preferred stop on the Women’s World Curling Tour.

Thirty-two of Canada’s and the World’s top teams will assemble in Winnipeg to vie for a prize purse of $60,000., with a top prize of $15,000.  The field includes Canadian and World champions as well as Olympic medalists, Annette Norberg and Cheryl Bernard.  The Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Curling Classic has been selected by the Canadian Curling Association as one of three Grand Slam events for the season.

Team Jennifer Jones will face Manitoba’s own Karen Fallis inopening draw action on October 19 at the Fort Rouge Curling Club.  Other first round key match-ups will feature the reigning Canadian Champion Heather Nedohintaking on Winnipeg’s own, Kim Link as well as Cathy Overton-Clapham team of Capital One Cup Champions, against Team Kilgallen, also from the host province.

Once again spectators and fans will see the best in the world and be treated to very exciting and spectacular shot making throughout the four days of the event.  Up-to-date results as well as the complete draw may be viewed by logging onto www.curlingzone.com and/or www.worldcurl.comstarting todayand follow the links.

The 2012 Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Curling Classic will feature a triple knockout format starting with 5 draws on Friday, followed by 5 draws on Saturday and 4 draws on Sunday at the Fort Rouge Curling Club.  Eight teams will qualify for the Championship round slated to go on Monday, October 22 starting at 10:00 a.m.  The semi-finals will go at

1:30 p.m. followed by the final at 5:00 p.m.

In addition, organizers are very pleased and honored to once again announce the Lorraine Toth Junior Curling Sponsorship Awards to be presented to one male & one female Manitoba junior curling team.  The presentation of these awards to the two selected teams will take place on Sunday, October 21 at 5:00 pm. at the Fort Rouge.

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<Oct 15, 2012>

MCT WOMEN WEEK 2: Cameron Tops Atkins Curling Supplies Charity Classic

Kate Cameron and her Stonewall team of Erika Sigurdson, Brandi Oliver, and Lindsay Baldock have won the first Women’s event of the Manitoba Curling tour season. Cameron stole a three on the third end en route to a 7-2 victory over Kerri Einarson-Assiniboine Memorial (Sara Van Walleghem, Liz Fyfe, Krysten Karwacki) Monday afternoon in the final of the Atkins Curling Supplies Charity Classic at East St Paul.

Team Cameron, who had to qualify for the playoffs with a tiebreaker win Sunday evening over Jill Thurston-Granite, earned $4,500 plus $120 (3 wins @ $40) for a total of $4620. Einarson’s foursome pocketed $2,660 ($2500 + 4 wins @ $40).

In the semi-finals, Cameron defeated Karen Fallis – Wildewood (Sam Murata, Jennifer Clark-Rouire, Jillian Sandison) 8-3 while Einarson scored a 5-4 win over Barb Spencer – Fort Rouge (Katie Spencer, Ainsley Champagne, Raunora Westcott). Fallis & Spencer both earned $1500 plus $40 per win for totals of $1,660 and $1,700 respectively.

The championship moved Cameron to the top of Kristi Green’s REMAX professionals Women’s MCT Rankings with Einarson ranked second. Fallis and Spencer share the third spot in the rankings.

Quarterfinalists Lisa DeRiveiere, Janet Harvey, Darcy Robertson, and Shannon Birchard each earned $800 plus $40 per win and share the fifth spot in the MCT Rankings.

Next on the Manitoba Curling Tour is the Manitoba Lotteries Manitoba Women’s Classic at the Fort Rouge Curling Club next weekend.

MCT MEN WEEK 2: McNamee Tops Carberry King Spud

Terry McNamee’s Brandon team (Steve Irwin, Travis Taylor, Travis Saban) has won the Carberry Manitoba Curling Tour bonspiel – the King Spud Classic. McNamee defeated a team skipped by Joey Witherspoon (Bart Witherspoon, Cale Dunbar, Ian Scott) 7-4 in the championship final.

Team McNamee picked up the champion’s $1,200 prize and moved onto Gord Green’s REMAX Professionals MCT Men’s Rankings at #4, tied with last week’s champion Daley Peters team.

The Witherspoon skipped team pocketed $800 and moved the Carberry foursome to #11 on the Rankings list.

Richard Muntain’s Pinawa foursome (Mike McCaughan, Myron Bowerman, Keith Doherty)  was beaten 6-1 by McNamee in the quarterfinal but moved up the rankings list to tie Randy Dutiaume at #2.

McNamee defeated Jerry Chudley-Neepawa (Kevin Cooley, Brent McKee, Paul Robertson) 7-6 on an extra end in the semi-final.

In the other semi-final, Witherspoon defeated Geoff Trimble – Catberry (Dean Smitth,  Darren Pennell, Alan Christison) 6-5 after beating Kelly Marnoch-Carberry (Evan Reynolds, Branden Jorgenson, Chris Cameron) 8-1 in the first playoff round.

Chuldey and Trimble both picked up $500 cheques and moved onto the rankings list at #20. Marnoch and Muntain cashed $350 cheques. Combined with wins points from a week earlier, Marnoch also moved up to #20 on the rankings list.

Next on the Manitoba Curling Tour is the CanadInns Prairie Classic at the Portage Curling Club next weekend.

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<Oct 8, 2012>

Peters Foursome Wins MCT Opener – Nott Autocorp Thanksgiving Charity Classic

Daley Peters and his new team (Chris Galbraith, Kyle Einarson, Mike Neufeld) have won the Manitoba Curling Tour’s opening event of the fall bonspiel season with a 6-2 victory over Bob Sigurdson-Granite (Darren Oryniak, Alan Purdy, Chad Barkman) in the Nott Autocorp Thanksgiving Charity Classic.

With the win, Team Peters picks up $2700 while Sigurdson pockets $1800.

In the semi-finals, Sigurdson had beaten Daniel Birchard-Pembina (Kelly Fordyce, Brody Moore, Andrew Peck) 6-4 while Peters was a 5-3 winner over Steen Sigurdson (Riley Smith, Ian McMillan, Nick Curtis).  Birchard and this Sigurdson team picked up $1250.

Chinese teams skipped by Rui Liu and Deija Xu, as well as Manitoba’s Trevor Loreth-West Kildonan (Brad Haight, Ryan Lowdon, Brett Cawson) and Scott Ramsay-Granite (Mark Taylor, Ross McFadyen, Kyle Werenich) all lost quarterfinal games. The qualifiers each earned $750.

The Nott Autocorp Thanksgiving Charity Classic is the first event of the fall season but fourth of the year to contribute to REMAX professionals Manitoba Curling Tour Rankings points. Results of last season’s Thistle Integrity Stakes, Fort Rouge Coors Light Christmas Open and Deer Lodge Cash ‘Spiel also count toward eligibility for invitations to this year’s MCT in Beausejour. As a result Gord Green’s Men’s MCT Rankings include points from those events while Kristi Green’s MCT Women’s Rankings start from this weekend as no Women’s teams had accumulated early points.

With earlier accumulated points, despite not qualifying at the Nott Autocorp Thanksgiving Charity Classic, Sean Grassie’s Deer Lodge (Corey Chambers, Kody Janzen, Stu Shiells) team retained the #1 ranking on Gord Green’s MCT Men’s Rankings. Likewise, four victories moved Randy Dutiaume’s Thistle (Peter Nicholls, Dean Moxham, Greg Melnichuk) foursome up to the #2 ranking.

The Peters foursome is ranked #3 as a result of the championship, tied with Ramsay whose quarterfinal finish adds to points accumulated earlier. Andrew Wickman and Jared Kolomaya are also in the tie for third place in the rankings thanks to victories in the early events. (The Men’s Top 10 are included below)

Although no Women’s teams qualified for the playoff rounds, Beth Peterson and Kate Cameron-Stonewall became the first to post their names on Kristi Green’s MCT Women’s Rankings list. Three victories makes Peterson the top ranked Women’s team with 7.5 points to start the year while Cameron posted two wins for 5 MCT rankings points.

Cross Canada Summary

 

Jeff Stoughton won the Stu Sells Tankard in Toronto

Mike McEwen qualified but lost in round one of the playoffs. Rob Fowler did not qualify.
William Lyburn qualified but lost in the first playoff round in the Westcoast Curling Classic in New Westminster.

Kerri Einarson qualified but lost in the first playoff round in the Regina Callie Rocktoberfest.

None of Team Jennifer Jones, Cathy Overton-Clapham, Chelsea Carey, and Barb Spencer qualified at the Curlers Corner Autumn Gold Curling Classic in Calgary

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<Oct 2, 2012>

Beausejour to Host 2012 Manitoba Curling Tour Championships

The Manitoba Curling Tour and Beausejour Curling Club have announced the 2012 Manitoba Curling Tour Men’s and Women’s Championships will be played December 7-9, 2012 in the Eastman community which has successfully hosted the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the Safeway Championship, and numerous other events including last season’s Strathcona Senior Men’s.

Beausejour will not be hosting a MCT bonspiel in 2012. However, Beausejour Curling Club sponsors Thrifty Carwash, Beausejour Optical and Chicken Delight will serve as the host sponsors for the championships.

Welcoming the MCT Championships to Beausejour, Club President Lance Wadelius said “we are delighted to welcome 32 of Manitoba’s top competitive teams to experience our club and our well known and respected volunteerism, along with our community and the Sun Gro Centre facility.”

New rocks and excellent ice for last year’s provincial Senior Men’s Championship generated great shot-making in that event and an assurance of excellence for 2012. The club will consult with one of Manitoba’s high profile consulting Ice Technicians prior to the MCT Championships to ensure ice and rocks are at the expected standard.

In addition, the Manitoba Curling Tour is pleased to announce the continuing sponsorship of Gord Green and Kristi Green. The REMAX professionals will be the week to week sponsors of the MCT’s Rankings Reports.

The Championship format, adopted a year ago by the MCT, will feature 16 of the top Manitoba teams on each of the Manitoba Men’s and Women’s Tour Rankings in a triple knockout plus playoff.. The Men’s championship will award three invitations to compete in the 2013 Safeway Championship in Neepawa; one to the highest finishing team in the championship playoff and two to the highest ranked eligible teams on Gord Green’s REMAX professionals MCT Men’s Rankings. The Women’s Championship will award an invitation to compete in the 2013 Scotties Championship in Stonewall to the highest ranked eligible team on Kristi Green’s REMAX professionals MCT Women’s Rankings.
Asham Curling Supplies, a dedicated supporter since year one, will continue as a sponsor of the Manitoba Curling Tour. Pending announcement of additional Manitoba Curling Tour sponsors (opportunities still available!!), complete details of the MCT Championships in Beausejour will be announced at a later date.

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<Jan 15, 2012>

Grassie Wins First Deer Lodge Manitoba Curling Tour Spiel

Sean Grassie-Deer Lodge (Corey Chambers, Kody Janzen, Stu Shiells) has won the inaugural edition of the Deer Lodge Curling Club’s January Manitoba Curling Tour Bonspiel. Grassie posted a final game 5-1 victory over Randy Dutiaume-Thistle (Peter Nicholls, Dean Moxham, Wayne Sigurdson).

Team Grassie earned 30 Manitoba Curling Tour rankings points plus $2300 while the finalist finish was worth 25 points and $1300 for Dutiaume.

To reach the final, Dutiaume defeated David Bohn-Assiniboine Memorial (Dennis Bohn, Andrew Irving, Daniel Gagne) 6-2, ending the game with a three on the seventh end. A three on the seventh was also the turning point in the other semi-final as Grassie defeated Jason Gunnlaugson (David Kraichy, Connor Njegovan, Brad Van Walleghem) 7-4.

The semi-finalists earned $800 and added 20 points to their 2012-13 MCT points total.

The quarterfinalists were Jared Kolomaya-Stonewall, Scott Ramsay-Granite, Chris Galbraith-East St Paul, and Scott Madams. The quarter-finalists earned $500 and 15 MCT points.

The next and final MCT event until next fall will be the January 27-29 Gimli Pharmasave Classic.

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<Dec 13, 2011>

New MCT Season Begins as the Old One Ends

While the Manitoba Curling Tour Championships, presented by REMAX professionals  Gord Green and Kristi Green, were played in Morris on the past weekend, the first event  was underway pointing to the next championship season.

In the Thistle Integrity Stakes, David Kraichy skipped his Winnipeg team of Brad Van Walleghem, Matt Johnson and Shane Halliburton to a come from behind win over Kyle Foster’s Arborg entry (Wes Jonasson, Shawn Magnusson, Darcy Jacobs). Trailing 7-2 after four ends, the Kraichy foursome scored on four consecutive ends to win 8-7.

The Kraichy foursome shared $1,200 while Team Foster earned $800. Semi-finalists Dean Dunstone and Murray Woodward cashed cheques of $500 and quarter-finalists Kyle Doering and Jess Franklin picked up $350.

Team Kraichy begins the 2012-13 competition season at the top of the Manitoba Curling Tour’s Men’s Rankings with Foster in second place. Dunstone and Woodward share third place in the rankings and Doering and Franklin share the fifth ranking position.

Meanwhile, the MCT Championship event wrapped up the 2011-12 Tour season.

Men’s Tour champion Rob Fowler and his Brandon team (Allan Lyburn, Richard Daneault, Derek Samagalski) won the title and solidified their hold on #2 position on the Men’s Rankings. The Deer Lodge WIllliam Lyburn team (James Kirkness, Alex Forrest, Tyler Forrest) qualified for the playoff round in the championship and concluded the season as the top ranked Manitoba team. Sean Grassie’s Deer Lodge team (Corey Chambers, Kody Janzen, Stu Shiells) retained their third rank position despite not qualifying for the championship playoff round.

Fowler, as champion, and Lyburn & Grassie, as the top teams on the rankings list, all earned Safeway Championship berths.

MCT Women’s champion Chelsea Carey-Morden (Kristy McDonald, Kristen Foster, Lindsay Titheridge) moved from second to first place on the MCT Women’s Ranking list. As the top ranked Women’s team, the Carey foursome secured the MCT Rankings entry into this year’s Scotties championship.

MCT Championship finalist Cathy Overton-Clapham and her Fort Rouge team improved their ranking to #3 behind second ranked Barb Spencer-Fort Rouge.

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<Dec 12, 2011>

Team Carey Wins MCT Title and Scotties Berth

Chelsea Carey and her Morden team (Kristy McDonald, Kristen Foster and Lindsay Titheridge) won their second consecutive Manitoba Curling Tour Championship and the team’s third in four years with a 5-4 win over Cathy Overton Clapham-Fort Rouge Sunday in Morris. Team Carey, with Selena Kaatz subbing for Kristen Foster on the final day, is pictured with REMAX professionals Gord Green and Kristi Green, presenting sponsors of the championship.

In a tie game coming home between two of Manitoba’s top 3 women’s teams, Carey ran a port with her first rock and made a raise double kill.  Overton Clapham made her draw and Carey ran the same port again to win the game.

By winning the championship, Team Carey moved to the top of the MCT Women’s Rankings and put a lock on the Scotties berth available through the new Rankings System. The champion’s prize purse was also $2,500.

Team Carey defeated Jill Thurston-Granite 6-5 in an extra end in the semi-final while Overton-Clapham, whose team earned $1500, beat Joelle Brown-Fort Rouge 5-3 in their semi-final. The two semi-finalist teams each cashed cheques for $1,000.

The three quarter-finalists, Darcy Robertson, Karen Rosser, and Barb Spencer and their teams each had $500 paydays.

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<Dec 12, 2011>

Fowler Foursome Tops MCT Championship, Earns Safeway Berth

Rob Fowler and his Brandon team of Allan Lyburn, Richard Daneault and Derek Samagalski won the Manitoba Curling Tour Championship Sunday afternoon in Morris, defeating former Manitoba champion Randy Dutiaume 5-3 in the final. The members of Team Fowler  are pictured with REMAX professionals Gord Green and Kristi Green, presenting sponsors of the championship.

Team Fowler earned the champion’s prize of $2,500 along with a Safeway Championship berth as the MCT Champion.

Team Dutiaume (Peter Nicholls, Dean Moxham, Wayne Sigurdson) cashed a cheque for $1,500.

The semi-finalist teams of David Hamblin-Morris, who lost 7-6 to Fowler, and David Bohn – Assiniboine Memorial, who lost 4-1 to Dutiaume, both picked up $1,000 for the weekend.

Quarter-finalists William Lyburn-Deer Lodge, who was the defending champion, Dave Elias-West Kildonan, James Scott-Fort Rouge, and Randy Neufeld–La Salle all earned $500.

Lyburn and his Deer Lodge team (James Kirkness, Alex Forrest, Tyler Forrest) also topped the  MCT Rankings for the season. They were in first place in the rankings going into the championship with such a lead that no team could catch them. Team Lyburn earned the MCT #1 Rankings berth into the Safeway Championship in Dauphin.

Fowler’s championship solidified his team’s hold on the second ranking position. As Fowler earned the champion’s berth, #3 Sean Grassie and his Deer Lodge foursome (Corey Chambers, Kody Janzen, Stu Shiells) grabbed the final MCT berth into the provincial championship.

Despite not qualifying at the MCT championship, Team Grassie held their third ranked position as other contenders fell short of qualifying in Morris as well.

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<Dec 5, 2011>

MCT Announces New Sponsorship

The Manitoba Curling Tour Men’s and Women’s sponsorships will be sponsored December 8-11 in Morris by REMAX professionals Gord & Kristi Green under a one-year sponsorship agreement which includes terms for future renewal.

Long-time Manitoba competitor Gord Green and his daughter Kristi are well recognized among Manitoba curlers. Billing themselves as ‘amateur curlers but professional realtors, Gord Green says they are pleased to support the efforts of the Manitoba Curling Tour to provide a coordinated focus for competitive curling in Manitoba.

”The Manitoba Curling Tour provides the competitive opportunity for Manitoba’s competitors who want to play at a high level but who are unable to travel to the larger events outside the province, often due mainly to work and family obligations,” Green says. “We are especially pleased with the move to provide greater incentive for teams to support Manitoba club bonspiels which has resulted from the decision this year to provide additional provincial championship berths through the MCT championships.”

While there has been a traditional entry into the Safeway Championship for the highest finishing eligible team at the Men’s MCT championship, this year there will be an additional two Safeway berths awarded after the MCT Championship when the final Rankings are tallied.

Currently #1 William Lyburn, #2 Rob Fowler, #3 Sean Grassie and #4 Vic Peters have the inside track to earn the Rankings berths. However several other teams also have a chance based on results at the MCT Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy Bonspiel and the MCT Championship, itself.
In addition, any of the 16 teams in the championship who are eligible can win a Safeway spot by winning in Morris.

On the Women’s side, #2 Chelsea Carey has the inside track on the one available Scotties berth. #1 Barb Spencer and #3 Michelle Montford have already pre-qualified for the provincial championship. #4 Kim Link, #5, Janet Harvey, and #6 Joelle Brown all have a chance at the Scotties berth, as well, depending on the results in Morris.

The new sponsorship of REMAX professionals Gord & Kristi Green augments the long-time support of Asham Curling Supplies and Labatt Manitoba.

The invitation list for the 16 team triple knockout MCT Championships will be finalized after events this weekend in Dauphin and Beausejour. Lyburn, Fowler, and Grassie have all confirmed their participation in the Men’s event as have Spencer, Carey, Montford, Link, Harvey, and Brown.

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<Dec 5, 2011>

Gedak Wins Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy Spiel, Galbraith Moves into #5 in MCT Rankings

With a 7-2 final game victory, Brent Gedak (SK) won the 2011 Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy Bonspiel over Chris Galbraith and his East St Paul team. With the win Gedak won $8,000 and moved to #17 on the Manitoba Curling Tour’s Men’s Ranking.

Galbraith and his team pocketed $5000 and jumped to #5 on the MCT Rankings, in contention for the MCT Rankings berth still available after the conclusion of the MCT Championship, presented by REMAX professionals Gord & Kristi Green, which begins Thursday in Morris.

Top ranked William Lyburn and his Deer Lodge are confirmed as the first MCT berth recipient as the other teams will not be able to pass the Lyburn foursome no matter how they perform at the Championship. Yet to be determined is whether Team Lyburn earns the Champions berth or the MCT #1 rank berth.

In Dauphin, Gedak was a 6-1 winner over Rob Van Kommer-Carberry in the semi-final while Galbraith defeated Jared Kolomaya-Stonewall by an 8-6 score. Both Van Kommer and Kolomaya picked up $3500 for their efforts.

Qualifiers Joey Witherspoon-Fort Rouge, Brock Virtue (AB), defending champion Rae Kujanpaa-Dauphin, and Randy Bryden (SK) earned $2500.

The final invitations for the MCT Championship have been based on the Dauphin results. The final rankings and the draw for the MCT Championship will be published Tuesday, December 6.

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<Dec 4, 2011>

Rosser Wins Beausejour, MCT Pre-Championship Rankings Finalized

A 3-1 final game victory for Karen Rosser-Springfield (Cheryl Reed, Stacey Fordyce, Brenna Philp) over Linda Stewart-West Kildonan (Amanda Tycholis, Kristie Moroz, Jennifer Clark-Rouire) in the Beausejour Thrifty Car Wash Curling Classic has earned Rosser the $1,300 first prize in the ten-team event and moved her team into 8th place on the Manitoba Curling Tour Women’s Rankings.

Stewart earned $1,000 in cash and moved up to #15 on the MCT Rankings with her finalist finish. Semi-finalists Shannon Birchard-Victoria, with a 6-4 loss to Rosser, and Kelsey Boettcher-Stonewall, with an 8-5 loss to Stewart, both earned $600.

The Beausejour event was the final one before the MCT Championship, presented by REMAX professionals Gord & Kristi Green, which begins Thursday, December 8 in Morris.

The MCT Ranking list’s top eight Women’s teams have all confirmed entry into the championship. The Ranking, which will be used to seed the Championship draw, has   Barb Spencer-Fort Rouge, at #1 after winning the Stonewall and Morris bonspiels on back-to-back weekends.

Spencer, #3 Michelle Montford-Assiniboine Memorial, and #7 Cathy Overton Clapham (Fort Rouge) have already earned Scotties provincial berths. Of the others in the Championship, only #5 Janet Harvey-Assiniboine Memorial has a chance to move to the top of the rankings to earn the Scotties provincial berth available through the Manitoba Curling Tour. To accomplish that, Harvey must win the championship while Carey fails to qualify for the playoff round.

An even dozen teams have confirmed intent to participate in the MCT Championship event. A maximum field of 16 teams will be confirmed by Monday evening, December 5.

The final pre-Championship Men’s event of the MCT season will wrap-up Monday in Dauphin confirming the MCT Men’s Championship field.

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<Nov 30, 2011>

Lyburn, Spencer Top the Rankings – Championship Invitation Process Underway

With a week to go, the invitation process has begun for the Manitoba Curling Championships, presented by REMAX professionals Gord & Kristie Green,  to be held December 8-11 in Morris. The top 16 teams on each of the Men’s and Women’s rankings will be invited with teams further down the rankings waiting for invitations based on opportunity after those teams say yes or no.

The ranking positions were solidified by the results in the Morris DEKALB SuperSpiel last weekend but will await the results in the Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy ‘Spiel (Men’s GOLD) and the Beausejour Thrify Carwash Bonspiel (Women’s SILVER) this weekend.

William Lyburn’s Deer Lodge team solidified its hold on first place in the Manitoba Curling Tour Rankings with their finalist finish to Saskatchewan’s Braeden Moskowy at last weekend’s DEKALB SuperSpiel in Morris.

Rob Fowler’s Brandon team qualified for the playoff round and retained second place in the rankings.

Sean Grassie-Deer Lodge, with a semi-final finish moved into third place ahead of #4 Vic Peters-Fort Garry who did not qualify. Dean Dunstone-Rossmere did not compete in Morris but retains 5th place in the rankings.

The Champion Moskowy team pocketed $10,000 while Lyburn earned $6,000. Semi-finalists Grassie and Daniel Birchard-Pembina earned $3,000 while the qualifiers picked up $2,000.

(Lyburn 151.875 pts, Fowler 118.125 pts, Grassie 105 pts pts, Peters 97.875 pts, Dunstone 87.25 pts)

Champion Moskowy, Daniel Birchard –Pembina (semi final), Dean North-Carman (qualifier) David Bohn-Assiniboine Memorial (qualified with Jason Gunnlaugson throwing last stones), and Carl DeConinck-Smith-SK (qualifier) all moved up the rankings.

In the Women’s Rankings, Barb Spencer-Fort Rouge moved into top spot with her championship run at the Morris DEKALB. It was Spencer’s second championship in a row, after her win the week before in Stonewall. Chelsea Carey-Morden qualified, but did not gain enough points to retain the top spot.

Behind #2 Carey, Michelle Montford-Assiniboine Memorial and Kim Link-East St Paul qualified and moved up to #3 & #4 ranking respectively. Joelle Brown-Fort Rouge, who did not qualify, drops to #5 rankings.
(Spencer 130 Pts, Carey 128.5 pts, Montford 95 pts, Link 94.5 pts, Brown 89.5 pts)

Finalist Lisa DeRiviere makes her first appearance on the MCT Rankings. Semi-finalist Jill Thurston and Cathy Overton-Clapham & qualifiers Janet Harvey and Michelle Montford all improved their ranking positions as well.

Spencer’s win earned her team $8,000 while the DeRiviere team’s first payday of the season was a good one at $4,800. Semi-finalists Overton-Clapham and Jill Thurston each earned  $2,400 while the qualifiers picked up $1,600.

The Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy bonspiel next weekend for the Men and the Beausejour Thrifty CarWash Classic for the Women wind up the portion of the season which provides eligibility for the championships.  Dauphin is a GOLD level event with 45 points for winning while Beausejour is a SILVER (30 points). THE MCT Championship Events are both GOLD (45 points to the winner)

With these two events left on each of the Men’s and Women’s schedules, teams in the top 20 can still win Safeway and Scotties Berths, especially with a top performance in both events.

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<Nov 21, 2011>

Spencer, Lyburn Win Stonewall’s MCT Interlake Pharmacy Classic

Barb Spencer and her Fort Rouge team (Karen Klein, Ainsley Champagne, Raunora Westcott) required an extra end Monday in Stonewall but their 4-3 win earned them first place in the Interlake Pharmacy Classic and moved them into second place on the MCT Women’s rankings, just 8.5 points behind the season-long leader, Chelsea Carey.

Spencer’s foursome defeated Joelle Brown-Fort Rouge (Tracey Lavery, Susan Baleja, Jennifer Cawson) who moved into third place on the rankings. Team Spencer earned $5,000 while Brown earned $2,500.

In semi-final play, Spencer defeated Janet Harvey-Assiniboine Memorial (Cherie-Ann Loder, Kristin Loder, Carey Burgess), show stayed static in sixth place in the rankings.

Brown was a 9-1 semi-final winner over Betty Buurma-Carberry (Quinn Roberts, Jen Kienas, Suzie Scott) who jumped 21 places and moved up to 20th place in the rankings. Harvey & Buurma eached cashed cheques for $1500.

In the Men’s Division of the Stonewall event, William Lyburn and his Deer Lodge team (James Kirkness, Alex Forrest, Tyler Forrest) won their second bonspiel of the season, having won the early season Selkirk One Insurance Classic. The win moved Team Lyburn into first place in the MCT Men’s Rankings, moving them ahead of Rob Fowler’s Brandon team.

Lyburn defeated Chris Galbraith (Travis Bale, Brian Galbraith, Rodney Legault) 6-2 in the bonspiel final and Team Stoughton-Charleswood, skipped by Reid Carruthers (Jon Mead, Jeff Stoughton, Steve Gould) 7-4 in their semi-final game.

Galbraith was a 5-4 victor over Dean Dunstone-Rossmere (Ken Tresoor, Taren Gesell, Greg Melnichuk) in the semi-final.

The quarterfinalists were Scott Ramsay-Granite (Mark Taylor, Ross McFadyen, Keith Marshall) and David Bohn-Assiniboine Memorial  (Andrew Irving, Dennis Bohn, Andy Stewart).

Dunstone (#5), Bohn (#8), Ramsay (#9), Galbraith (#11), and Stoughton (#12) moved into the MCT Men’s top 12 with their playoff performances in Stonewall.

As champions, Team Lyburn picked up $7500 while Galbraith earned $5000. Team Stoughton & Dunstone each cashed cheques for $2500 and Bohn & Ramsay took home $2000.

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<Nov 14, 2011>

Carruthers Tops Swan River White`s Drug Store Classic

Skipping a team comprising half of Team Bohn (Dennis Bohn & Andrew Irving) and Corey Chambers, available because his skip Sean Grassie is playing the Canadian Mixed this week, Reid Carruthers has captured the championship in the annual White’s Drug Store Classic in Swan River.

The four will share a payday of $10,000 but the win does not affect the Manitoba Curling Tour rankings as the cobbled-together team is not eligible for MCT points.

In the final, the Carruthers foursome completed an undefeated run through the bonbspiel with a 6-3 win over a Saskatchewan team skipped by Colton Flasch- Saskatoon (6-3) in the final. The Flasch foursome pockets $7,500 and makes their first appearance on the MCT rankings with 37.5 rankings points.

Semi-finalist Rob Fowler and his Brandon team (Allan Lyburn, Richard Daneault, Derek Samagalski) vaulted into first place on the MCT rankings despite a 7-2 loss to Flasch in the semi-final. In the other semi-final, Carruthers defeated Darrell- McKee-SK 4-3. The two semi-finalists earned $5,750.

Quarter-finalists Claudio Pescia-SUI, Derek Boe-SK, Steve Laycock-SK and Al Schick-SK all earned $3,750.

Next on the Manitoba Curling Tour is the Interlake Pharmacy Classic in Stonewall with Men’s & Women’s Divisions, November 17-21.

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<Nov 8, 2011>

Madams Undefeated To Win Ken Kurbis Galaxy Bonspiel

Scott Madams (Ian Fordyce, Travis Bale, Nigel Milne & spare Chris Galbraith) defeated Ron Gauthier (Corey Anderson, Grant Mistelbacher, Dave Sitaryk) 6-2 Monday evening to win Rossmere’s Ken Kurbis Galaxy Bonspiel presented by Fort Garry Industries. Madams earned $3,800 while Gauthier’s payday was $2,000. Semi-finalists Scott Ramsay (Mark Taylor, Ross McFadyen, Keith Marshall & spare Tyler Specula) and Trevor Loreth (Kyle Werenich, Ryan Lowdon, Brett Cawson) eached earned $1000.

Madams jumped to #14 on the MCT Rankings (from 38) as a result of the win. Gauthier makes his firsat appearance of the year on the Rankings at #23.

Quarterfinalists David Hamblin, Andrew Irving, Randy Neufeld, and Daniel Birchard picked up $800.

In the semi-finals, Ron Gauthier was a 5-4 EE winner over Scott Ramsay) while Scott Madams beat Trevor Loreth 6-0. To reach the semifinals, Madams was 7-1 winner over Hamblin; Ramsay beat Irving 4-2; Gauthier defeated Randy Neufeld 7-2; and Loreth was a 5-4 victor over Daniel Birchard.

Neufeld moved from #12 to #10 on the MCT Rankings as a result of qualifying at Rossmere. All of the quarterfinalists, except Irving, improved their ranking but the Ramsay and Neufeld moves were the only change in the Men’s top ten which is still led by William Lyburn, Rob Fowler and the Vic Peters team.

Team Irving was not eligible for MCT points at Rossmere as it comprised players from two separate registered teams.

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<Oct 31, 2011>

Ursel Wins Carberry Women’s

At the Carberry King Spud Women’s Bonspiel, Kelsey Russill-Brandon qualified undefeated for the playoff round while Team Menard-Dauphin, Terry Ursel-Plumas, and Deb Collyer-Killarney all qualified with 2-1 records. In the semi-finals, Ursel defeated Menard (7-4) and Russill won over Collyer (7-4), setting up an Ursel-Russill final game. The final was a $1,000 10-3 win for Ursel. Russill pocketed $600. Collyer and Menard earned $400 each.

The bonspiel was an 8-team affair, played in two round-robin groups of four.

The Ursel team’s 30 MCT Rankings points move them up to 13th position on the MCT Women’s rankings list. Collyer, Menard, and Russill all make their first appearances in the MCT rankings with points earned in Carberry.

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<Oct 25, 2011>

McEwen Wins Portage CanadInns Title, Lyburn-Carey Top Rankings

Mike McEwen (BJ Neufeld, Matt Wozniak, Denni Neufeld) captured their second consecutive CanadInns Prairie Classic title with a 5-3 victory over Kevin Koe-AB in the final game, Monday. McEwen cashed a cheque for $18,000 while Koe earned $10,000.

The two move up the Manitoba Curling Tour Rankings into a share of fifth position.

Sean Grassie’s semi-finalist finish was his biggest payday of the season, earning his team (Corey Chambers, Kody Janzen, Stu Shiells) $6,000 and the 30 MCT points earned were enough to keep him ahead of McEwen/Koe at fourth place in the rankings. The top three remain the same but change positions again.

Grassie lost 6-2 to McEwen in one semi-final while Steve Laycock-SK picked up $6,000 for his semi-final loss to Koe.

Jeff Stoughton-Charleswood (Jon Mead, Reid Carruthers, Steve Gould), Brock Virtue-AB, and Glenn Howard & John Epping-ON all lost in the quarterfinals and cashed cheques for $4,000.

Four wins earned William Lyburn-Deer Lodge (James Kirkness, Alex & Tyler Forrest) and Rob Fowler-Brandon (Allan Lyburn, Richard Daneault, Derek Samagalski) 16 rankings points each but Lyburn was able to use all of those points to jump into first place in the rankings while Fowler had already accumulated points for the maximum four events and was able to improve his position only slightly. Lyburn is at #1 with Fowler behind him in #2 position. Daley Peters, with 3 wins in Portage, dropped into third place in the rankings.

In the Women’s  MCT Rankings, the two Alberta finalists of the Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Classic (Renee Sonnenberger-$15,500 & Heather Nedohin-$10,500 including round robin Wins earnings after Sonnenberg’s 8-7 final game victory) make their first appearances on the list for this season while semi-finalist Cathy Overton-Clapham (Jenna Loder, Ashley Howard, Breanne Meakin) and quarterfinalists Jennifer Jones (Kaitlyn Lawes, Joelle Sabourin, Dawn Askin),  and Darcy Robertson (Calleen Neufeld, Vanessa Foster, Michelle Kruk) all made moves up the list.

Despite Overton-Clapham’s semi-final finish, the top six on the MCT Women’s list remained unchanged as none of #1 Chelsea Carey-Morden, #2 Kim Link-East St Paul, #3 Michelle Miontford-Assiniboine Memorial, #4 Barb Spencer-Fort Rouge, #5 Joelle Brown-Fort Rouge, or #6 Janet Harvey-Assiniboine Memorial qualified for the playoff round.

In the Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Classic, Overton-Clapham lost 5-4 to Sonnenberger on an extra end while Nedohin defeated Cheryl Bernard-AB 6-2. Overton-Clapham and Bernard each earn $6,000.

Jennifer Jones-St. Vital, Darcy Robertson-Fort Rouge, Stefanie Lawton-SK, and Kelly Scott-BC were the quarterfinal game losers, cashing $3,700 cheques.

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<Oct 19, 2011>

Winnipeg hosts the 2011 Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Curling Classic

Winnipeg, October 19 … the Fort Rouge Curling Club in Winnipeg will play host to the 2011 Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Curling Classic on October 21-24, 2011.

We welcome back our title sponsor, Manitoba Lotteries for a 8th consecutive year and look forward to their continued commitment next year.   We are pleased to have Flatlanders Flooring returning as our presenting sponsor  In addition, we have five Gold sponsors, eight Silver sponsors and twenty-one Bronze sponsors.  All of these organizations share our vision and passion for this event and continue to make it a premier event and preferred stop on the Women’s World Curling Tour.

Thirty-two of Canada’s and the World’s top teams will assemble in Winnipeg to vie for a prize purse of $60,000., with a top prize of $15,000.  The field includes Canadian and World champions as well as 2010 Olympic Gold and Silver  medalists, Annette Norberg and Cheryl Bernard.  The Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Curling Classic has been selected by the Canadian Curling Association as one of three Grand Slam events for the season.

Reigning Canadian champion, Amber Holland will face Manitoba’s own Briane Meilleur’s  up and coming junior team in the opening draw action on October 21 at the Fort Rouge Curling Club.  Other first round key match-ups will feature the reigning Manitoba Champion Cathy Overton-Clapham taking on Halifax’s Heather Smith-Dacey as well as Sweden’s Annette Norberg against Erika Brown’s team from the United States.

Once again spectators and fans will see the best in the world and be treated to very exciting and spectacular shot making throughout the four days of the event.  Up-to-date results as well as the complete draw may be viewed by logging onto www.curlingzone.com and/or www.worldcurlingtour.com  starting tomorrow and follow the links.

The 2011 Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Curling Classic will feature a triple knockout format starting with 5 draws on Friday, followed by 5 draws on Saturday and 4 draws on Sunday at the Fort Rouge Curling Club.  Eight teams will qualify for the Championship round slated to go on Monday, October 25 starting at 10:00 a.m.  The semi-finals will go at
1:30 p.m. followed by the final at 5:00 p.m.

In addition, organizers are very pleased and honored to once again announce the Lorraine Toth Junior Curling Sponsorship Awards to be presented to one male & one female Manitoba junior curling team.  The presentation of these awards to the two selected teams will take place on Sunday, October 23 at 5:00 pm. at the Fort Rouge.

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<Oct 17, 2011>

DUNSTONE Wins Carberry King Spud Classic and Safeway Championship Berth

Dean Dunstone-Rossmere (Ken Tresoor, Taren Gesell, Greg Melnichuk) have won the Carberry King Spud Classic $2,500 first prize and an invitation to the Safeway Championship in Dauphin in February.  Dunstone defeated William Lyburn 6-4 in the Sunday afternoon final in Carberry.

The final game loss paid William Lyburn-Deer Lodge (James Kirkness, Alex Forrest, Tyler Forrest) $2,000 along with moving his team 25 points up the Manitoba Curling Tour rankings.

In one semi-final, Dunstone defeated Terry McNamee-Brandon (Steve Irwin, Geordie Hargreaves, Travis Saban) 11-7.  Dunstone jumped out to a five point lead after five ends but led by one coming home.

In the second semi-final Lyburn stole two on the seventh end to lead Kelly Marnoch-Carberry (Travis Brooks, Tyler Waterhouse, Chris Cameron) 6-3 coming home and marked that as the final score.

McNamee and Marnoch cashed cheques for  $1,250 and moved 20 points up the MCT rankings.

Quarter-finalists Rob Fowler-Brandon, Rob Van Kommer-Carberry, Joey Witherspoon-Fort Rouge, and Kelly Skinner- Carman all earned $750 and moved 15 points up the rankings.

By qualifying for the playoff round, Team Fowler moved to the top of the MCT rankings. The finalist finish moved Team Lyburn into second rank while Team Peters, which was inactive this weekend, dropped to third.

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<Oct 11, 2011>

China’s Liu, Neufeld, Harvey Win Weekend MCT Events
Team China, Randy Neufeld-LaSalle and Janet Harvey-Assiniboine Memorial made big moves up the Manitoba Curling Tour Rankings list with bonspiel championships on Thanksgiving weekend.

As a result of the weekend play Team Peters (semi-final in Brandon) has moved to the top of the Manitoba Curling Tour Men’s Rankings. Team Fowler (Finalist in Brandon) also moved up while Team Lyburn, which did not qualify in Brandon, dropped to #3 on the Men’s list. Team Grassie (semi-final at Thistle) and Team Bohn (2 Wins –DNQ, Brandon)  retained 4th and 5th rank respectively while Team China moved up to #6 with their championship.

The gap between first and second on the MCT Women’s Rankings closed considerably with Chelsea Carey out-of-province. Carey retains top spot while Teams Link (qualified at E. St. Paul) ,  Montford and Spencer (both semi-finalists at East St. Paul) all move up one spot in the rankings to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th respectively. Team Brown (3 wins – DNQ) drops three placings to rank 5th and Team Harvey (Champion) jumped to #6 with the first bonspiel appearance and success of the fall season.

China’s National Men’s Team, coached by Lorne Hamblin of Morris won the $8,000 first prize in the MCT’s Gold Level – Manitoba Lotteries Men’s Fall Classic at Brandon with a 5-4 win over Rob Fowler’s local team. It was the second bonspiel championship for the team (Jialong Zang, Guang Xu Li, Dexin Ba, Lu An Chen, Xiaoming Xu, De Jia Zou, Rui Liu) which also won their first North American bonspiel of the season in Green Bay.

Fowler (Allan Lyburn, Richard Daneault, Derek Samagalski) cashed a $5,000 cheque as the finalist.
Todd Birr’s Minnesota team (6-5 to Liu) and Daley Peters (Brendan Taylor, Kyle Werenich, Terry Dreger), who lost 6-2 to Fowler, earned semi-final cheques of $3,500.

Darrel McKee-SK, Brandon Bottcher-AB, Brandon teams skipped by Kelly Skinner- and Terry McNamee qualified to cash pay cheques of $2,000.

In the weekend MCT Silver Level event, the Nott Autocorp Thanksgiving Charity Classic, LaSalle’s Randy Neufeld and his new yeam of Curtis Bale, Rylan Young and Scott Podolsky won the championship with a 6-2 win over Scott Ramsay- Granite.

Neufeld’s payout was $2,000 while Ramsay (Mark Taylor, Ross McFadyen, Ken Buchanan) earned $1,250.

In the semi-finals Sean Grassie–Deer Lodge (Corey Chambers, Kody Janzen, Stu Shiells)  lost 8-1 to Neufeld and Daniel Birchard-Pembina (Kelly Fordyce, Brody Moore, Andrew Peck) lost 5-4 to Ramsay to each earn $750.

Qualifiers Richard Muntain-Pinawa, David Hamblin-Morris, Dean Dunstone and Murray Woodward all picked up $500.

At the MCT Gold Level Women’s event at East St Paul, the Atkins Curling Supplies Charity Classic, Janet Harvey and her Assiniboine Memorial team (Cherie-Ann Loder, Kristin Loder, Carey Kirby) won a total of $4,660 in champions purse and pay-per-win earnings.

Harvey defeated Shannon Birchard-Victoria (Selena Kaatz, Kristin MacCuish, Mariah Mondor) 4-2 in the final. The Birchard team earned a total of $2,660.

Semi-finalist Michelle Montford-Assiniboine Memorial (Courtney Blanchard, Sara Jones, Sarah Norget) lost 4-3 to Harvey and cashed a cheque for $1,700 while Barb Spencer-Fort Rouge (Karen Klein, Ainsley Champagne, Raunora Westcott) picked up $1,660 with a semi-final 8-4 loss to Birchard. Montford was the only undefeated team in the round-robin.

The quarter-finalists were Kim Link-East St Paul ($910), Alyssa Vandepoele-Victoria ($910), Karen Rosser-Springfield ($910) and Meghan Armit-Granite ($870).

As a result of the weekend play Team Peters has moved to the top of the Manitoba Curling Tour Men’s Rankings. Team Fowler also moved up while Team Lyburn, which did not qualify in Brandon, dropped to #3 on the Men’s list. Team Grassie and Team Bohn retained 4th and 5th rank respectively while Team China moved up to #6 with their championship.

The gap between first and second on the MCT Women’s Rankings closed considerably with Chelsea Carey out-of-province. Carey retains top spot while Teams Link,  Montford and Spencer all move up one spot in the rankins to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th respectively. Team Brown drops three placings to rank 5th and Team Harvey jumped to #6 with the first bonspiel appearance and success of the fall season.

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<Oct 4, 2011>

Lyburn, Brown Win Selkirk’s One Insurance Classic ‘Spiels
William Lyburn has opened the fall portion of the Manitoba Men’s Curling Tour with a victory on the Monday evening final of the Selkirk One Insurance Classic.

Lyburn – Deer Lodge (James Kirkness, Alex Forrest, Tyler Forrest) defeated defending champion Sean Grassie – Deer Lodge (Corey Chambers, Kody Janzen, Stu Shiells) 7-2 in the final. With the victory, under the MCT’s new ranking system, Team Lyburn earned 30 points and moved to the top of the MCT rankings.

Daley Peters – Fort Garry (Brendan Taylor, Kyle Werenich and Terry Dreger) lost the semi-final 7-3 to Grassie but held onto second place in the rankings. Grassie moved up to fourth on the MCT ranking, behind Rob Fowler’s Brandon team which was inactive this weekend. Lyburn cashed the champions cheque for $2500 and the Peters team pocketing $1000.

In the One Insurance Classic Women’s Division, Joelle Brown-Fort Rouge (Tracey Lavery, Susan Baleja, Jennifer Cawson) defeated Barb Spencer-Fort Rouge (Karen Klein, Ainsley Champagne, Raunora Westcott) by a score of 4-2 in the championship final Monday.

With Rankings Points of 30 & 25 respectively, Brown and Spencer moved up to 2nd & 3rd place in the rankings, behind Chelsea Carey-Morden (Kristy McDonald, Kristen Foster, Lindsay Titheridge) who won only one game in Selkirk but stayed on top of the rankings thanks to a pair of event championships in spring bonspiels. Team Brown’s payday was $3500 while the Spencer foursome earned $2,300.

In the semi-finals, Brown defeated Liza Park-Brandon (Tia Kozak, Pam Robins, Krystall Tille-Stewart) 6-0 and Spencer was a 7-1 winner over Kelsey Boettcher-Stonewall (Sam Murata, Brandi Oliver, Lindsay Baldock, Karen Fallis)The semi-finalists payoff was $1000. each.

At season end, one provincial Scotties berth for the Women and a pair of Safeway Championship berths for the Men will be determined by the MCT Rankings.

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<Sept 15, 2011>

Don’t Wait to be Invited!

It may be proper etiquette for a dinner party, but when it comes to competing in Manitoba Curling Tour bonspiels, DON’T WAIT TO BE INVITED!.

A recent survey of MCT events indicates that few of them are actually ‘full’ and even then until entry fees are paid, most bonspiels don’t consider their bonspiel team list complete.

At Fort Rouge, the Women’s Slam Manitoba Lotteries Curling Classic attracts a very strong field of out-of-province teams and as such it may be the only Manitoba event which can say right now ‘yes, we’re full.’

Events such as the CanadInns Prairie Classic in Portage and the Manitoba Lotteries Men’s Fall Classic in Brandon represent opportunities to compete against some top-notch out of province competition, including the Chinese National Men’s team who will be in Brandon.

The prize purse is increased in the Rossmere Ken Kurbis Memorial Galaxy Spiel, thanks to the new sponsorship of Fort Garry Industries, – and that means more teams can be accommodated in the Open (Men & Women) event.

The Carberry King Spud Men’s spiel still has room for some entries in the first Safeway berth event of the season and their women’s event, to be held a couple of weeks later, can handle a few more entries as well.

Barry Swain advises the round-robin format Nott Autocorp event at Thistle has a few spaces yet and don’t forget that one includes a chance to complete in a draw to the button contest for a luxury car.

And while it is still a long way down the road, the Fort Rouge Coors Light Christmas Bonspiel is a popular event and you can already be making your plans for that one.

The Manitoba Curling tour season opens with the One Insurance Classic in Selkirk on the last weekend in September. If your team is ready, you might want to get an early start in Selkirk. That early start could help you ride the wave all the way to the provincial championships.

The MCT Rankings system is going to determine the invitations to the MCT Championships. With three Men’s provincial berths and one women’s berth directly tied to the rankings, the early season winners are going to be at the head of the list, and that means everyone else is going to have to catch them.

DON’T WAIT TO BE INVITED!! Contact the organizers of any of the MCT events to let them know you’re interested. <click here for a list of Bonspiels>

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<Sept 14, 2011>

Manitoba Curling Tour 21st Season Underway

The Manitoba Curling Tour kicks off the fall portion of its 2011 season in late September with a new team ranking system designed to create a greater level of competition between Manitoba’s competitive curling teams and a new level of support for the 24 MCT events which will be played in 15 clubs across the province.

In its 21st season, the MCT’s new team ranking system will be directly involved in the allocation of three championship entries into the CurlManitoba Men’s Safeway Championship in Dauphin and one entry into the Women’s Scotties Championship presented by Monsanto in Portage la Prairie. In addition, the MCT’s King Spud Classic in Carberry will award a Safeway Championship berth direct to the highest placing eligible team.

The new ranking system rates MCT bonspiels as Gold or Silver level events based on total prize money payout, with $15,000 being the minimum payout to be declared a Gold event.

Teams winning Gold events will earn 45 rankings points while Silver event championships are worth 30 points. Points for finalists, semi-finalists and quarter- finalists will be allocated in the same proportion. Non-qualifying teams will earn 4 points per win in Gold events and 2.5 points per win in Silver events.

A key to encouraging team participation in Manitoba bonspiels is that ONLY a team’s BEST FOUR events will be included in ranking calculations.

”We believe the new ranking system will encourage teams to enter one or two more events in order to try to enhance their MCT Rankings,” says MCT President Andy Stewart. “That will be good for the bonspiels and the clubs which host them as well as being good for the teams who will continue to gain competitive experience.”

The MCT Rankings will be used as the basis of the invitation list for the MCT Championships, to be played in Morris December 9-12, 2011. The top-16 on the Men’s and Women’s Rankings will be invited to take part in the triple knock-out championships.

Basis of Berth Allocations

The MCT Women’s provincial championship berth will be allocated to the highest ranked eligible team, at the conclusion of the MCT Championship, with the post- event rankings including the results of the championship. This is the first time a provincial Women’s berth will be allocated by the Manitoba Curling Tour.

As in the past, a MCT Men’s champion berth will be allocated to the highest- finishing eligible team in the MCT championship playoffs.

The two new MCT Men’s provincial berths will be, as with the Women’s berth, allocated at the conclusion of the MCT Championship to the highest ranked eligible teams, including results of the championship.

MCT 2011 Schedule

In total, there will be 19 Manitoba Curling Tour events this fall leading up to the 2011 MCT Championships. These include 7 Men’s Gold events, 4 Men’s Silver Events, 3 Women’s Gold events, and 4 Women’s Silver Events. In addition, there is one Open Silver event in which both Men’s and Women’s teams can compete and earn MCT Ranking points. In addition, three late-season events, including a proposed new event at Deer Lodge in January, are included on the calendar as the
first events on the 2012 calendar.

In another change for 2011, MCT Rankings points will be allocated as team points, not individual points. In order to accumulate rankings points, teams must compete with eligible players and with a minimum of three of the players listed as their MCT/WCT registered team. Acknowledging the change of line-ups for the new season, individual points have been accumulated to establish the September
Rankings.

For Information: For regular updates, Manitoba curling fans can find us at

www.facebook.com/ManitobaCurlingTour OR www.mancurltour.ca OR email [email protected]

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<17Aug2011>

MANITOBA CURLING TOUR WOMEN’S TEAM RANKINGS ANNOUNCED -MEN UPDATED
….Carey Begins Season as #1

The Manitoba Curling Tour has changed its ranking system for the 2011-12 season from the money-winnings based system employed in its first 20 years. Rankings for 2011-12 will be calculated on the basis of points earned in competition.

Based on points already accumulated in the 2010 Fort Rouge Coors Light Christmas Classic, the 2011 MCT Championships, and the spring 2011 Morris DEKALB SuperSpiel, Rob Fowler’s Brandon team and Chelsea Carey’s Morden team will begin the fall season at the top of their respective rankings.

Team Carey won both the MCT Women’s Championship and the DEKALB SuperSpiel while Team Fowler (absent Fowler himself) was the MCT Championship finalist. They were also qualifiers at the DEKALB SuperSpiel and lead Derek Samagalski added individual points as quarterfinalist at the Coors Light Christmas event.

MCT Events will be categorized as Gold Level or Silver Level depending on Total Prize Money Payout. (Gold = $15, 000 & above, Silver = Under $15,000)

 

MCT Ranking Points will be allocated on a team basis for events conducted in September to December of 2011. In order to accumulate points, teams must participate in events using at least 3 members of the team line-up registered in advance of their first event. Recognizing the change of line-ups for each new season, individual points will be accumulated for the late-December to March portion of the season.

By August 15, 2011, 13 Women’s teams have registered for the 2011-12 season. Their accumulated points and rankings as of August 15, 2011 are:

2011-12 MCT Women’s Rankings: (Rank- Team Name- Points) – AS OF AUGUST 15**
1: Team Carey – Morden (90)
2: Team Link – East St. Paul  (49.5)
3: Team Montford –Assiniboine Memorial  (41.5)
4: Team Jones – St. Vital (22.5)
5: Team Thurston – Granite (21.875)
6: Team Overton-Clapham-Fort Rouge  (20.625)
7: Team Spencer – Fort Rouge (15)
8: Team Rosser – Springfield (8)
9: Team Harvey – Assiniboine Memorial (4)
9: Team Robertson – Deer Lodge (4)
11: Team McCreanor – La Salle (3)
Team Ursel – Plumas  (0)
Team Buurma –Carberry(0)
** August team points are based on individual points accumulated to date at Fort Rouge 2010 Coors Light Christmas Bonspiel, 2011 MCT Championship, and Morris spring 2011 DEKALB SuperSpiel.
** Additional teams will be added as they register their 2011-12 team at www.curlingzone.com OR by email to [email protected]
** Top 16 on the Rankings will earn an invitation to the MCT Championship. Vacancies will be filled by going down the list as required.
** ONE Scotties berth will be awarded to the top team on the MCT Rankings (so long as they are in the top 15 on the overall list)

REGISTERED LINE-UPS – WOMEN:

CAREY-Morden: Chelsea Carey, Kristy Jenion, Kristen Foster, Lindsay Titheridge
LINK-East St. Paul: Kim Link,  Maureen Bonar, Colleen Kilgallen, Renee Fletcher, Pam Kolton
MONTFORD-Assiniboine Memorial: Michelle Montford, Courtney Blanchard, Sara Jones, Sarah Norget
JONES-St. Vital: Jennifer Jones, Kaitlyn Lawes, Jill Officer, Dawn Askin
THURSTON-Granite: Jill Thurston, Kerri Einarson, Kendra Georges, Sarah Wazney
OVERTON-CLAPHAM-Fort Rouge: Cathy O-Clapham, Breanne Meakin, Jenna Loder, Ashley Howard, Leslie Wilson
SPENCER-Fort Rouge: Barb Spencer, Karen Klein, Ainsley Champagne, Raunora Westcott
ROSSER-Springfield: Karen Rosser, Cheryl Reed, Stacey Fordyce, Brenna Philp, Andrea Tirshmann
ROBERTSON-Deer Lodge: Darcy Robertson, Calleen Neufeld, Vanessa Foster, Michelle Kruk
HARVEY-Assiniboine Memorial: Janet Harvey, Cherie-Ann Loder, Kristen Loder, Carey Kirby
MCCREANOR-La Salle: Deb McCreanor, Ashley Meakin, Stephanie Armstrong-Craplewe, Laurie Macdonnell, Lesle Cafferty
URSEL-Plumas: Terry Ursel, Wanda Rainnka, Kendell Kohinski, Brenda Walker
BUURMA-Carberry:Betty Buurma, Quinn Roberts, Jen Kienas, Suzie Scott

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<04Aug2011>

MANITOBA CURLING TOUR MEN’S TEAM RANKINGS ANNOUNCED
….Fowler Starts the season as #1

The Manitoba Curling Tour has changed its ranking system for the 2011-12 season from the money-winnings based system employed in its first 20 years. Rankings for 2011-12 will be calculated on the basis of points earned in competition.

LINK HERE for a downloadable pdf copy of the Wins-Ranking System outline

Based on points already accumulated in the 2010 Fort Rouge Coors Light Christmas Classic, the 2011 MCT Championships, and the spring 2011 Morris DEKALB SuperSpiel, Rob Fowler’s Brandon team and Chelsea Carey’s Morden team will begin the fall season at the top of their respective rankings.

Team Carey won both the MCT Women’s Championship and the DEKALB SuperSpiel while Team Fowler (absent Fowler himself) was the MCT Championship finalist. They were also qualifiers at the DEKALB SuperSpiel and lead Derek Samagalski added individual points as quarterfinalist at the Coors Light Christmas event.

MCT Events will be categorized as Gold Level or Silver Level depending on Total Prize Money Payout. (Gold = $15, 000 & above, Silver = Under $15,000)

 

MCT Ranking Points will be allocated on a team basis for events conducted in September to December of 2011. In order to accumulate points, teams must participate in events using at least 3 members of the team line-up registered in advance of their first event. Recognizing the change of line-ups for each new season, individual points will be accumulated for the late-December to March portion of the season.

By August 3, 2011, 12 Men’s teams have registered for the 2011-12 season. Their accumulated points and rankings as of August 3, 2011 are:

2011-12 MCT Men’s Rankings: (Rank- Team Name- Points) – AS OF AUGUST 3**

1: Team Fowler – Brandon (54.375)
2: Team Bohn – Assiniboine Memorial (46.875)
3: Team Lyburn – Deer Lodge (43.125)
4: Team McEwen – Assiniboine Memorial (37.5)
5: Team Grassie – Deer Lodge (27.5)
6: Team Galbraith – CLUB TBA (18.75)
7: Team Coleman – Pembina (13.75)
8: Team Gunnlaugson – Beausejour (11.875)
9: Team Dunstone – CLUB TBA (11.25)
10: Team Hamblin – Morris (9.75)
11: Team Stoughton – Charleswood (9.375)
Team Marnoch – Carberry (0)
Team McNamee – Brandon (0)
** August team points are based on individual points accumulated to date at Fort Rouge 2010 Coors Light Christmas Bonspiel, 2011 MCT Championship, and Morris spring 2011 DEKALB SuperSpiel.
** Additional teams will be added as they register their 2011-12 team at www.curlingzone.com OR by email to [email protected]
** Top 16 on the Rankings will earn an invitation to the MCT Championship. Vacancies will be filled by going down the list as required.
** Top-finishing eligible team in the MCT Championship playoffs earns a Safeway Championship berth.
** TWO additional Safeway berths will be awarded to the top teams on the MCT Rankings (so long as they are in the top 15 on the overall list)

REGISTERED LINE-UPS – MEN

FOWLER-Brandon: Rob Fowler, Allan Lyburn, Richard Daneault, Derek Samagalski
BOHN-Assiniboine Memorial: David Bohn, Andrew Irving, Dennis Bohn, Larry Solomon
LYBURN-Deer Lodge: William Lyburn, James Kirkness, Alex Forrest, Tyler Forrest
MC EWEN-Assiniboine Memorial: Mike McEwen, BJ Neufeld, Matt Wozniak, Denni Neufeld
GRASSIE-Deer Lodge: Sean Grassie, Corey Chambers, Kody Janzen, Stu Shiells
GALBRAITH-TBA: Chris Galbraith, Travis Bale, Brian Galbraith, Rodney Legault
COLEMAN-Pembina: Jim Coleman, AJ Girardin, Brad Van Walleghem, Shane Halliburton
GUNNLAUGSON: Beausejour: Jason Gunnlaugson, Justin Richter, Jason Ackerman, David Kraichy
DUNSTONE-??: Dean Dunstone, Ken Tresoor, Taren Gesell, Greg Melnichuk
STOUGHTON-Charleswood: Jeff Stoughton, Jon Mead, Reid Carruthers, Steve Gould
HAMBLIN-Morris: David Hamblin, Kevin Hamblin, Kyle Einarson, Mike Neufeld
MARNOCH-Carberry: Kelly Marnoch, Tyler Waterhouse, Travis Brooks, Chris Cameron
MCNAMEE-Brandon: Terry McNamee, Steve Irwin, Geordie Hargreaves, Travis Saban

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<20Jul2011>

Manitoba Curling Tour to Use Wins-Based Ranking System for 2011-12

For its 21st Season, beginning in September 2011, the Manitoba Curling Tour will change its traditional Money Winnings basis for team rankings to a Wins-Based Ranking. Bonspiels will be rated as either Gold or Silver level events, with a total prize purse of $15,000 being the separation point between the two levels. The champion of a Gold level bonspiel will earn 45 Points in the Ranking System while a Silver level bonspiel championship will earn 30 Points. Finalists, semi-finalists, and quarter-finalists will earn proportionally fewer points but with the ratio of 1.5 to 1 maintained.

The new system will also give teams credit for preliminary round game victories if they do not reach the quarter-finals.

LINK HERE for a downloadable pdf copy of the Wins-Ranking System outline. All events on the 2011 fall MCT calendar will accumulate team-points as outlined. Events played at the end of last season, including the Fort Rouge Coors Light Christmas Bonspiel, the MCT Championships and the Morris DEKALB SuperSpiels will be carried forward into fall 2011 based on individual player points accumulated.

The new Wins-Based Ranking System is being implemented to facilitate the allocation of four provincial championship berths in 2011-12. As in the past, the highest-finishing eligible team in the MCT Men’s Championship playoff round will earn a Safeway Championship berth. Two additional Safeway berths will be awarded – to the top two eligible teams on the post-championship Rankings list. For the Women’s Scotties Championship, the top eligible team on the post-championship Rankings list will earn a berth.

As noted in earlier publicity, teams MUST be pre-registered for eligibility.  A first team ranking will be published based on team pre-registered on August 1, 2011.

Teams may register for WCT/MCT competition at www.curlingzone.com OR by sending an email to [email protected]. Un-registered teams will be considered registered for competition with the team-line-up in the first event in which  they complete.

For information contact MCT Coordinator Resby Coutts at [email protected], [email protected], or 204.799.2250 (Cell)

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<23Mar2011>

Koe, Carey Win DEKALB SuperSpiel Titles

Former World Champion Kevin Koe, with Nolan Thiessen and Carter Rycroft and reinforced by Saskatchewan`s Pat Simmons, needed an extra end to defeat defending bonspiel champion Mike McEwen 5-4 to capture the $10,000 champion`s purse at the 3rd Annual DEKALB SuperSpiel in Morris. McEwen (BJ Neufeld, Matt Wozniak, Denni Neufeld) earned $6,000 as the finalists.

Koe reached the Men’s Division final with playoff wins over Andrew Irving (5-1) and Rob Fowler (5-4) after qualifying through the C-Event Sunday afternoon (8-1 over Team China).  As an A-Qualifier, McEwen started the playoffs in the semi-final, where he beat Vic Peters (5-4). Peters had eliminated David Bohn (7-2) after Bohn qualified Sunday (9-0 over Ryan Hyde).

The Irving (Travis & Curtis Bale, Brad Van Walleghem) and Peters (Daley Peters, Kyle Werenich, Brendan Taylor) teams picked up $3,000.

Fowler (Allan Lyburn, Derek Samagalski, Richard Daneault) and Bohn (Dave Elias, Dennis Bohn, Larry Solomon) cashed cheques for $2,000. C-Event Qualifying game losers Team China and Ryan Hyde each pocketed $500.

In the DEKALB SuperSpiel Women`s Division final game, 2011 Manitoba Scottie finalist Chelsea Carey (Kristy Jenion, Kristen Foster, Lindsay Titheridge) were 8-4 winners over Michelle Montford (Courtney Blanchard, Sara Jones, Sarah Norget). Carey earned $6,000 for winning the twelve team event while the Montford payday was $3,000.

Carey defeated former World Champion Jennifer Jones (Kaitlyn Lawes, Jill Officer, Dawn Askin) in the semi-final (7-6 extra end) and Montford won 5-1 over Joelle Brown (Tracey Lavery, Lesle Cafferty, Jennifer Cawson). Jones and Brown cashed $2,000 cheques.

Jones defeated Lisa Deriviere (Sam Owen, Jolene Rutter, Marnie Omichinski) in the quarter-final (7-4).  Brown defeated Kristen Phillips (Brette Richards, Brittany Lemon, Kendra Green) in the quarter-final (9-2). Deriviere and Phillips earned $1,600.

The DEKALB SuperSpiel marks the end of the 2010-11 competitive curling season in Manitoba.

Organizers have announced the event will be moved to a November timeslot with the 4th edition of the DEKALB SuperSpiel in Morris scheduled November 24-27, 2011. Sixteen Men`s and 16 Women`s teams will be accepted. Early entry information is available by contacting Brian Recksiedler ([email protected]) or Lorne Hamblin ([email protected]).

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<17Mar2011>

DEKALB SUPERSPIEL-Morris Underway Thursday, March 17

The DEKALB SuperSpiel in Morris, Manitoba’s final event of the competitive curling season, gets underway Thursday evening in Morris.

Co-Chair Brian Recksiedler says the bonspiel has attracted a pair of teams looking for competition prior to the Ford Worlds in Regina. The Chinese National team and the US champions skipped by Pete Fenson will both be in Morris. Current Men’s World Champion Kevin Koe, with Saskatchewan Brier rep Pat Simmons at third, and past World Champion Jennifer Jones and their teams will also be competing.

Many of Manitoba’s established and rising stars will also be in Morris to challenge the ‘big names’, test new line-ups, or simply to extend their competitive season one more bonspiel.  On the Men’s side Manitoba finalist and defending bonspiel champion Mike McEwen, 2009 bonspiel champion Vic Peters, David Bohn, and Andrew Irving are among the registered teams.

On the Women’s side, Manitoba finalist Chelsea Carey, former Manitoba champion Jill Thurston, Michelle Montford, and Kerri Einarson are among the ntries.

Both the Men’s Division, presented by Enns Brothers and Northstar Spraying Systems, and the Women’s Division, presented by the Town of Morris, will meet the standards required for Canadian Team Rankin System ‘points’. This makes the bonspiel a part of the qualifying process for events such as the Canada Cup and the Canadian Curling Trials.

In addition, in a change currently being finalized with CurlManitoba, the results of the DEKALB SuperSpiel will be included in the assignment of two Safeway Championship berths to the Manitoba Curling Tour’s season rankings for the 2011-12 season.
Bonspiel results, and complete team lists will be posted at www.curlingzone.com, www.mancurltour.org, and www.morriscurlingclub.org.

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<Jan 9, 2011>

Lyburn & Carey Win MCT Championships, Team Fowler Wins Safeway Berth

William Lyburn-Deer Lodge (James Kirkness, Alex Forrest, Greg Melnichuk) and Chelsea Carey-Morden (Kristy Jenion, Kristen Foster, Lindsay Titheridge) have won the Manitoba Curling Tour Championships in Morris.

Carey scored a 6-4 final game win over Kim Link-East St. Paul (Maureen Bonar, Colleen Kilgallen, Renee Fletcher, Pam Kolton) while Lyburn was a 6-5 victor over his brother Allan, skipping the Rob Fowler-Brandon team (Richard Daneault, Derek Samagalski, Ross Granger)
Lyburn’s championship payday was $5,000 while the win earned Team Carey a total of $2,350 ($2,100 + $250 @ $125 per round robin win).

For the members of the Lyburn team, it was a first Manitoba Curling Tour Championship. Carey, Foster, and Titheridge won the title in the 2008-09 season when the event was also held in Morris.

Team Fowler, with Fowler away on a Hawaiian holiday, won the Manitoba Curling Tour’s Safeway Championship berth, along with the $3,000 finalist prize.

Allan Lyburn made the shot of the event, an angled raise double kill in the four foot, to win a quarterfinal against Reid Carruthers/Jason Gunnlaugson.  He followed that with a precise tap-back to the four foot with his final stone in the semi-final against David Bohn-Assiniboine Memorial.

The hopes of a Safeway berth for Mark Franklin-Fort Rouge died in the semi-final with a 4-2 loss to William Lyburn.

Semi-finalists David Bohn and Mark Franklin cashed cheques for $1,500 while quarter-finalists Scott Bitz-Regina, Vic Peters-Fort Garry, Andy Stewart-Rosser, and Carruthers/Gunnlaugson and their teams all earned $1,000.

In the Women’s MCT Championship, Carey defeated defending provincial champion Jill Thurston-Granite in the quarter-final and Cathy Overton-Clapham-Fort Rouge in the semi-final.
Link had gone unbeaten through the round robin portion of the event to earn a bye to the semi-final where she defeated Shaun Streich-Fort Rouge.

With championship payouts and per win money combined, Team Link earned $1,625; Overton-Clapham (also undefeated in round robin) picked up $1,125; Streich banked $1,000; quarter-finalist Holly Scott earned $750; and Thurston took home $625.

The Championships are the second event of the 2011-2012 MCT season. The final event will be the DEKALB SuperSpiel in Morris in March.

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<Jan 4, 2011>

Carey, Fowler Top Seeds for MCT Championships

Manitoba Curling Tour earnings of $17,400 by Chelsea Carey’s Morden team and $15,875 by Rob Fowler’s Brandon team have made the two teams the top seeds in the Manitoba Curling Tour Championships which get underway Thursday evening, January 6 in Morris.

In the 12-team Women’s Championship, which will be played in a round-robin (3 groups of 4 teams) format, Carey is joined by eight other Scotties zone winners in a tune-up for the provincial championship in Altona.

Cathy Overton-Clapham, with Karen Fallis as their fifth player while Breanne Meakin plays the provincial junior championship, Kim Link-East St. Paul, Jill Thurston-Granite, and Shauna Streich-Fort Rouge round out the top five seeds in the MCT Women’s Championship.

Women’s championship play begins Thursday at 7:30pm with a Janet Harvey-Deb McCreanor match-up. The remaining ten teams, including defending champion Kerri Einarson-Fort Rouge, play their openers at 6pm Friday.

In the 24-team Men’s Championship, which will be played in a double knock-out format, Fowler heads a list of 15 teams in quest of the Safeway Championship berth available to the highest finishing eligible team. The nine ineligible teams include seven Safeway zone winners, the Saskatchewan team of Scott Bitz-Regina, and a team skipped by defending champion Reid Carruthers which includes Jason Gunnlaugson, Tyler Forrest and Travis Bale.

In the men’s division, Fowler, Vic Peters-Fort Garry, multiple event winner Sean Grassie-Deer Lodge, David Bohn-Assiniboine Memorial, and Carruthers are the top five seeds.

Former MCT champion Mike McEwen and his team topped the MCT men’s money list in 2010 but are missing the championship in favour of participation in the Perth Masters in Scotland.

A number of team line-up changes are being introduced at the championship on the men’s side. Notable among these are the new line-up of Brendan Taylor, Chris Galbraith, Taren Gesell, and Terry Dreger who hold the #7 seed position. Taylor`s former team (Scott Ramsay, Mark Taylor, Nathan Bodnarchuk) with Bart Witherspoon added to the line-up holds the number 9 position.

Men’s play begins Thursday, January 6 with 5 games at 7:30pm and Friday, January 7 with 6 games at 9am.

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<Dec 30, 2010>

Grassie Wins Fort Rouge Coors Light Christmas Spiel

Sean Grassie, winner of three events in the 2010 season, has won the opening event of the 2011 Manitoba Curling tour season with a 7-3 victory over David Kraichy in the Fort Rouge Coors Light Christmas Open.

Grassie with is usual third Corey Chambers & second Scott McCamis and Nathan Bodnarchuk subbing for an injured Stuart Shiells scored three deuces while holding Kraichy to singles on every scoring opportunity.

The Grassie foursome picked up a  $1,500 champions cheque while Kraichy  and his team earned $1,000.

Grassie defeated defending bonspiel champion Dave Johnson (Garry Shibata, David Bay, Craig Scott) 4-2  in the semi-final.

Kraichy, with a team which included Brad Van Walleghem, Rylan Young and Arlen Wiens defeated Mike Mahon (Gord Buchanan, Blair Smith, Larry Lagace) 6-5 on an extra end in their semi-final

The semi-finalists each picked up $400 per team.

The quarterfinalists were teams skipped by Nigel Milnes (Ian Fordyce, Jeff & Terry Milnes), Reid Carruthers (Derek Samagalski, Pat McCallum, Brent Jesson), Randy Dutiaume (Kyle & Mitch Einarson, Cory Wolchuk), and Tyler Drews (Albert Bazinet, Josh Drews, Darryl Evans). The quarterfinalist earned $350 per team.

In the Consolation Final, Kurt Strand (Ken & Chris Strand & Brian Lowdon) defeated Norm Magnusson (Gerald May, Reese Allison, Resby Coutts) 8-3.

Manitoba Curling Tour: 2011 Men’s Money List

1) $1,200  Sean Grassie – Deer Lodge
2) $700 David Kraichy –
3) $400 Mike Mahon – Deer Lodge
3) $400 Dave Johnson-Deer Lodge
5) $350 Randy Dutiaume – Thistle
5) $350 Tyler Drews – LaSalle
5) $350 Reid Carruthers
5) $350 Nigel Milnes

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<Dec 15, 2010>

Invitations  Out for Manitoba Curling Tour Championship

Invitations to participate in the MCT Championship (January7-9, Morris) are hereby extended to ALL of the teams on the Manitoba Curling Tour Men’s Standings which have $1,000 or more in team earnings this season.

Teams who believe they are eligible to participate, but who have not yet received the invitation, are encouraged to contact Tour Coordinator Resby Coutts ([email protected] OR 799-2250) as contact information for some teams is sketchy. In fact, some e-mail addresses on file have obviously been changed as they have ‘bounced’.

The Men’s Championship will be played in a 24-team double knock-out format, if sufficient entries are received. In the 24-team scenario, the total payout to 12 teams will be $16,600 with a $5,000 first prize and the top eligible team will receive a Safeway Championship berth. If the draw is filled at 24-teams, a Thursday evening draw will have to be added.

An entry deadline of December 17 will be respected with payment of the entry fee ($600) expected by December 23. Late entries will be used to fill out the 24-team field in the order they are received OR will go on a waiting list if the event is filled by the deadline.

It has been acknowledged that some teams may wish to drop-out of the championship if they win Safeway Zones this weekend.  This will be accommodated – hence the need for a waiting list.

To date, 17 entries have been received.  Some have already noted an expectation of not competing should they win zone spots AND/OR some of the entered teams may be combined.
The Women’s MCT championship will be played at the same time in a 12-team, 3 groups of four format. Currently 11 entries have been received.  Again, teams who believe they are eligible to participate, but who have not yet received the invitation, are encouraged to contact Tour Coordinator Resby Coutts ([email protected] OR 799-2250).

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<Dec 13, 2010>

Sigurdson Team Wins Thistle Integrity Stakes

It took a steal on an extra end for Bob Sigurdson (Darren Oryniak, Al Purdy, Chad Barkman) to defeat Peter Nicholls (Dean Dunstone, Dean Moxham, Ron Gauthier) 4-3 in the Monday night final game of the Thistle Integrity Stakes. With the win, the Sigurdson team picked up the champions cheque for $2,000 and an automatic invitation to the Manitoba Curling Tour Championship January 7-9 in Morris.

Team Nicholls cashes the finalist’s $1,000 cheque.

To reach the final, Sigurdson defeated David Bohn 5-3 while Nicholls scored a 6-5 win over Murray Woodward, who is now skipping the Dave Elias team. Bohn and Woodward made small moves up the MCT standings with their $700 paydays.

Sean Grassie, Randy Dutiaume, Dave Tonnellier, and junior Joey Witherspoon were the quarter-final qualifiers. They each picked up $400 for their weekend efforts. For Tonnellier and Witherspoon, the win marks their first appearance on the MCT standings list.

In the pre-final draw to the button for a $50,000 car, sponsored by Nott Autocorp, Witherspoon’s lead Mike Neufeld bit the edge of the button. It was a remarkable shot given that the ice had not been played on and Neufeld was not allowed to practice before the shot. In order to win the car, the draw had to stop dead-centre on the button.

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<Dec 6, 2010>

Locals Spark Spectator Interest at Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy Cash Spiel

Victories by three local teams in Sunday evening C-Event qualifying sparked local interest in the Monday playoff round at the Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy Cash Spiel, the weekend stop on the Manitoba Curling Tour.

Peter Prokopowich and Greg Todoruk and their teams qualified but bowed out in the quarter-finals Monday morning.

Rae Kujanpaa qualified as well and advanced all the way to the championship final where he (Ray Baker, Bob Alm, Bob Scales ) made a last rock draw to the button for a 10-9 win and picked up $8,000 first prize. Gedak (John Aston, Derek Owens, Malcolm Vanstone) earned $ $5,000.

In the semi-finals, Kujanpaa defeated Vic Peters (Daley Peters, Kyle Werenich, Corey Naharnie) 9-4 while Gedak eliminated Kelly Marnoch (Kevin Hamblin, Steve Irwin, Chris Cameron) by a score of 9-2.

Qualifiers Prokopowich and Todoruk along with the teams of Brad Haight and David Kraichy earned $2,500.

Gedak, Peters, Haight and Kraichy moved up the MCT standings with their earnings. Kujanpaa, Marnoch, Prokopowich and Todoruk make their first appearance on the money list.

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<Nov 23, 2010>

Carruthers & Team Stoughton, Streich Win Interlake Pharmacy Classic

The Jeff Stoughton team, skipped by Reid Carruthers and with Eric Montford playing second, has won the Interlake Pharmacy Classic in Stonewall.  Carruthers (Jon Mead, Montford, Steve Gould) defeated David Bohn (Dennis Bohn, Kody Janzen, Larry Solomon) by a score of 4-3 in the Monday night championship final of the Men`s Division.

Team Stoughton earned $7,500 and moved to second place on the MCT money winnings list with the win. Team Bohn moved up by $5,000 to #6.

In the Sunday semi-finals, Carruthers defeated Sean Grassie (5-3) and Bohn defeated Garth Smith (7-3). Grassie and Smith earned $2,500 each. Men’s quarter-finalists, with a payoff of $1,750, were David Kraichy and Brad Haight.

In the Women’s Division Final, Shauna Striech (KarenKlein, Kyla Denisuik, Sue McCambridge) moved onto the money list for the first time this season and earned an invitation to the January 7-9, 2011 Tour Championship with her $5,000 win over Jill Thurston (Kristen Phillips, Jenna Loder, Kendra Georges). Team Thurston earned $2,500 and moved up to #7 on the Women’s list.

Semi-finals payoffs of $1,500 went to Holly Scott, who lost 7-3 to Streich, and Barn Spencer, who lost 5-4 to Thurston.

The next event on the Manitoba Curling Tour is the Men’s Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy Cash Spiel.

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<Nov 16, 2010>

Martin, Brown Win Weekend MCT Bonspiels

Olympic Champion Kevin Martin returned to the Swan River White’s Drug Store Classic to defend the championship title thee team won a year ago, and they did just that.

Martin defeated Darrell McKee-SK 6-2 in the Sunday afternoon final game in Swan River and picked up $10,000 in the process. McKee and his team cashed a $7,500 cheque. Semi-finalists Rob Fowler-Brandon (6-3 loss to Fowler) and Pat Simmons-SK (6-3 loss to McKee) both earned $5,500. Fowler was aided by his regular team of Allan Lyburn, Derek Samagalski and Richard Daneault.

Quarterfinalist Jason Gunnlaugson-RUS, Jeff Hartung-SK, Randy Bryden-SK and Brendan Taylor-MB (Scott Ramsay, Mark Taylor, Nathan Bodnarchuk) all earned $3,500.

At Thunder Bay in the Courtesy Freight Northern Ontario SuperSpiel, Craig Brown-USA earned the $5,000 first prize with a 7-3 win over Mike Pozihun-ON. Pozihun earned $3,000. Cheques for $2,000 went to semi-finalists Tyler George-USA and Todd Birr-USA while quarterfinalists Allen Macsemchuk-ON, Matt Dumontelle-ON, Joe Scharf-ON, and Mike Assad-ON all earned $1,300.

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<Nov 9, 2010>

Wickman Wins Rossmere’s Ken Kurbis Memorial Galaxy Bonspiel

Andrew Wickman, with a cobbled together West Kildonan team of Larry & Terry Dreger, and Cory Naharnie has won the Rossmere Country Club’s Manitoba Curling Tour event, the Ken Kurbis Memorial Galaxy Bonspiel.

Wickman defeated Michael Johnson-Deer Lodge (Dave Johnson, Steen Sigurdson, Curtis Cannon) 7-3  in the Monday night final at Rossmere  by jumping out to a 4-0 lead after two ends on the strength of steals of 3 on the first end and another on the second end.

The Wickman four share the $4,000 first prize while the Johnson team picked up $2,000.

David Hamblin’s Morris team was tied 5-5 coming home with Johnson in the semi-final but gave up a four when Johnson made a tap back with his final shot. The Hamblin team (Ross Derksen, Ryan Thomson, Mark Georges) earned $1,000. The other semi-final went an extra end with Wickman drawing to the four foot for a win over Brad Haight-West Kildonan (Trevor Loreth, Ryan Lowdon, Brett Cawson) who also picked up $1,000.

Randy Neufeld-LaSalle, Peter Nicholls-Deer Lodge, Garth Smith-Assiniboine Memorial, and Sean Grassie-Deer Lodge were the quarter-finalists and earned $750 for their weekend efforts.

Next on the Manitoba Curling Tour, The Swan River White’s Pharmacy Classic and the Thunder Bay Courtesy Freight Northern Ontario Super Spiel are scheduled November 12-15 along with the non-tour Safeway Berth Bonspiel in Portage. The Interlake Pharmacy Classic in Gimli has been cancelled due to a low entry.

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<Oct 26, 2010>

Carey, McEwen #1 on the MCT Money Lists

Chelsea Carey and her Morden team jumped to the top of the Manitoba Curling Tour Women’s money winnings list with her victory ion the Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Classic at Fort Rouge. Carey (with Kristy Jenion, Kristen Foster,& Lindsay Titheridge) earned $15,400 to move her to the top of the list with a total to date of $17,400 in MCT winnings.

Fort Rouge’s Cathy Overton-Clapham (Breanne Meakin, Leslie Wilson, Raunora Westcott), who was beaten 7-3 by Carey,  finished second to Carey and also moved up to second position on the MCT earnings list with a $10,500 payday.

Semi-finalists Stefanie Lawton (SK) and Heather Nedohin (AB) moved onto the MCT list with their winnings of $6,500 and $6,400 respectively.

Sherry Middaugh (ON) dropped out of first place on the money list, but qualifying money of $3,700 plus $100 per win for five wins keeps the Ontario team in third place in the standings.
Qualifiers Jennifer Jones-St Vital ($4,200) moved up to seventh place in the standings while Kelly Scott-BC ($4,200), and Renee Sonnenberg-AB (4,100) moved onto the list.

At Portage in the CanadInns Prairie Classic, Mike McEwen’s Assiniboine Memorial team picked up $18,000 with a victory over Jeff Stoughton (Charleswood). In so doing McEwen (BJ Neufeld, Matt Wozniak, Denni Neufeld) strengthened their hold on first place in the MCT Men’s Standings.

Stoughton (Jon Mead, Reid Carruthers, Steve Gould) picked up $10,000 and moved up  19 spots in the standings to #3.

Kevin Park (West Kildonan) and Rob Fowler (Brandon) moved up to second and fourth respectively with their $6,000 semi-final wins. Scott Madams (West Kildonan) moved up to #8 while Glenn Howard (ON), Mathew Camm (ON), and Xu Xiaoming (CHN) all make the list for the first time with their $4,000 quarter-final earnings.

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<Oct 11, 2010>

Grassie (Again!!), Bitz, Komyshyn Win Thanksgiving Weekend Bonspiels

Former Saskatchewan Champion Scott Bitz, Granite’s Jackie Komyshyn, and Sean Grassie-Deer Lodge have won the three Thanksgiving weekend bonspiels on the Manitoba Curling Tour. Bitz and Komyshsyn earn invitations to the Manitoba Curling Tour Championship, January 7-9, 2011 in Morris. Grassie’s victory, his third in a row, comes on the heels of an MCT Championship invitation won at Warren in August. The Deer Lodge team also won last weekend at Selkirk.

Bitz and his Regina team (Mark Lang, Aryn Schmidt, Dean Hicke) earned the largest of the three first prize purses offered on the weekend.

The Regina foursome scored a 9-1, 4 end victory over Vic Peters and his Fort Garry team (Daley Peters, Kyle Werenich, Cory Naharnie) to pick up the $8,000 champion’s share in the Manitoba Lotteries Fall Classic in Brandon. The Peters foursome earned $5,000 as the finalist.

Semi-finalists Kevin Park – West Kildonan (Chris Galbraith, Taren Gesell, Pat McCallum) and Rob Fowler – Brandon (Allan Lyburn, Richard Daneault, Derek Samagalski) each earned $3,500.

A qualifying payout of $2,750 went to West Kildonan teams skipped by William Lyburn (James Kirkness, Alex Forrest, Greg Melnichuk) and Dave Elias (William Kuran, Hub Perrin, Chris Suchy); Brent Scales – Swan River (Gord Hardy, Howie Scales, Todd Trevellyan); and David Bohn – Assiniboine Memorial (Dennis Bohn, Kody Janzen, Larry Solomon).

At Winnipeg’s Charleswood CC, Jackie Komyshyn – Granite (Riki Komyshsyn, Stacey Hinds, Kelsey Hinds) earned $3,500 with a 10-4 victory over Kim Link – East St. Paul (Maureen Bonar, Colleen Kilgallen, Renee Fletcher) in the final of the Atkins Curling Supplies Charity Classic. Link and her team picked up $1,900. With an added payout of $50 per round-robin victory, Link earned $200 for her four wins while Komyshyn picked up $150 for three victories.

Two-time defending champion Janet Harvey – Assiniboine Memorial (Cherie-Ann Loder, Kristin Loder, Carey Kirby) and Karen Rosser – Springfield (Cheryl Reed, Stacey Fordyce, Brenna Philp) each picked up $1,000 as semi-finalists. Rosser’s perfect record earned them an additional $250 while Harvey earned $200 for her four victories.

Qualifiers Terry Ursel-Plumas (Wanda Rainka, Kendell Kohinski, Brenda Walker) and Alyssa Vandepoele – Ste. Anne (Selena Kaatz, Kristin MacCuish, Lindsay Baldock) earned $700. Vandepoele earned $200 for her four wins while Ursel picked up $150 for three victories.

Grassie’s victory at the Nott Autocorp Thanksgiving Charity Classic, 6-2 over Doug Riach – West Kildonan was worth $2,000 to the Deer Lodge team which includes Corey Chambers, Scott McCamis, and Stu Shiells. Riach who played the entire weekend with only Nathan Asham and Justin Fuchs, picked up $1,000.

Semi-finalists Rob Cosens – West St. Paul (Jim Ireland, Mike Trager, Todd Russell) and Curtis Atkins (Bill Dauphinais, Rodney Legault, Jarryd Klassen) each earned $750.

Qualifiers Joel Marcon – St. Vital (Joel Newbury, Ken Armstrong, Justin Richard); Andy Stewart – Stonewall (Kevin Thompson, Bryan Galbraith, Brent Baschuk); Daniel Birchard – Pembina (Kelly Fordyce, Brody Moore, Andrew Peck); and Garth Smith – Assiniboine Memorial (Ken Tresoor, Ross McFadyen, Miles Riddell) all picked up $500.

In the Nott Autocorp Draw-to-the-Button contest, for a luxury car, Bryan Galbraith’s draw was deep in the house. Galbraith was the finalist out of 10 semi-finalists and made his draw attempt prior to the start of the final game.

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<Oct 4, 2010>

Link, Grassie Win Selkirk’s One Insurance Classics

In a re-match of last year’s provincial Scotties semi-final, Kim Link defeated Jill Thurston in the Monday evening final of the One Insurance Curling Classic by a score of 7-4.

The game featured new line-ups for both teams as multiple Manitoba champion Maureen Bonar has moved in at third for Link along with Renee Fletcher and Colleen Kilgallen on the front end while Thurston and Kristen Phillips have been joined this year by Jenna Loder and Kendra Georges.

The  Manitoba Curling Tour bonspiel win earned the Link foursome $4,500 and an invitation to the MCT Championship in Morris in January. Thurston’s team earned $3,000.

In the semi-final matches Sunday afternoon Link was an 8-5 winner over Sabrina Neufeld while Thurston defeated Holly Scott 7-2. Scott and Neufeld both earned $1,250 for their efforts.

In the Men’s Division, Sean Grassie won his second bonspiel championship in a row. Grassie, Corey Chambers, Scott McCamis, and Stuart Shiells won the Monsanto Sliding in Summer bonspiel in August in Warren and picked up their second championship along with a $2,900 cheque  Monday. Grassie defeated Dave Elias (William Kuran, Hub Perrin, Chris Suchy) 8-3. The Elias team picked up $1,600.

Grassie advanced to the final of the 9-team event with a 5-4 win over David Bohn in the Sunday semi-final. The Bohn foursome earned $1,200 for the weekend.

Next on the Manitoba Curling Tour are three October 8-11 events – the Manitoba Lotteries Men’s Fall Classic in Brandon (Men), the Atkins Curling Supplies Charity Classic at Winnipeg’s Charleswood CC (Women), and the Nott Autocorp Thanksgiving Charity Classic (Open) at the Winnipeg Thistle CC.

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<October 4, 2010>

Finals Set in Selkirk’s Once Insurance Classic

Provincial Women’s champion Jill Thurston and Kim Link will meet Monday evening at 6:30pm in the final Women’s Division of the Selkirk stop on the Manitoba Curling Tour – the One Insurance Curling Classic.

Both Thurston and Link have reached the final of the 16-team event undefeated; having earned playoff berths through the spiel’s A-Event. Both won semi-final matches Sunday afternoon. Thurston defeated Holly Scott 7-2 while Link was an 8-5 winner over Sabrina Neufeld in the semis.

First prize is $4,500 while $3,000 goes to the finalist. Scott and Neufeld have earned $1,250 for their efforts.

In the Men’s Division, Sean Grassie will go after his second bonspiel championship in a row. Grassie won the Monsanto Sliding in Summer bonspiel in August in Warren. Grassie advanced to the final of the 9-team event with a 5-4 win over David Bohn in the Sunday semi-final.

The final between Grassie and A-Event qualifier Dave Elias will also take place Monday at 6:30pm at the Selkirk & District Curling Club.

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<Sept 22, 2010>

A Manitoba Curling Tour Renewal in MCT’s 20th Season

A pair of new event title sponsors, a new event name, a new Tour Coordinator and Head Official, and a trio of new strategic alliances were introduced today at CanadInns-Polo Park at the 20th Anniversary Manitoba Curling Tour News Conference.

Among the MCT’s ‘news’ are CanadInns, which has taken on the title sponsorship of the Prairie Classic in Portage with a vow to enhance the already very high-profile event which offers the biggest payday on the MCT Men’s schedule. In Beausejour, Thrifty Carwash has stepped in to pick up sponsorship of both the Men’s and Women’s events in that eastern Manitoba community.

In Selkirk, the re-named One Insurance Curling Classic continues the McMillan Insurance Group’s sponsorship.

Long-time Tour Co-ordinator R.J. (Bob) Picken, who stepped aside at the end of last curling season, has been replaced by Resby Coutts of thecurler.com. The MCT support team will also include Lori Pelissier, who continues as webmaster, and Bill Biehl who will serve a new role as MCT Head Official.

“As the Manitoba Curling Tour moves ahead in its 20th season, we recognize the need to review some of our approaches and ideas about the role of the tour in Manitoba curling,” said Tour President Andy Stewart.

“In that regard, I am pleased to announce a renewed relationship with CurlingZone which will see our event-scoring posted draw-by-draw, and even more frequently in some cases. We believe this will help enhance the national visibility of our curlers, our events and our sponsors,” Stewart said.

In addition, the Manitoba Curling Tour has entered into an agreement with CurlManitoba which will see the two organizations working more closely together in issues of common interest. In particular this will involve the recommendation currently before the CurlManitoba Board of Directors in regard to a greater MCT role in identifying competing teams for the provincial Men’s Safeway Championship.

In a pair of new relationships for the Manitoba Curling Tour, CFRW 1290 (Winnipeg) and CKLQ 880 (Brandon) will air a Manitoba Curling Tour weekend summary report each week through the first half of the 2010-11 curling season.

The 20th Manitoba Curling Tour season began with the Coors Light Christmas Spiel at Fort Rouge (won by Dave Johnson-Pembina) and continued with the March DEKALB SuperSpiels in Morris (won by Mike McEwen-Assiniboine Memorial and Sherry Middaugh-Ontario). Action was renewed with the August Monsanto Sliding in Summer Bonspiel in Warren (won by Sean Grassie-Deer Lodge). Those four winners have qualified for the Manitoba Curling Tour Championships to be played in Morris, January 7-9, 2011.

With a total prize purse payout once again over $400,000, the Manitoba Curling Tour includes 10 Men’s events, six Women’s events, and six Open events.

In Winnipeg, Charleswood, Fort Rouge (2), Rossmere, and Thistle (2) Curling Clubs will host six MCT events while 11 rural Manitoba clubs will host 16 events. The rural locations include Beausejour, Brandon, Carberry, Dauphin, Gimli, Morris, Portage, Selkirk, Stonewall, Swan River, and Warren along with Thunder Bay, ON.

The largest Women’s payday will come at the Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Curling Classic at Fort Rouge with a total payout of $60,000.

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<Sept 22, 2010>

CurlManitoba & Manitoba Curling Tour Announce Partnership

CurlManitoba and the Manitoba Curling Tour have announced a partnership which will see the two organizations working closely together in the future. The agreement recognizes a need for cooperation in dealing with issues facing the sport of curling at the competitive level in Manitoba.

“It is important to recognize the Tour as more than just the players competing around the province every weekend,” said MCT President Andy Stewart. “The Manitoba Curling Tour is also the clubs who host tour bonspiels and the club volunteers who work hard in their club to showcase the best Manitoba curling within their community.”

“On behalf of CurlManitoba I would like to say how excited I am to reach this agreement and I believe it marks an important step forward not only in the relationship between the two organizations but for the progress of the sport in Manitoba,” said CurlManitoba Executive Director Shane Ray.

Ray and Stewart agree that “the best interests of curling in Manitoba are served by CurlManitoba, representing its member clubs, and the Tour, representing competitive curlers, working together to address issues and challenges”.

Moving forward, the Manitoba Curling Tour and CurlManitoba will work more closely together in the promotion and administration of events of mutual interest. There will also be direct consultation in regard to items such as the recommended assignment of additional Safeway Men’s Championship berths to the Manitoba Curling Tour.

‘The issue of championship berths is before CurlManitoba’s Board of Directors for action this season. The best decisions will be made by including the Manitoba Curling Tour in the discussion,” Ray concluded.

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<Aug 29, 2010>

Grassie Wins MCT Monsanto Sliding in Summer Spiel in Warren

Sean Grassie (with Corey Chambers, Scott McCamis, & Stuart Shiells) captured the championship and the $2,000 first prize in Warren’s Monsanto Sliding in Summer Bonspiel which wrapped up Sunday evening.

With their 6-0 win over Mike McEwen, skipping the Kevin Park team (Chris Galbraith, Taren Gesell, & Pat McCallum), the Grassie foursome also earned the champion’s invitation to compete in the 2011 Manitoba Curling Tour Championship. Team Park took home $1,500 to start their season.

Semi-finalists Jeff Stoughton (Jon Mead, Reid Carruthers, Steve Gould) and David Bohn (Dennis Bohn, Kody Janzen, Larry Solomon) both put $750 in the bank. Stoughton lost 8-7 to Park in the semi-final while Bohn was beaten 4-2 by Grassie.

Quarter-finalists Brendan Taylor (Scott Ramsay, Derek Samagalski, Nathan Bodnarchuk) and Jason Gunnlaugson (Justin Richter & Tyler Forrest) cashed $500 cheques.

The weekend results mean the Park, Gunnlaugson, Grassie, and Taylor teams all move up on the Manitoba Curling Tour Men’s Money winnings list while Stoughton and Bohn make their first appearance on this year’s money list. Mike McEwen’s share of the finalist purse increases the McEwen team’s total in the #1 position while Derek Samagalski’s share of the Taylor winnings improves the Rob Fowler team standings.

---

<Aug 24, 2010>

Manitoba Curling Tour Fall Season Begins August 27 in Warren.

The August 27-29 Monsanto Sliding in Summer Bonspiel in Warren kicks off the Manitoba Curling Tour’s fall season with 14-teams competing in the event’s Competitive Division. It is the Warren bonspiel’s first appearance as an MCT–listed event.

Thirteen Men’s teams including provincial champion Jeff Stoughton and the names of Jason Gunnlaugson, David Bohn, Sean Grassie, Scott Madams, Brendan Taylor, David Kraichy, Richard Muntain, Brad Hemeryk, Andrew Irving, Dave Boehmer, Jerry Chudley, and Kevin Park  are on the draw.

Holly Scott skips the only women’s entry in the open event which will be played on championship ice prepared by Greg Ewasko.

The Bonspiel’s Recreational Division begins play Tuesday evening with the Competitive Division beginning Friday with games at 9AM and Noon. Play will continue Friday afternoon and Saturday with the 6-team championship round scheduled for Sunday. The final game in Warren is scheduled for 6pm Sunday.

The Monsanto Sliding in Summer Bonspiel is the third event of the 2010-11 competitive season. The winner will automatically be eligible to compete in this season’s Tour Championship which will be played at Morris, January 7-9, 2011.

Based on the entry of 14 teams, there will be a payout of $7,000 in prize money in the Warren event.

The Warren Bonspiel also introduces the Manitoba Curling Tour’s new relationship with CurlingZone, Canada’s premier curling results source. Curling fans are invited to follow the bonspiel at www.mancurltour.ca (Click on the Monsanto Sliding in Summer link on the schedule of events)

Based on current understanding of line-ups for this season, the top teams on the MCT Men’s & Women’s Money Winning Lists (individual earnings from Coors Light Christmas Spiel-Fort Rouge & DEKALB SuperSpiel-Morris) are:

MEN:
1) $9,000 ** Mike McEwen (winner DEKALB-Morris)
2) $2,500 Dave Boehmer (1/2 finalist DEKALB-Morris) (Boehmer-Bedard)
3) $2,500 Randy Dutiaume (1/2 finalist DEKALB-Morris) (Einarson-Lacroix from Boehmer)
4) $2,250 Jason Gunnlaugson (3/4 semi-finalist DEKALB-Morris) (team less Zawada)
5) $2,000 Vic Peters (quarter-finalist DEKALB-Morris)
6) $2,000 Ted Appelman (AB) (quarter-finalist DEKALB-Morris)
7) $1,500 William Lyburn (1/2 semi-finalist DEKALB-Morris) (Lyburn-Kilgallen with Team Carruthers)
8) $1,025 ** Dave Johnson (winner Coors Light-Fort Rouge)
9) $833.25 Scott Madams (1/4 semi-finalist DEKALB-Morris (Zawada) + earnings of N.Milnes @ Ft Rouge)
10) $775 Bryan Zachary (finalist Coors Light-Fort Rouge)
11) $750 Rob Fowler (1/4 semi-finalist DEKALB-Morris (Samagalski with Team Carruthers))
12) $750 Kevin Park (1/4 semi-finalist DEKALB-Morris (Galbraith with Team Carruthers))

WOMEN:
1) $7,000 ** Sherry Middaugh (winner DEKALB-Morris)
2) $4,000 Wang Bingyu (finalist DEKALB-Morris)
3) $2,000 Chelsea Carey (semi-finalist DEKALB-Morris)
4) $2,000 Alyssa Vandepoele (semi-finalist DEKALB-Morris)
5) $1,600 Brette Richards (quarter-finalist DEKALB-Morris)
6) $1,200 Jennifer Jones (3/4 quarter-finalist DEKALB-Morris) (team less C. O-Clapham)
7) Cathy Overton-Clapham (1/4 quarter-finalist DEKALB-Morris)

** McEwen, Johnson, Middaugh teams qualified for MCT championships
Note: the listed team standings are subject to change if team line-ups change.

---

< June 10, 2010>

Dates of two Manitoba Curling Tour events have been confirmed and the accompanying schedule of events has been updated.

The Atkins Curling Supplies Charity Classic women’s event at the Charleswood Curling Club will take place again this year on the Thanksgiving weekend, October 8-11, 2010.

The White’s Drug Store Classic men’s event in Swan River will be held a week later this year than in previous years.  The Swan River bonspiel will be played November 11-14, 2010.

---

<May 19, 2010>

MCT 2010-11 Tentative Schedule

Fifteen of 19 bonspiel dates have been confirmed by organizers of events which will be a part of the 2010-2011 Manitoba Curling Tour schedule. The fall schedule begins with Warren’s Monsanto Sliding in Summer bonspiel, a new event on the tour this year which creates the Tour’s earliest ever fall start.

Discussions are underway with two other new events which could yet be added.

Three bonspiels have been included in the schedule based on last year’s dates. We await confirmation of intentions from those events.

The date for the Atkins Charity Classsic, which took place on the Thanskgiving weekend last year, is under review as the committee attempts to avoid conflicts with other major events in Western Canada.

---

<May 7, 2010>

Warren’s MONSANTO SLIDING IN SUMMER ‘SPIEL Taking Entries

The fall season of the 2010-2011 Manitoba Curling Tour season will have its earliest ever start when Warren joins the Tour with its Monsanto Sliding in Summer ‘Spiel, August 23-28.

The third annual MONSANTO Sliding in Summer Bonspiel once again takes place at Warren’s Sunova Arena with Greg Ewasko signed on to ensure championship ice conditions for the competitors in the bonspiel’s 16-team MCT competitive division. There is also a 32-team recreational division.

The Bonspiel’s popular features, a Thursday-Sunday Beer Garden and Live Entertainment Friday & Saturday nights, will continue this year.

Entry fee for the MCT Competitive Division is $520. (The Recreational Division entry fee is $160.) Six teams will qualify for the championship round in the competitive division. There will be cash prizes in both divisions.

For information contact any of the co-chairs:
Cal Surgenor ([email protected])
Bryan Preston ([email protected])
Tyson Langrell ([email protected]).

Entry cheques should be made payable to Warren Summer Spiel and can be mailed to Tyson Langrell, Box 489, Warren, MB  R0C 3E0

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE COMING: A tentative tour schedule will be published here  at the MCT website as soon as possible. Bonspiel organizers are reminded to contact the new tour coordinator Resby Coutts (204.799.2250) by email at [email protected] to confirm dates.

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<May 2, 2010>

The Manitoba Curling Tour has announced the appointment of Resby Coutts to succeed the retiring Bob Picken as tour Co-ordinator.  The change was confirmed at an MCT board of directors’ meeting, and is effective as of May 1st, 2010.

Coutts is a prominent curling journalist, who formerly served as Media Relations Officer and Events Co-ordinator for the Manitoba Curling Association.  He was the editor and publisher for many years of The Curling News in Manitoba, and shifted it to an internet website (thecurler.com), which offers excellent curling coverage and feature information on the sport at all levels.

Coutts will add the MCT Co-ordinator’s duties to his role as co-chair of the National Mixed Curling Championship (Nov.13-20th) in Morris this coming season.  He also will be nominated as a candidate for a Curl Manitoba director’s position at the association’s AGM in June.

Picken retires after 16 years in the Co-ordinator’s position.  He was appointed in 1994 by then-MCT-president Cathy Gauthier, and has seen the tour’s operation expand to curling locales throughout Manitoba and into Northwestern Ontario, and at one point to Grand Forks, North Dakota.

MCT president Andy Stewart said, “Coutts will have a tough act to follow due to Picken’s experience, contacts, and curling background.  But the tour is fortunate to have somebody like Resby, who has the same type of know-how and commitment, and is ready to take over.”

---

<March 15, 2010>

The teams of Mike McEwen of Assiniboine Memorial and Sherry Middaugh of London, Ontario, won the second event on the Manitoba Curling Tour’s
2010-2011 schedule in Morris today.

Following up on the Coors Light Christmas Open at Fort Rouge, the DEKALB SUPERSPIEL wrapped up with six-team playoffs in the men’s and women’s divisions (Monday).

McEwen had a three-victory day after qualifying out of “C” event in the 16-team men’s division.  His team of B.J. Neufeld, Matt Wozniak, and Denni Neufeld defeated Edmonton’s Ted Appelman 4-2, Jason Gunnlaugson of Beausejour 6-5, and Dave Boehmer of Petersfield 5-4 in the final.

McEwen earned $9,000, Boehmer $5,000, losing semi-finalists Gunnlaugson and Chris Galbraith of West St. Paul $3,000 each, and losing quarter-finalists Appelman and Vic Peters of Fort Garry $2,000 apiece.

Skipping the Jo-Ann Rizzo team from London, with Rizzo at third, Lee Merklinger and Leigh Armstrong, Middaugh also needed three playoff victories to win the women’s division.  Middaugh whipped Brette Richards of Assiniboine Memorial 8-0, bounced Chelsea Carey of Morden 7-6, then had to go two extra ends for a 6-4 win in the final over reigning world champion Bingyu Wang of China.  Wang is preparing to defend her world title in Swift Current later this month.

The Middaugh foursome earned $7,000, Wang $4,000, losing semi-finalists Carey and Alyssa Vandepoele of Ste. Anne $2,000 each,. and losing quarter-finalists Jennifer Jones of St. Vital and Richards $1,600 apiece (also from a 16-team field).

The DEKALB SUPERSPIEL was the last event of the winter on the Manitoba Curling Tour, which will resume at the end of September.

---

<March 14, 2010>

The playoff teams are set in the Dekalb SuperSpiel in Morris, the last event of the winter on the Manitoba Curling Tour.

In the men’s quarter-finals (Monday 9:00 a.m.), defending champion Vic Peters will meet Dave Boehmer, while Edmonton’s Ted Appelman will face Mike McEwen.  The women’s quarter-finals bring together Ontario’s Sherry Middaugh against Brette Richards, and Canadian champion Jennifer Jones versus junior star Alyssa Vandepoele.

The teams of Chris Galbraith, Jason Gunnlaugson, Chelsea Carey and reigning world champion Bingyu Wang of China are waiting in the semi-finals (Monday 12:30 p.m.).

In the last qualifying matches in “C” event (Sunday night), Boehmer defeated David Bohn 5-2, McEwen rallied to beat Coleman 5-4, Richards coasted to an 8-1 win over Kerri Flett, and Vandepoele beat Karen Fallis 5-3.

The winning teams in the finals (4:00 p.m. Monday) will earn $9,000 in the men’s division and $7,000 in the women’s division.

<March 1, 2010>

The final event of the winter on the Manitoba Curling Tour is the $50,000 DEKALB SUPERSPIEL in Morris, from March 11th to 15th.

The women’s field is assured of 16 teams, headed by Canadian Scotties champion Jennifer Jones of St. Vital, and also includes MCT champion Kerri Flett of Fort Rouge, and the teams of China and Switzerland, who are preparing for the World Curling Championship in Swift Current later this month.

Openings still are available to fill the triple knockout men’s field of 24 teams.  Contact chairman Brian Recksiedler at (204) 746-6618 or by e-mail — [email protected] — the entry fee is $1,000.

Some of the notables in the men’s field are the teams of Mike McEwen, Jason Gunnlaugson, David Hamblin, Vic Peters, David Bohn, and Sean Grassie, plus Edmonton’s Ted Appelman and Team China.

MCT champion Reid Carruthers will be among the missing.  His curling season is finished due to a knee injury, and the 25-year-old skip from West St. Paul could be in line for surgery.  The Carruthers team has filed an entry in Morris, and will secure a replacement.

---

<February 4, 2010>

The 2009-10 Manitoba Curling Tour champion, Reid Carruthers of West St. Paul, is the fourth seed in Curl Manitoba’s 32-team field for the provincial Safeway championship in Steinbach this month.

Supported by Chris Galbraith, Derek Samagalski, and Shane Kilgallen, Carruthers earned $28,050 in tour events this past season, and won the MCT title in Brandon in December.

Mike McEwen of Assiniboine Memorial, who won the MCT crown in the two previous seasons (2007-08 and 2008-09), received the second seed in Steinbach, behind defending Manitoba champion Jeff Stoughton of Charleswood.

David Bohn and Kerry Burtnyk of Assiniboine Memorial, and Jason Gunnlaugson of Beausejour, who finished second, third and fourth in total MCT earnings, are seeded third, fifth and sixth by the teams for the shooting at the TG Smith Centre in Steinbach.

The Manitoba champion will represent the province in the Tim Horton’s Brier in Halifax March 6th to 14th.

---

<December 30, 2009>

Curling out of the Pembina club in Winnipeg, Dave Johnson skipped his team of Gary Shibata, Craig Scott, and David Bay to victory in the first event on the Manitoba Curling Tour’s 2010-11 schedule (Wednesday night, Dec.30th/09).

Johnson won the COORS LIGHT CHRISTMAS OPEN at the Fort Rouge Curling Club with two playoff wins, 5-4 over Jay DeFoort of Fort Rouge in the semi-finals, and 7-1 over Bryan Zachary of the Granite in the final.

The double triumph was worth a total of $1,025 to the Johnson team on the progressive payout format, plus a berth in the MCT Championships in the season ahead.  Zachary’s team earned $775, while DeFoort received
$385 and Sean Grassie of Deer Lodge, who lost 7-6 to Zachary in the semi-finals, picked up $305.

Nigel Milnes of Pembina received $335 and Norm Magnusson of Fort Rouge $305 for reaching the Coors Light quarter-finals (24 teams–six qualifiers).  Mark Franklin of Fort Rouge won the Consolation event and $240, beating clubmate Linda Stewart (who had Don Nelson skipping) 10-9 in an extra end final.

The Manitoba tour suspends at this point for the Curl Manitoba championship season, resuming March 11th-15th, 2010, with the DEKALB SUPERSPIEL at the Morris Curling Club.

---

<December 29, 2009>

The first event crediting results to the 2010-2011 Manitoba Curling Tour schedule will conclude at the Fort Rouge Curling Club tonight (Wednesday, December 30th).  The COORS LIGHT CHRISTMAS OPEN moved into the playoff round last night.

In the quarter-finals, Jay DeFoort of Fort Rouge defeated Nigel Milnes of Pembina 5-3, and will advance to meet Dave Johnson of Deer Lodge in tonight’s 6:00 p.m. semi-finals.

Bryan Zachary of the Granite scored a 4-3 victory over Norm Magnusson of Fort Rouge; Zachary will face Sean Grassie of Deer Lodge in the semis, with the final to follow tonight at 9 o’clock.

The final of the Consolation bracket at 6:00 p.m. will bring together host clubbers Mark Franklin and Don Nelson, skipping the Linda Stewart foursome.

---

<December 20, 2009>

The Reid Carruthers team from West St. Paul had qualified in seven curling events this season, but had failed to be a winner until rolling to victory in the men’s division of the Manitoba Curling Tour Championships at the Brandon Wheat City Curling Club today (Sunday).

With Chris Galbraith, Derek Samagalski, and Shane Kilgallen, Carruthers posted a 6-and-1 record in the 16-team triple knockout playdown, beating Allan Lyburn of Brandon three times, including a 6-5 last-rock triumph in the final.

The Carruthers foursome earned a top prize of $6,000 plus a berth in the Curl Manitoba Safeway provincials in Steinbach in February. In total, Carruthers had $28,050 in leading the MCT in earnings this season.

Lyburn received runner-up cash of $3,000, while Brendan Taylor of West Kildonan and Sean Grassie of Deer Lodge picked up $2,000 apiece. Mike McEwen of Assiniboine Memorial, who was trying for three straight MCT men’s titles, lost in the quarter-finals to Lyburn, and settled for $1,000.

Jason Gunnlaugson of Beausejour, Terry McNamee of Hamiota, and Doug Riach of West Kildonan also earned $1,000 apiece in bowing out in the quarter-finals (16 teams-8 qualifiers).

Kerri Flett of Fort Rouge, with support from Janice Blair, Sue Baleja, and Alison Harvey, won the MCT women’s division title, earning $4,000 for a final 5-4 victory over clubmate Joelle Brown, who received $2,000.  Losing semi-finalists Jill Thurston of Deer Lodge and Lisa Blixhavn of Brandon each took home $1,000 (8 teams-4 qualifiers).

The Brandon weekend completes the tour season, but the schedule resumes December 26th-30 with the Coors Light Christmas Open at Winnipeg’s Fort Rouge Curling Club, and the second annual DeKalb Superspiel will follow March 11th-15th, 2010, at the Morris Curling Club.  Results of both events will be credited to the 2010-2011 MCT season.

---

<December 15, 2009>

Mike McEwen and his Assiniboine Memorial team (B.J. Neufeld, Matt Wozniak, Denni Neufeld) will be gunning for a third straight men’s title in the MCT Championships at Brandon’s Wheat City Curling Club this weekend (Dec.18th-20th).

The McEwen foursome won the last two seasons, in Portage and in Morris, and along with Jason Gunnlaugson’s team from Beausejour rates as a prime favorite in the 16-team triple knockout event in Brandon.

The teams are seeded based on money earnings on the MCT this season.  Reid Carruthers of West St. Paul leads the tour with $22,050, followed by David Bohn of Assiniboine Memorial at $21,500.  Others expected to be top contenders are Dave Elias and Brendan Taylor of West Kildonan, Terry McNamee of Hamiota, and the Brandon’s Lyburn brothers, Allan and William, skipping separate foursomes.  The top cash prize is $6,000, and a berth in the Curl Manitoba Safeway provincials in Steinbach (Feb.10th-14th) goes to the highest finishing eligible team.  There will be eight qualifiers.

The eight-team women’s division also will have a defending champion in the field.  Chelsea Carey of Morden will try for a repeat, facing formidable opponents in a double knockout chase.  Janet Harvey is the top seed based on MCT earnings of $10,060, followed by Carey, Kaileigh Strath of Winkler and Kerri Flett of Fort Rouge.  The top cash prize in the women’s division is $4,000, with four qualifiers.

 

<December 12, 2009>

Club affiliation to Pembina was in large evidence in the final games of this weekend’s event on the Manitoba Curling Tour, the INTEGRITY STAKES at Winnipeg’s Thistle Curling Club.

Peter Nicholls guided his team to a 6-2 victory over the Scott Madams foursome in the championship final, while Kelly Lauber beat Cory Chambers 6-4 in the consolation final.  All four teams are members of Winnipeg’s Pembina club.  Nicholls skips and throws third stone for his team, Dean Dunstone is at fourth, and James Kirkness and Wayne Sigurdson are the front end shooters.

Nicholls earned $2,500, Madams $1,400, and Lauber $400.  In the championship semi-finals, Nicholls defeated Vic Peters and his senior team from the Granite club  6-4, while Madams was a 5-3 winner over Dave Boehmer of Petersfield, whose team was skipped by Daley Peters.

The semi-final losers received $1,000 apiece, while Bob Sigurdson of the Granite and Joel Marcon of St. Vital each earned $500 for reaching the quarter-finals (24 teams – 6 qualifiers).

---

<December 10, 2009>

Chelsea Carey of Morden will defend the women’s title in the Manitoba Curling Tour Championships, to be held at Brandon’s Wheat City Curling Club December 18th to 20th.

With the same personnel that won the women’s MCT crown in Morris last season, Kari White, Kristen Foster, and Lindsay Titheridge, and guided by her father Dan Carey as the team coach, Carey was a winner in the Interlake Pharmacy Classic in Stonewall last month.

Her primary opposition in Brandon could come from Janet Harvey of Assiniboine Memorial, who is the top seed based on MCT earnings.  Harvey won the tour’s Atkins Curling Supplies Charity Classic at Charleswood in October this year.

Others in the women’s field in order of seeding behind number two Carey are Kaileigh Strath of Winkler, Kerri Flett of Fort Rouge, Jill Thurston of Deer Lodge, Lisa Blixhavn of Brandon, Karen Fallis of Wildewood, and Joelle Brown of Fort Rouge.

The eight teams will play a double knockout format with four teams qualifying, aiming for a top prize of $4,000.

Mike McEwen of Assiniboine Memorial will defend the men’s title in Brandon, and that field will be finalized after this weekend’s Integrity Stakes at Winnipeg’s Thistle Curling Club (December 10th-13th).

---

<December 7, 2009>

“Winning another major curling event has been a long time coming for me..”  That was David Hamblin’s post-game comment after beating Travis Graham of Thompson 6-5 in an extra end final of the DAUPHIN CLINIC PHARMACY CASH SPIEL in Dauphin today (Monday).  Hamblin won the World Junior Curling Championship in 2002.

Hamblin’s team of Ross Derksen, Ryan Thomson, and Mark Georges earned $8,000 and a berth in the MCT Championships (Dec.18th-20th) in Brandon, qualifying out of the “C” section in Dauphin and winning three playoff games.

Graham is in his second season in Thompson after moving from Winnipeg, and with Farrol Asham, Grant Brown, and Glen Ringrose, earned runner-up cash of $5,000 in the Dauphin event.

Mike McEwen of Assiniboine Memorial won five straight games before losing 9-3 to Hamblin in the semi-finals, while Graham defeated Murray Woodward of Ste. Anne 6-5.  McEwen and Woodward received $3,500 apiece; losing quarter-finalists Allan Lyburn of Brandon, Ian Beavis of Morden, and Brendan Taylor and Andrew Wickman both of West Kildonan, each went home with $2,500 (32 teams-8 qualifiers).

---

<December 6, 2009>

The eight playoff teams have been determined in the DAUPHIN CLINIC PHARMACY CASH SPIEL, this weekend’s stop on the Manitoba Curling Tour.

David Hamblin of Morris, Travis Graham of Thompson, Brendan Taylor of West Kildonan, and Murray Woodward of Ste. Anne, nailed the last four spots in qualifying tonight (Sunday) in “C” Group.

In the last qualifying games, Hamblin beat Brennan Jones of Regina 7-4, Taylor eliminated Kelly Marnoch of Carberry 6-0,  Graham bounced the last local threat, Nick Ogryzlo of Dauphin 7-3. while Woodward was a 7-2 winner over Brad Haight of West Kildonan.

Earlier, Mike McEwen of Assiniboine Memorial and Andrew Wickman of West Kildonan won “A” Group playoff berths, and Ian Beavis of Morden and Allan Lyburn of Brandon qualified in “B” Group.

The Monday morning quarter-finals (9:00 A.M.) will send McEwen against Taylor, Lyburn versus Hamblin, Wickman facing Woodward, and Beavis meeting Graham. Semi-finals and the final will follow at 12 noon and 3 o’clock.

The playoff payout is $30,000 with $8,000 going to the winner.

---

<December 6, 2009>

The first teams to qualify for Monday’s playoffs in the Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy Cash Spiel are Mike McEwen’s foursome from Assiniboine Memorial and Andrew Wickman’s West Kildonan crew.

Both have chalked up four straight victories in Dauphin.  McEwen defeated David Hamblin of Morris 8-3 to clinch an “A” group playoff spot in the triple knockout format tonight (Saturday night).

Wickman also won his fourth in a row in “A” group, beating Nick Ogryzlo of Dauphin 7-3, to earn the second berth in the playoffs in the 32-team Manitoba Curling Tour cashspiel.

Six more teams will qualify in “B” and “C” groups Sunday

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<December 4, 2009>

Curling action resumed on the Manitoba Curling Tour with the start of the DAUPHIN CLINIC PHARMACY CASH SPIEL at Dauphin’s Parkland Recreation Complex this morning (Friday).

Defending champion Brendan Taylor of West Kildonan was a first round upset victim, losing 8-7 to Jason Ackerman of Regina as the 32-team triple knockout event got under way.

The heavy favorite, Mike McEwen of Assiniboine Memorial, rolled to a 9-3 victory over Wes Jonasson of Arborg on the opening draw.

The Dauphin cash spiel continues through to Monday, offering a $30,000 purse with eight qualifiers and $8,000 going to the winner.

---

<November 23, 2009>

Chelsea Carey’s Morden team had its high point this year back in January, in winning the Manitoba Curling Tour Women’s Championship.  Since then, the Carey crew has been inconsistent, until putting together an excellent effort this weekend in Stonewall.

With Kari White, Kristen Foster and Lindsay Titheridge in support, Carey posted a 6-and-1 record in winning the 8th annual INTERLAKE PHARMACY CLASSIC.  They capped it off with a 9-2 semi-final victory over Holly Scott of Fort Rouge, and a 7-2 win over Janet Harvey of Assiniboine Memorial in the cashspiel final on Monday (Nov.23rd).

Carey’s team earned $5,000 for the Interlake title, and will defend its MCT Championship in Brandon December 18th-20th.  Harvey picked up $2,500, while Scott and Jill Thurston of Deer Lodge received $1,500 apiece for reaching the semi-finals.  Derna Hintz of Fort Rouge earned $750 as the Consolation event winner.

In the men’s division, David Bohn’s team from Assiniboine Memorial qualified in “C” section, then won three straight playoff games to earn a $7,500 prize.  The Bohn foursome, with David’s brother Dennis, Kody Janzen, and Larry Solomon, had a previous tour victory this season in the McMillan Insurance Classic in Selkirk.

Bohn defeated Reid Carruthers of West St. Paul 8-3 in the semi-final, and Dave Elias of West Kildonan 8-7 in an extra end final on Monday.  Elias rallied to erase a four-point deficit to force the extra end.

Elias earned $5,000, Carruthers and Brandon’s Allan Lyburn each received $2,500 for reaching the semis, and Brendan Taylor of West Kildonan and Sean Grassie of Deer Lodge $1,750 apiece as losing quarter-finalists

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<November 22, 2009>

The semi-final playoffs are set for Monday (Nov.23rd) afternoon in the INTERLAKE PHARMACY CLASSIC in Stonewall, this weekend’s event on the Manitoba Curling Tour.

David Bohn of Assiniboine Memorial and Dave Elias of West Kildonan advanced with quarter-final victories in the men’s division on Sunday’s evening draw.  Bohn defeated Brendan Taylor of West Kildonan 6-2, and Elias eliminated Sean Grassie of Deer Lodge 5-3.  The Taylor and Grassie teams earned $1,750 apiece in their losing cause.

Bohn will meet Reid Carruthers of West St. Paul, the tour’s leading money winner, while Elias goes against Brandon’s Allan Lyburn in the 4:30 p.m. semi-finals.

In the women’s division, Janet Harvey of Assiniboine Memorial will face Jill Thurston of Deer Lodge, and Holly Scott of Fort Rouge meets Morden’s Chelsea Carey, also at 4:30 p.m.  The finals in both divisions are scheduled for 7 o’clock (Monday).

In “B” section qualifying matches Sunday night, Thurston moved up with a 7-3 victory over Deer Lodge clubmate Joelle Brown, and Carey sidelined reigning Manitoba women’s champion Barb Spencer of Fort Rouge, also by a 7-3 score.

Derna Hintz of Fort Rouge captured the women’s Consolation event and $750 with a 5-3 win over Patti Burtnyk of Assiniboine Memorial.

---

<November 16, 2009>

The return to the Manitoba Curling Tour of the COURTESY FREIGHT NORTHERN ONTARIO SUPERSPIEL in Thunder Bay offered two incentives to local teams, a berth in the Northern Ontario men’s playdown this season, plus eligibility for the MCT Championships in Brandon (Dec.18-20th) to the winner.

The winning foursome was skipped by Art Lappalainen (lappa-LIE-nen) of Thunder Bay, along with Ron Rosengren, Rob Sinclair, and Gary Manaula, who also earned $5,000 for a 5-3 final victory (Monday) over Mike Pozihun of Thunder Bay.  The Pozihun team received $3,000 in runner-up cash.

The losing semi-finalists Chris Briand and Bryan Burgess picked up $1,800 apiece, and Dylan Johnston, Brian Adams, Jr., Scott Henderson, and Mike Assad each earned $1,200 for reaching the quarter-finals.  All eight qualifiers in the 24-team field have Thunder Bay affiliation.

In another MCT event, Brendan Taylor’s West Kildonan team, with Kyle Werenich, Taren Gesell, and Cory Naharnie, won the PHARMASAVE GIMLI CLASSIC and $5,200.  Taylor defeated Reid Carruthers of West St. Paul 6-4 in Sunday’s final.  Second place money of $2,800 boosted Carruthers to the top of the MCT money standings, with a total of $19,550.

The Deer Lodge teams of Alex Forrest and Peter Nicholls received $2,000 each as losing semi-finalists; David Kraichy of Pembina and Sean Grassie of Deer Lodge won $1,000 apiece as losing quarter-finalists, and Andrew Wickman of West Kildonan received $500 as the Consolation winner.

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<November 15, 2009>

Brendan Taylor’s team from West Kildonan won three straight games on Sunday, capturing the PHARMASAVE GIMLI CLASSIC and $5,200, by topping Reid Carruthers of West St. Paul 6-4 in the final (Nov.15th).

With support from Kyle Werenich, Taren Gesell and Cory Naharnie, Taylor defeated David Kraichy of Pembina and Alex Forrest of Deer Lodge to reach the final.  Earlier this season, Taylor spared for Brandon’s Allan Lyburn, and skipped his team to a runner-up finish in the KING SPUD CLASSIC on the tour in Carberry.

Carruthers, whose former team now skipped by Jason Gunnlaugson won a berth in the Olympic Trials on the weekend, earned $2,800 in second place cash in Gimli, and vaulted into first place in MCT earnings with a total of $19,550.

Losing semi-finalists Peter Nicholls and Forrest, both of Deer Lodge, received $2,000 apiece.  Sean Grassie of Deer Lodge and Kraichy each earned $1,000 for reaching the quarter-finals, and Andrew Wickman of West Kildonan won the Consolation event and $500 (19 teams–6 qualifiers).

A second tour event this weekend, the COURTESY FREIGHT NORTHERN ONTARIO SUPERSPIEL in Thunder Bay, will move into the playoffs tomorrow (Monday) at the Port Arthur Curling Club.  All eight qualifiers are from Thunder Bay — Dylan Johnston, Chris Briand, Brian Adams, Jr., Scott Henderson, Mike Assad, Mike Pozihun, Bryan Burgess and Al Lappalainen.

---

<November 9, 2009>

Kevin Martin’s Edmonton team invaded Swan River in continuing preparations for its challenge in the Canadian Olympic Trials, and made it worthwhile with a $10,000 pick-up in winning the 12th edition of the WHITES’ DRUG STORE CLASSIC on the Manitoba Curling Tour.

The Martin foursome, with John Morris, Marc Kennedy, and Ben Hebert, had a 7-and-1 record in the Whites, including a 3-1 victory over Randy Bryden of Saskatoon in the quarter-finals, a 7-1 romp over Terry McNamee of Hamiota in the semis, and a 6-3 win over Dave Boehmer of Petersfield in the final.  A game-breaking four points for Martin in the third end put it out of reach for Boehmer, who accepted runner-up cash of $8,000.

Reid Carruthers of West St. Paul and McNamee earned $5,000 each as losing semi-finalists, while William Lyburn of Brandon (who scored the only win over Martin in Swan River), David Bohn of Assiniboine Memorial, Brent Scales of Swan River, and Bryden, received $3,500 apiece by qualifying for the quarter-final playoffs (18 teams — 8 qualifiers).

Earlier on the weekend, Randy Neufeld’s team from La Salle, with Cory Anderson, Birk Cramer, and Scott Podolsky, won the 9TH KEN KURBIS MEMORIAL GALAXY BONSPIEL at Rossmere Country club in Winnipeg, earning $2,000 for a closing 5-4 win over Kaileigh Strath of Winkler in the final.

Next up are two events on the tour, the COURTESY FREIGHT NORTHERN ONTARIO SUPERSPIEL at Thunder Bay (24 teams), and the PHARMASAVE GIMLI CLASSIC in Gimli (both November 13th-16th).  The Gimli spiel has 19 teams and still has openings for any late-comers; contact Phyllis Zaborosky at (204) 642-6670 or [email protected] by e-mail.

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<November 8, 2009>

Randy Neufeld of La Salle has placed his name on the KEN KURBIS MEMORIAL GALAXY BONSPIEL winner’s trophy for a third time.

Neufeld skipped his team of Cory Anderson, Birk Cramer, and Scott Podolsky to five straight victories in earning a top prize of $2,000 at the Rossmere Country Club in Winnipeg.  Neufeld defeated the Kaileigh Strath foursome from Winkler 5-4 in Sunday’s final of the open bonspiel that had three women’s teams.  To add another sidelight, the Strath team had Neufeld’s daughter Sabrina playing third.

The Strath quartet earned runner-up cash of $1,200, and losing semi-finalists Michael Johnson of Assiniboine Memorial and Kelly Marnoch of Carberry $700 apiece.  Trevor Buchanan of Argyle picked up $600 by qualifying for the quarter-final, and Andrew Irving won the Consolation event and $400.

Neufeld won the inaugural Kurbis bonspiel playing third for Bill Kuran in 2001, and skipped a team that included his present front end of Cramer and Podolsky to the 2005 title.

Meanwhile … the quarter-finals are under way tonight in the WHITES’ DRUG STORE CLASSIC in Swan River.  The match-ups have William Lyburn of Brandon meeting Terry McNamee of Hamiota, Kevin Martin of Edmonton versus Randy Bryden of Saskatoon, David Bohn of Assiniboine Memorial facing Dave Boehmer of Petersfield, and Reid Carruthers of West St. Paul challenging the Swan River home town team of Brent Scales.

In the “C” event qualifying games, McNamee beat Clint Dieno of Saskatoon 7-4, Bryden eliminated Allan Lyburn (last year’s winner) of Brandon 5-4, Boehmer went to an extra end for a 6-4 win over Travis Graham of Thompson, and Carruthers bounced Murray Woodward of Ste. Anne 6-4.

---

<November 7, 2009>

Moving into Sunday (Nov.8th), playoff qualifiers have started to emerge in two events on the Manitoba Curling Tour.

In the WHITES’ DRUG STORE CLASSIC in Swan River, the teams of William Lyburn of Brandon and David Bohn of Assiniboine Memorial earned the “A” event qualifying positions.

The two “B” event qualifiers will come from Sunday’s 1:30 draw in Swan River, when Edmonton’s Kevin Martin meets Reid Carruthers of West St. Paul, and Terry McNamee (MACK-na-mee) of Brandon faces Brent Scales of Swan River.

In the KEN KURBIS MEMORIAL GALAXY BONSPIEL at Winnipeg’s Rossmere Country Club, the five playoff teams have been determined.  Trevor Buchanan of Argyle will meet Kelly Marnoch’s Carberry team in the 9:30 morning quarter-final.  The winner advances against Kaileigh (Kay-lee) Strath of Winkler, while Randy Neufeld of La Salle meets Michael Johnson of Assiniboine Memorial in 1 o’clock semi-finals.

The Kurbis final is scheduled for 4:30 at Rossmere.

---

<November 5, 2009>

Action resumes on the Manitoba Curling Tour this week with two events, the WHITES’ DRUG STORE CLASSIC in Swan River, and the KEN KURBIS MEMORIAL GALAXY BONSPIEL at Winnipeg’s Rossmere Country Club.

In both cases, the size of the entry is below expectations.  The 12th edition of the WHITES has attracted only 18 teams to what used to be one of the more popular cashspiels on the tour.  The Galaxy dates back even longer, but only 16 teams will be in the field at Rossmere.

Edmonton’s Kevin Martin is the top seed in Swan River, as his team continues preparations for the Olympic Trials in December.  Defending champion Allan Lyburn and Terry McNamee of Brandon head up the Manitoba notables, along with Reid Carruthers, Vic Peters, David Bohn, and Brent Scales.  Peters is fresh off his victory in the Gunnlaugson Senior Spiel at Thistle, but will have his men’s team with son Daley Peters throwing fourth stone in Swan River.

At Rossmere, Rob Cosens of West St. Paul will try for a repeat, with a challenge expected from Randy Neufeld of La Salle and Brad Haight of West Kildonan.  The Galaxy is an open cashspiel, and the women’s teams of Karen Rosser, Kaileigh Strath, and Derna Hintz will be challenging their male counterparts.

The Galaxy starts with a 7 p.m. draw on Thursday (Nov.5th), while the Whites will go to the hacks for the first draw at 1:30 p.m. Friday (Nov.5th).

---

<November 1, 2009>

Joyce McDougall of Brandon and Vic Peters of the Granite skipped their teams to victory in the 21st edition of the LLOYD GUNNLAUGSON MEMORIAL SENIOR BONSPIEL at the Thistle Curling Club in Winnipeg (Sunday).

With the addition of Bev Atkins at third, and her holdover front end of Pam Horn and Lynn Locke, McDougall was unbeaten in five games in the Gunnlaugson, topping Deb McCreanor of Fort Garry 6-3 in the women’s final to earn a top prize of $1,100.

Peters activated former Manitoba champion Mark Olson to play third, and with Chris Neufeld and Charlie Salina at second and lead, came out of the “B” side of the draw, winning six straight games including an 8-3 victory over Clare De Blonde of Fort Rouge in the men’s division final.  The Peters quartet earned a $2,800 first prize.

Linda Van Daele of Brandon and Deb Collyer of Killarney lost in the women’s semi-finals, while Keith McLeod of Springfield and Jamie Hay of the Granite reached the men’s semi-finals.  Chris Scalena of Fort Garry and Henry Klassen of Winkler won the women’s and men’s Consolation events.

Regular curling action resumes on the Manitoba tour later this week with the WHITES’ DRUG STORE CLASSIC in Swan River and the KEN KURBIS MEMORIAL GALAXY BONSPIEL at Rossmere in Winnipeg.

---

<October 27, 2009>

The 21st edition of the LLOYD GUNNLAUGSON MEMORIAL SENIOR BONSPIEL will start at the Thistle Curling Club in Winnipeg (tomorrow) on Wednesday night, with opening draws at 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.

The bonspiel has a field of 28 men’s teams and 10 in the women’s division, and will continue with draws on Thursday night at 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., followed by five draws each all day Friday and Saturday, and the playoffs on Sunday.

Former winners Lois Fowler of Brandon, who also won the Mondetta provincial senior women’s title last season, Jean Garbolinsky of Minnedosa, Joyce McDougall and Linda Van Daele of Brandon, and Chris Scalena of Fort Garry are favorites in the women’s division.  Last year’s Gunnlaugson champion, Rita VandeVyvere of Heather, will team up with Elaine Owen for this season’s edition.

Brian Fowler of Brandon will defend the men’s title in the double knockout plus playoff format.  Chief opposition is expected to come from the Granite’s Vic Peters, who has a new senior team, plus former provincial senior champions Clare De Blonde of Fort Rouge, Lionel Walz of Pembina, and Carl German of East St. Paul.

The Gunnlaugson spiel and Brandon’s Neil Andrews Legends Classic form the first two legs of the Manitoba Senior Tour in advance of the men’s McDiarmid Lumber and the Mondetta senior women’s berth spiels in November.

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<October 26, 2009>

Kerry Burtnyk and his Assiniboine Memorial team shifted gears in preparation for the Olympic Pre-Trials in two weeks time, winning the MEYERS NORRIS PENNY PRAIRIE CLASSIC in Portage on Monday.

“This definitely will give us momentum as we try to peak in the Pre-Trials in Prince George,” said Burtnyk, after a 4-2 victory over Jason Gunnlaugson of Beausejour in the Portage final.  Burtnyk and his team of Don Walchuk, Richard Daneault, and Garth Smith earned $18,000, while Gunnlaugson, who also has a berth in Prince George, accepted the runner-up cash of $10,000.

Dave Elias of West Kildonan recorded a major upset in knocking off Wayne Middaugh of Toronto 8-2 in the quarter-finals, but had to settle for a $6,000 prize in losing 7-5 to Burtnyk in the semi-finals.  Two down playing the 7th end, Burtnyk struck for four points to pave the way to his team’s victory.

Gunnlaugson won the other semi-final 7-4 over Jeff Stoughton of Charleswood, who also earned $6,000.  The losing quarter-finalists, Reid Carruthers of West St. Paul, Allan Lyburn of Brandon, Robert Desjardins of Saguenay, Quebec, and Middaugh, received $4,000 apiece.

Four teams, skipped by Peter Nicholls of Deer Lodge, Pete Fenson of Bemidji, Minnesota, Don Spriggs of Portage, and Glen Muirhead of Perth, Scotland, each earned $500 in losing “C” event qualifying games.

The other champion declared Monday was Kelly Scott of Kelowna, who topped Jennifer Jones of St. Vital 5-4 in the final, winning the MANITOBA LOTTERIES WOMEN’S CLASSIC at Winnipeg’s Fort Rouge club.  Scott and her team of Jeanna Schraeder, Sasha Carter, and Jacquie Armstrong, won seven straight games and a top prize of $15,400.  Jones had won six in a row before the final, earning $10,400.

Krista McCarville of Thunder Bay dropped a 7-5 decision to Jones in the semi-finals, while Heather Nedohin of Edmonton gave up an extra end steal in losing 6-5 to Scott.  McCarville picked up $6,500 and Nedohin $6,400, including $100 pay per victory in the round robin.

Losing quarter-finalists Barb Spencer of Fort Rouge, Marie Larouche of Quebec City, Cheryl Bernard of Calgary, and Amber Holland of Kronau, Saskatchewan, all received $4,200.

---

<October 25, 2009>

Four Manitoba teams advanced to the playoffs in the MEYERS NORRIS PENNY PRAIRIE CLASSIC in Portage (Sunday night), by winning qualifying matches in the “C” event of the MCT cashspiel.

Jeff Stoughton of Charleswood, Jason Gunnlaugson of Beausejour, Dave Elias of West Kildonan, and Reid Carruthers of West St. Paul won the key games to join “A” qualifiers Robert Desjardins of Saguenay, Quebec, and Wayne Middaugh of Toronto, and “B” qualifiers Kerry Burtnyk of Assiniboine Memorial and Allan Lyburn of Brandon.

Stoughton defeated Peter Nicholls of Deer Lodge 7-4, Gunnlaugson was an 8-3 winner over Pete Fenson of Bemidji, Minnesota, Elias downed Portage mainstay Don Spriggs 5-3, and Carruthers won a 4-3 squeeker over Glen Muirhead of Perth, Scotland, to reach the playoffs.

The Monday 10:00 a.m. quarter-finals will have Stoughton against Desjardins, Gunnlaugson facing Lyburn, Elias meeting Middaugh, and Burtnyk versus Carruthers.  Semi-finals will be held at 2:00 p.m., and the final at 6 p.m. (Monday) in Portage.

In the MANITOBA LOTTERIES WOMEN’S CLASSIC at Winnipeg’s Fort Rouge Curling Club, home clubber Barb Spencer won her “C” event qualifying match to join Jennifer Jones of St. Vital as local teams in the quarter-finals Monday (10:00 a.m.) morning.  Others reaching the playoffs out of “C” event were Marie Larouche of Quebec City, Heather Nedohin of Edmonton, and Amber Holland of Kronau (CROW-naw) Saskatchewan.

Spencer beat Mirjam (MEER-yam) Ott of Switzerland 6-3, Larouche defeated Lisa Blixhavn (BLIX-hay-vun) of Brandon 6-4, Holland whipped Janet Harvey of Assiniboine Memorial 10-3, and Nedohin (NED-a-win) bounced Karen Porritt of Wildewood 6-4 in the last qualifying matches.

The Monday quarter-finals (also at 10:00 a.m.) will have Kelly Scott against Holland, Nedohin meeting Cheryl Bernard of Calgary, Janes facing Larouche, and Spencer versus Krista McCarville of Thunder Bay.

Monday afternoon semi-finals at Fort Rouge go at 1:30 p.m. and the final will follow at 5 o’clock.

---

<October 18, 2009>

One of the leading curlers in Westman won his first MCT title of the season in capturing the men’s division of the KING SPUD CLASSIC in Carberry on Sunday (Oct.18th).

Now curling out of Hamiota, Terry McNamee guided his team of Steve Irwin, Allan Lawn, and Travis Saban to a $2,500 prize, beating Brendan Taylor of Brandon 7-4 in the final.  Taylor earned $1,750, skipping a team with Scott Ramsay, Mark and Trevor Taylor.

Alex Forrest of Deer Lodge and Don Spriggs of Portage received $1,250 apiece as losing semi-finalists in the 16-team men’s division, while Rob Van Kommer of Carberry, Greg Todoruk of Dauphin, Blair Goethals of Deloraine, and Rob Fleming of Morden each went home with $750 by qualifying for the quarter-finals.

In the women’s division, Kaileigh Strath of Winkler knocked off defending champion Lisa Blixhavn of Brandon 5-3 in the final.  Strath had support from Sabrina Neufeld, Karen Hodgson and Brenna Philp in earning $1,200, while Blixhavn received $800 for her runner-up finish.  Lois Fowler of Brandon and Liza Park of Deloraine received $500 apiece for reaching the semi-finals in the 10-team women’s section.

In the other MCT weekend event, two members of the youth brigade in Manitoba women’s curling met in the final of the SUNOVA WOMEN’S CLASSIC in Beausejour.  Alyssa Vandepoele of Ste. Anne, with Selena Kaatz throwing fourth stone, and a front end of Kristin MacCuish and Lindsay Baldock, followed up on two junior victories this season by scoring a tight 3-2 decision over Kelsey Boettcher of West St. Paul in the final.

Earlier, Kaatz made a superb double raise to the button with last rock on the 8th end to beat reigning Manitoba women’s champion Barb Spencer of Fort Rouge 6-5 to qualify for the playoffs.  Vandepoele was a 5-2 winner over Tracy Konzelman of Elmwood in the semi-finals, while  Boettcher sidelined Michelle Montford of Assiniboien Memorial 6-5.

The prize money in the 12-team event in Beausejour was divided with $2,000 to Vandepoele, $1,000 to Boettcher, and $750 apiece to the teams of Konzelman and Montford.

Next up this week are two events with the largest purses on the tour, the $60,000 MANITOBA LOTTERIES WOMEN’S CLASSIC at Fort Rouge, and the men’s MEYERS NORRIS PENNY PRAIRIE CLASSIC in Portage, worth $58,000.

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<October 13, 2009>

Organizers of the SUNOVA CLASSIC in Beausejour (October 15th-18th) regret to announce the cancellation this year of the men’s division due to lack of entries.

The women’s division will be conducted with 12 teams using a triple knockout format, with an adjustment in the prize money.  The draw will be ready by Wednesday (Oct.14th).  For more information contact Doug May by e-mail at – [email protected] or phone (204) 268-4612.

The other MCT event this coming weekend is the KING SPUD CLASSIC in Carberry, starting on Thursday (Oct.15th) at 6:30 p.m., with 16 men’s teams and 10 in the women’s division.

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<October 12, 2009>

A busy Thanksgiving weekend on the Manitoba Curling Tour concluded on Monday in three locales.

Jeff Stoughton’s team from Charleswood, prepping for the Olympic Pre-Trials in Prince George, won the MANITOBA LOTTERIES MEN’S CLASSIC at the Brandon Curling Club.  With Kevin Park, Rob Fowler and Steve Gould, Stoughton completed an unbeaten string of six straight victories in beating David Bohn of Assiniboine Memorial 5-2 in the final, earning $9,000.  Bohn’s foursome received $6,000.

Losing semi-finalists Terry McNamee of Brandon and Shawn Joyce of Saskatoon earned $4,000 apiece, while quarter-finalists Brent Scales of Swan River, Jason Gunnlaugson of Beausejour, Reid Carruthers of West Kildonan, and Peter Nicholls of Deer Lodge each went home with $2,750.

Janet Harvey’s team from Assiniboine Memorial repeated as the champion of the ATKINS CURLING SUPPLIES CHARITY CLASSIC, topping Kaileigh Strath of Winkler 5-4 in an extra end final at Charleswood.  With Cherie-Ann Loder, Kristin Loder and Carey Kirby, Harvey earned $4,000, while Strath’s foursome settled for $2,200.

Karen Rosser’s team from Springfield, skipped by Sam Owen in Rosser’s absence due to a leg injury, and Jill Thurston of Deer Lodge picked up $1,200 apiece for reaching the semi-finals.  The losing quarter-finalists were Amy Wright of Duluth, Minnesota, Kristy Jenion of Assiniboine Memorial, Lisa Blixhavn of Brandon, and Kim Link of East St. Paul, each receiving $750.

Dave Elias of West Kildonan won the weekend’s third event, the NOTT AUTOCORP THANKSGIVING CHARITY OPEN at the Thistle club, nipping David Kraichy of Pembina 5-4 in the final.  Elias, with support from Bill Kuran throwing fourth stone, plus Hub Perrin and Chris Suchy, earned $2,300 plus eligibility as a winner for the MCT Championships in Brandon in December.

Kraichy received $1,200, losing semi-finalists David Hamblin of Morris and Bob Sigurdson of the Granite $750 each, while Scott Madams of Springfield and Randy Dutiaume of West Kildonan earned $500 each by qualifying for the quarter-finals.

Next up on the MCT are the KING SPUD CLASSIC in Carberry and the SUNOVA CLASSIC in Beausejour, to be held next weekend (Oct.15-18th).

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<October 11, 2009>

On the Manitoba Curling Tour, the playoff teams are set in the Manitoba Lotteries Men’s Classic at the Brandon Curling Club.

Reid Carruthers, Brent Scales, Shawn Joyce, and David Bohn won the last four qualifying positions in the “C” event.  They will advance to tomorrow’s 9 a.m. quarter-finals, Carruthers meeting Terry McNamee, Scales against Jeff Stoughton, Joyce facing Peter Nicholls, and Bohn to play Jason Gunnlaugson.

In the Nott Autocorp Thanksgiving Charity Classic at Winnipeg’s Thistle club, Bob Sigurdson, Dave Elias, David Kraichy, Randy Dutiaume, and David Hamblin have qualified for tomorrow’s playoffs.  Scott Madams and Sean Grassie are meeting in a tiebreaker tonight for the last of six berths.

Seven teams have qualified for tomorrow’s playoffs in the Atkins Curling Supplies Charity Classic at Charleswood.  Amy Wright, Kristy Jenion, Kim Link, Lisa Blixhavn, Janet Harvey, Kaileigh Strath and Karen Rosser are into the quarter-finals.  Jill Thurston is meeting Jenna Loder in a tiebreaker tonight for one remaining playoff spot.

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<October 5, 2009>

Following up on the Dekalb SuperSpiel last March, the Manitoba Curling Tour resumed with the McMILLAN INSURANCE CLASSIC that concluded with Monday night (Oct.5th) finals at the Selkirk and District Curling Club.

Kerri Flett of Selkirk won the women’s division and a top prize of $4,500, skipping her team (Janice Blair, Susan Baleja, and Alison Harvey) to a 5-3 victory over Janet Harvey of Fort Rouge in the final.  Harvey (with Cheri-Ann Loder, Kristin Loder, and Carey Kirby) settled for runner-up cash
of $3,000.

David Bohn of Assiniboine Memorial (with Dennis Bohn, Kody Janzen, and Larry Solomon) won the men’s title, also pocketing $4,500, for a final
7-1 win over Reid Carruthers of West Kildonan.  The runner-up spot was worth $3,000 to Carruthers (and Chris Galbraith, Derek Samagalski, and Shane Kilgallen).

The teams of Holly Scott, Barb Spencer, Dave Elias and Brad Haight earned $1,250 apiece for reaching the semi-finals.

The MCT resumes with three Thanksgiving weekend events starting on Friday, the Manitoba Lotteries Men’s Classic at the Brandon Curling Club (first draw at 6:00 p.m.), the Nott Autocorp Thanksgiving Charity Open at Winnipeg’s Thistle Curling Club (first draw at 6:30 p.m.), and the women’s Atkins Curling Supplies Charity Classic (first draw 3:00 p.m.) at the Charleswood Curling Club.

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<October 4, 2009>

The finalists are set in the McMILLIAN INSURANCE CLASSIC at the Selkirk and District Curling Club.

Janet Harvey, Kerri Flett, Reid Carruthers and David Bohn have skipped their teams into the McMillan finals, to be played at 6:30 p.m. on Monday (Oct.5th).

Harvey defeated Holly Scott 6-4, while Flett beat reigning Manitoba champion Barb Spencer 6-5 in the women’s semi-finals.  Carruthers was a 3-2 winner over Dave Elias, and Bohn subdued Brad Haight 4-3 in the men’s semis (all held on Sunday’s 4 p.m. draw).

The semi-final losers in both divisions earned $1,250 apiece.  The cash prizes for the finalists will be $4,500 for the winners, and $3,000 to each of the runner-up teams.

The Manitoba tour continues on the Thanksgiving weekend with three events, the Manitoba Lotteries Men’s Classic at the Brandon Curling Club, the Nott Autocorp Thanksgiving Charity Open at Winnipeg’s Thistle Curling Club, and the women’s Atkins Curling Supplies Charity Classic at the Charleswood Curling Club.

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<September 29, 2009>

The Manitoba Curling Tour swings back into action this week with the McMillan Insurance Classic, starting on Thursday (Oct.1st) with draws at 6:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. at the Selkirk and District Curling Club.

Two 16-team divisions, men’s and women’s, are set to go with a prize purse of $10,000 and a first prize of $4,500 in each section.  The Selkirk event will continue all weekend, with finals on Monday night.

Reigning Manitoba champions Jeff Stoughton and Barb Spencer head the respective fields, but will be facing some top flight opposition. The men’s winner in Selkirk last year, Peter Nicholls, will be back to defend, and Vic Peters, who captured the inaugural Dekalb SuperSpiel in Morris last March, will be trying for two straight MCT victories.

Other expected challenges could come from the teams of Jason Gunnlaugson, Randy Dutiaume, Reid Carruthers and Sean Grassie.

Spencer will be facing last season’s MCT champion Chelsea Carey, plus former Manitoba champions Janet Harvey, Jill Thurston, and Karen Rosser, and 2003 provincial junior champion Jackie Komyshyn.

Selkirk products Shauna Streich and Kerri Flett will be drawing local support, and so will 2009 Manitoba Mixed champion Dave Boehmer, who hails from nearby Petersfield.

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<Sept. 21, 2009>

The Manitoba Curling Tour is set to continue its 19th season, offering cash purses totalling $469,625 in 17 events.  In addition, two cashspiels to be held after the MCT Championships, will be worth $59,600 as the starting events for the 20th season in 2010-11.

The initial event for 2009-10, the DEKALB SuperSpiel, was staged last March in Morris, when the teams of Vic Peters of Fort Garry and Calgary’s Crystal Webster won first prizes and qualified for this season’s MCT Championships at the Wheat City Curling Club December 18th-20th in Brandon.  Tour action now resumes with the McMillan Insurance Classic in Selkirk October 1st-5th.

The tour continues with Canad Inns as a major sponsor, associate sponsors in Labatt Breweries Manitoba and Asham Curling Supplies for the MCT Championships, and a website (www.mancurltour.ca) under the guidance of Lori Pelissier.

The tour welcomes back the Courtesy Freight Northern Ontario Superspiel in Thunder Bay November 13th-16th, with continuing events in Selkirk, Thistle (two), Brandon, Charleswood, Beausejour, Carberry, Fort Rouge (two), Portage, Rossmere, Swan River, Gimli, Stonewall, Dauphin, and Morris.  The winners of the Coors Light Christmas Open at Fort Rouge, December 26th-30th, and the second annual DEKALB SuperSpiel in Morris, March 11th-15th, 2010, will qualify for the 2010-11 Manitoba Curling Tour Championships.

The largest purses on the MCT are offered on the same weekend, October 23rd-26th, in the $60,000 Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Classic at Fort Rouge, and the $58,000 Meyers Norris Penny Prairie Classic for men in Portage.

The MCT Championships, won last season by the teams of Mike McEwen of Assiniboine Memorial and Morden’s Chelsea Carey, will be held for the first time in Brandon.  The men’s champion, or the highest ranking eligible team in the men’s division, will earn a provincial berth in the 2010 Safeway Championship in Steinbach in February.

Both defending champions have committed to playing in this season’s MCT Championships.  McEwen’s team  is in Oslo, Norway, to open its season this week (September 24th) in the Radisson SAS Oslo Cup.  Carey’s foursome will start in the Schmirler Classic in Regina (September 25th-28th), followed by the McMillan Classic in Selkirk.

At last report the McMillan Classic still has one position to fill in the 16-team men’s division (the women’s field is complete), and the Atkins Curling Supplies Classic October 9th-12th for women at Charleswood has two openings.

The complete 2009-10 MCT Schedule is as follows:

Oct.1-5         McMillan Insurance Classic – Selkirk
Oct.8-12        Nott Autocorp Charity Open – Thistle
Oct.9-12        Manitoba Lotteries Men’s Classic – Brandon
Oct.9-12        Atkins Curling Supplies Classic – Charleswood
Oct.15-18       Sunova Men’s & Women’s Classic – Beausejour
Oct.15-18       Carberry King Spud Classic – Carberry
Oct.23-26       Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Classic – Fort Rouge
Oct.23-26       Meyers Norris Penny Classic – Portage
Nov.5-8         Ken Kurbis Memorial Galaxy Bonspiel — Rossmere
Nov.6-9         Whites’ Drug Store Classic – Swan River
Nov.13-16       Pharmasave Gimli Classic – Gimli
Nov.13-16       Courtesy Freight Superspiel – Thunder Bay
Nov.19-23       Interlake Pharmacy Classic – Stonewall
Dec.4-7         Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy Spiel – Dauphin
Dec.10-13       Thistle Integrity Stakes – Thistle

Dec.18-20       MCT Championships – Brandon Wheat City

Dec.26-30       Coors Light Christmas Open – Fort Rouge
March 11-15/10  DEKALB SuperSpiel – Morris

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<Sept 2, 2009>

The Manitoba Curling Tour will launch its 19th season with the now- traditional opening event, the McMillan Insurance Classic, at the Selkirk and District Curling Club October 1st to 5th, 2009.  The women’s division of the Selkirk event has been full (16 teams) since June, and the men’s field also is expected to have a complete 16-team entry.

The tour welcomes back the Courtesy Freight Northern Ontario Superspiel at Thunder Bay, November 13th-16th to make a total of 18 events, concluding with the DEKALB SuperSpiel March 11th-15th, 2010, in Morris.

The Thanksgiving weekend, October 9th-12th, is the busiest on the MCT schedule with three events, the Manitoba Lotteries Men’s Cash Bonspiel at the Brandon Curling Club, plus the Nott Autocorp Thanksgiving Charity Open at Thistle, and the women’s Atkins Curling Supplies Charity Classic at the Charleswood club in Winnipeg.

Note these title changes at the Fort Rouge club — the former Casinos of Winnipeg Women’s Classic now will be called the Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Curling Classic to be held October 23rd-26th, and the annual holiday bonspiel has a new sponsor and a reduced entry fee, becoming the Coors Light Christmas Open from December 26th-30th.

The notable date changes are for the Ken Kurbis Memorial Galaxy Bonspiel at Rossmere, to be shifted a week later to November 5th-8th to avoid a conflict with the MCA Safeway Southern Berth Bonspiel at East St.
Paul.  And, this season’s Manitoba Curling Tour Championships will be held two weeks earlier, December 18th-20th, at the Wheat City Curling Club in Brandon.

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<June 7, 2009>

The Manitoba Curling Tour has a tentative schedule for next season, with one event (Dauphin) still to firm up its dates. Application has been made by the Courtesy Freight Classic in Thunder Bay to rejoin the tour after a three-year absence, and the Ken Kurbis Memorial Galaxy spiel at Rossmere will be held one week later to avoid conflict with the MCA Southern Berth Bonspiel at East St. Paul.

The MCT Championships will be held this season at the Wheat City Curling Club (December 18th-20th) in Brandon, and the results of two events after that (Fort Rouge and Morris) will be included in the 2010-11 schedule:

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<March 29, 2009>

2nd Annual   March 18 – 22, 2010

Join us for the second annual DEKALB SuperSpiel in Morris, Manitoba.  This event is a WCT event and is included in the 2010-11 MCT season.  This event will also contribute towards CTRS points.  Entries will open on June 2, 2009.  Entries will require a $100 deposit to hold the spot with the balance due January 15, 2010.  We will accept the first 24 men’s teams and the first 16 women’s teams.

The teams of Vic Peters of Fort Garry and Calgary’s Crystal Webster were the winners as the Manitoba Curling Tour made a unique spring launch of the 2009-2010 curling season on the MCT.

With his son Daley at fourth stone, Kyle Werenich at second, and Cory Naharnie at lead, Peters played third and won the men’s division of the DEKALB SUPERSPIEL in Morris, beating Randy Dutiaume of West Kildonan 5-3 in the playoff final Monday, earning a top prize of $8,000.

Webster was supported by Desiree Owen, Samantha Preston, and Stephanie Malekoff, in capturing the women’s division in Morris.  Webster earned $5,250, topping Eve Delisle of Quebec City 6-4 in the final.

Dutiaume’s team earned $4,500, while the losing men’s semi-finalists Jason Gunnlaugson of Beausejour and Chris Schille of Calgary (who had Pat Simmons of Moose Jaw skipping) picked up $3,000 apiece.  Sam Good of Pembina, Jim Coleman of Deer Lodge, David Hamblin of Morris, and Reid Carruthers of West Kildonan each received $2,000 for reaching the men’s quarter-finals (16 teams-8 qualifiers).

Belisle’s foursome took home $3,000 as the women’s runner-up, Chelsea Carey of Morden and Heather Rankin of Calgary earned $2,000 apiece, while Karen Porritt and Barb Spencer both of Fort Rouge were $1,600 winners by qualifying for the quarter-finals (12 teams-6 qualifiers).

<March 22, 2009>

The playoffs in the DEKALB SUPERSPIEL, the first event on the Manitoba Curling Tour for 2009-2010, opened last night (Sunday) with quarter-finals in both the men’s and women’s divisions in Morris.

Advancing to today’s (Monday) 12 noon semi-finals in the men’s bracket were the Winnipeg teams of Randy Dutiaume, Vic Peters, and Jason Gunnlaugson, plus Chris Schille’s foursome from Calgary.  In the womens, Heather Rankin of Calgary and the reigning MCT champion Chelsea Carey from Morden won their first playoff matches.

Dutiaume beat Jim Coleman 5-3, Peters nipped Sam Good 4-3, Gunnlaugson was a 4-2 winner over David Hamblin, while Schille needed an extra end to sideline Reid Carruthers 7-6 in Sunday evening games.

Rankin rolled over Manitoba Scotties champion Barb Spencer 7-2, and Carey bounced Karen Porritt 9-3 in the women’s divisin.

The losing men’s teams in the first playoff round earned $2,000 apiece, while the quarter-final losers in the women’s category picked up $1,600 each.

Monday’s semi-final match-ups have Dutiaume meeting Schille, and Peters against Gunnlaugson in men’s play, and Rankin facing Eve Belisle of Quebec and Carey meeting Crystal Webster of Calgary in the women’s.  Both finals will follow at 3 o’clock at the Morris Curling Club.

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<March 18, 2009>

The first event on the 2009-2010 schedule of the Manitoba Curling Tour is set for this week in Morris.  The DEKALB SuperSpiel will be the initial spring cashspiel held on the tour, raising the curtain on the MCT’s 19th season, Thursday to Monday (March 19th-23rd).

A field of 28 teams, 16 in the men’s division and 12 in the women’s, will put a set of new curling stones to the test at the six-sheet Morris Curling Club in a triple knockout format.

The featured foursome in the men’s division is the national team of China, skipped by Fengchun Wang, the fourth place finisher in the 2008 Ford Men’s World Championship in Grand Forks, North Dakota.  The Chinese team is preparing for this year’s World Championships in Moncton next month.  It chalked up the only victory over Canada’s Kevin Martin in round robin play in Grand Forks a year ago.

Another out-of-province invader in Morris is Chris Schille’s Alberta team, bolstered by Pat Simmons of Saskatchewan for this event. Local notables are Randy Dutiaume, Vic Peters, Reid Carruthers, Dave Boehmer, David Hamblin, Randy Neufeld, David Bohn and reigning Manitoba Junior champion Sam Good.

Joining the Good team in the field are others from junior ranks skipped by Mike Johnson and Jim Coleman, all with subsidized entries.  The 2008 provincial junior championship team of Kyle Peters has been re-united for the bonspiel.

The women’s division is headed by Manitoba Scotties champion Barb Spencer, MCT champion Chelsea Carey, Kristy Jenion, Janet Harvey, and Karen Porritt, plus Eve Belisle from Quebec, and the Alberta teams of Heather Rankin and Crystal Webster.

Thursday’s opening draw time is at 8:00 p.m., followed by Friday evening draws at 6:00 and 9:00 p.m., five draws on Saturday, four on Sunday, plus semi-finals and the final on Monday.

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<Jan 27, 2009>

Send-off receptions for the Manitoba Junior Championship teams of Kaitlyn Lawes and Sam Good were held at the Pembina and Stonewall clubs this past weekend, as they prepare to leave for the M & M Junior nationals.

The Lawes and Good foursomes will shoot for Canadian titles in Salmon Arm, B.C., from January 31st to February 8th.  With different personnel, Lawes won the Junior Women’s Championship last year in Sault Ste. Marie.  The last Manitoban to win the Canadian Junior Men’s Championship was David Hamblin in 2002.

The Manitoba Curling Tour was pleased to join the fund raising support for the two teams, making modest $100 donations to each to help to cover ancillary expenses for Lawes and Good.

The Lawes foursome played on the Manitoba tour this season, finishing in third place in the women’s division with earnings of $9,020. In the years to come, both Lawes and Good are expected to develop into outstanding contenders for top MCT honours.

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<Jan 21, 2009>

The directors of the Manitoba Curling Tour have announced that next season’s 19th edition of the MCT Championships will be held December 18th-20th at the Wheat City Curling Club in Brandon.

Sponsored by Labatt Breweries, Canad Inns, and Asham Curling Supplies, the 2008-09 championships were held this month in Morris, where Mike McEwen of Assiniboine-Memorial and Chelsea Carey of Morden won the men’s and women’s titles.  McEwen’s second straight MCT victory earned his team a berth in the Safeway provincials in Selkirk in February.

“We look forward to staging the MCT Championships for the first time in Brandon,” said Garry Poole, the Wheat City club manager.  “This event has attracted most of the top competitive teams in the province, including many notables from Western Manitoba.”

Allan Lawn of Hamiota won the MCT men’s crown twice, in 2001 and 2003, Allan Lyburn of Brandon won in 2000, Murray Warren of Deloraine in 2002, and Graham Freeman of Virden in 2006.  Brandon’s Lois Fowler won the women’s division three times, in 2001-03-06, Maureen Bonar was tops in 1999, and Liza Park’s Brandon foursome prevailed in 2005.

Prior to Morris, the MCT Championships were held in Selkirk, Dauphin, Ste. Anne-Steinbach, Valour Road-Wildewood, twice in Swan River, three times at Winnipeg’s Granite club, and eight times in the central location of the Portage Curling Club.

“A shift in the timing of the event was required for next season,” said MCT president Andy Stewart.  “We wanted to avoid curling on New Year’s Day, and we can’t conflict with the Safeway zone playdowns.”

The winner of the tour’s Shaw Fort Rouge Open, held during Christmas week, will have deferred eligibility to the 2010 MCT Championships.

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<Jan 14, 2009>

MCT TEAMS QUALIFY FOR SAFEWAY PROVINCIALS

Fourteen teams that competed in the Manitoba Curling Tour Championships in Morris (Jan.2nd-4th), have captured zone berths in the Safeway Provincial Championship in Selkirk (Feb.18th-22nd).

Winning rural zone titles were Daley Peters of Beausejour, Dave Boehmer of Petersfield, Chris Galbraith of Rosser, Ryan Hyde of Portage, Allan Lyburn of Brandon, Kelly Skinner of Hamiota, and Murray Woodward of Rorketon.

The seven Winnipeg berths went to Scott Madams of Pembina, Peter Nicholls of Deer Lodge, David Bohn of Assiniboine-Memorial, Bob Sigurdson of the Granite, and Reid Carruthers, Doug Riach, and Brendan Taylor, all of West Kildonan.

By winning the MCT Men’s Championship, Mike McEwen of Assiniboine-Memorial qualified for Selkirk.  Runner-up Terry McNamee of Brandon also by-passed the zone playdowns by winning the MCA Southern Berth Bonspiel in Carberry in November.

Jeff Stoughton of Charleswood, who curled in Morris, and Kerry Burtnyk of Assiniboine-Memorial, who was absent in Scotland (reaching the semi-finals of the Perth Masters event), earned their provincial berths as the Manitoba leader in Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS) points, and as the defending Manitoba champion respectively.

Many of the teams that curled in Morris will be back for the first event on the Manitoba tour for the 2009-10 season, the $50,000 DEKALB Super Spiel, March 19th-23rd.  This inaugural event will play on a triple knockout format, with fields of 24 men’s teams (8 qualifiers) and 16 women’s teams (6 qualifiers).

Click on Schedule in our index and scroll down to find the event and more information on the spiel in Morris, the first major cashspiel to be held in Manitoba in the month of March.

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<Jan 5, 2009>

Mike McEwen’s team from Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club became the first back-to-back winner of the MANITOBA CURLING TOUR CHAMPIONSHIPS in Morris tonight (Sunday).

McEwen has won 10 straight games without a loss in the crowning event of the Manitoba tour over two seasons.  With solid support from B.J. Neufeld, Matt Wozniak, and B.J.’s brother Dennis Neufeld, McEwen defeated Terry McNamee of Brandon 7-4 in the men’s division final.

The McEwen foursome earned $7,000 in prize money plus the MCT berth in the 2009 Manitoba Safeway Championship, to be held in Selkirk February 18th to 22nd.  McNamee’s team, with Steve Irwin, Travis Taylor and Travis Saban, had earned its berth in Selkirk by winning the MCA Southern Berth Bonspiel in Carberry in November.  They received the MCT runner=up cash of $4,000.

Brendan Taylor of West Kildonan and David Bohn of Assiniboine Memorial picked up $2,000 apiece for reaching the semi-finals, while Doug Riach and Reid Carruthers, both of West Kildonan, each earned $1,500 as losing quarter-finalists (24 teams-6 qualifiers).

Chelsea Carey’s Morden team, with Kari White, Kristen Foster, and Lindsay Titheridge, won the women’s division title in Morris, worth $4,000, by virtue of a 7-1 victory over Janet Harvey of Fort Rouge in the final.  Harvey received $2,000, and Kim Link of East St. Paul and Barb Spencer of Fort Rouge earned $1,000 apiece as semi-finalists (eight teams-four qualifiers).

This was the 18th MCT Championship (it started in 1991-92), and caps off the 2008-09 tour season.  The 2009-10 MCT season will have an early start, with the Dekalb Super Spiel scheduled for Morris from March 19th to 23rd.

Dec 31, 2008 Dec 30, 2008 Dec 29 ,2008 Dec 28, 2008 Dec 27, 2008 Dec 24, 2008 Dec 17, 2008 Dec 14, 2008 Dec 13, 2008 Dec 7, 2008 Dec 5, 2008 Dec 1, 2008 Nov 30, 2008 Nov 28, 2008 Nov24, 2008 Nov 23, 2008 Nov 16, 2008 Nov 15, 2008 Nov 15, 2008 Nov 10, 2008 Nov 9, 2008 Nov 8, 2008 Nov 3, 2008 Nov 2, 2008 Oct 27, 2008 Oct 26, 2008 Oct 24,2008 Oct 19, 2008 Oct 13, 2008 Oct 13, 2008 Oct 6, 2008 Oct 6, 2008

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Oct 1, 2008

Sept 18, 2008 Aug 15, 2008 Aug 13, 2008 July 16, 2008 July 8, 2008 June 6, 2008 May 26, 2008 Jan 6, 2008

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<Dec 31, 2008>

The 24-team men’s field for the MANITOBA CURLING CHAMPIONSHIPS in Morris this weekend (January 2nd-4th) now is complete.

Sean Grassie, the 2008 Canadian Mixed Curling champion, was the last skip to claim a berth.  His runner-up finish and $1,830 in prize money in the Shaw Digital Christmas Open at Fort Rouge boosted his West Kildonan team into a talented cast of players in Morris.

Defending champion Mike McEwen of Assiniboine-Memorial is the top seed, followed by the MCT earnings leader Jeff Stoughton of Charleswood, Allan Lyburn of Brandon, and Kelly Skinner of Hamiota.  Peter Nicholls of Deer Lodge, a three-time winner on the tour this season, and Joel Jordison of Moose Jaw, a notable Saskatchewan campaigner, are expected to be top contenders in pursuit of the $18,000 purse.

Fresh from his victory in the Shaw Open, Randy Dutiaume will be one of the challengers gunning for the $7,000 top prize and a berth in the Safeway provincials in Selkirk, which goes to the men’s champion or the highest finishing eligible team.  Terry McNamee of Brandon, Dave Boehmer of Petersfield, and Stoughton are three skips competing in Morris who have their positions clinched for the Safeway shoot-out in Selkirk.

Defending MCT champion Barb Spencer of Fort Rouge is the top seed in the eight-team women’s division in Morris.  Clubmates Janet Harvey and Kristy Jenion, Kim Link of East St. Paul, and Selkirk’s promising Kerri Flett are top rated in the double knockout format, with a top prize of $4,000 to the winner.

The opening round draws are as follows:

MEN’S DIVISION — FRIDAY, JANUARY 2nd, 9:00 A.M.
************************************************
Mike McEwen, Assiniboine-Memorial – Vic Peters, Fort Garry
Brad Haight, West Kildonan – Dave Boehmer, Petersfield
Reid Carruthers, West Kildonan – Murray Woodward, Rorketon
Terry McNamee, Brandon – Graham Freeman, Virden
Ryan Hyde, Portage – Peter Nicholls, Deer Lodge
Sean Grassie, West Kildonan – Kelly Skinner, Hamiota

FRIDAY, 11:30 A.M.
************************************************
Allan Lyburn, Brandon – Kyle Peters, Pembina
Joel Jordison, Moose Jaw – Doug Riach, West Kildonan
Randy Dutiaume, West Kildonan – David Bohn, Assiniboine-Memorial
Daley Peters, Beausejour – Bob Sigurdson, Granite
Ian Beavis, Morden – Brendan Taylor, West Kildonan
Darryl Friesen, Steinbach – Jeff Stoughton, Charleswood

WOMEN’S DIVISION — FRIDAY, 5:00 P.M.
************************************************
Barb Spencer, Fort Rouge – Patti Burtnyk, Assiniboine-Memorial
Kristy Jenion, Fort Rouge – Janet Harvey, Fort Rouge
Kerri Flett, Selkirk – Chelsea Carey, Morden
Lisa Blixhavn, Brandon – Kim Link, East St. Paul

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<Dec 30, 2008>

Randy Dutiaume of West Kildonan made two excellent chip-outs on the final end to nail down a 5-3 victory over clubmate Sean Grassie to win the SHAW DIGITAL CHRISTMAS OPEN at Fort Rouge, the last event on the regular schedule of the Manitoba Curling Tour.

Dutiaume drew the benefit of a high performance game from his fifth player David Tonnellier, who curled at third position during the Fort Rouge spiel.  Scott McCamis and Cory Wolchuk provided front end support as Dutiaume earned a total of $2,230 from the progressive payout purse.

Grassie’s team (with Andy Stewart, Matt Wozniak and A.J. Girardin) earned $1,830 as the runner-up, sufficient to secure the last men’s berth in the Manitoba Curling Tour Championships this coming weekend in Morris (January 2nd-4th).  Dutiaume had clinched a berth in Morris on MCT earnings earlier.

Reid Carruthers of West Kildonan and Rich Muntain of Carberry lost in the semi-finals (worth $700 apiece), while Mark Franklin and Ken Schenkeveld, both of Fort Rouge, Kyle Peters of Pembina, and Dan Lilla of Centerville, Wisconsin, each earned $480 for reaching the quarter-finals.

Kelly Lauber of Pembina won the Consolation event and $315.

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<Dec 29, 2008>

Two undefeated teams have advanced to the final of the SHAW DIGITAL CHRISTMAS OPEN at the Fort Rouge Curling Club.

Randy Dutiaume and Sean Grassie, both affiliated at West Kildonan, have won four straight games after capturing two playoff matches last night (Monday).

Dutiaume beat Dan Lilla of Centerville, Wisconsin, 6-4 in the quarter-finals, and followed with a 7-3 victory over clubmate Reid Carruthers in the semi-finals.  Grassie was a 4-2 winner over Mark Franklin of Fort Rouge, then came from behind to sideline Rich Muntain of Carberry 8-5 in the semis.

The final will be televised live on Shaw Cable Channel 9 starting at 7 o’clock tonight (Tuesday).  The winner will earn $2,230 in prize money, the runner-up $1,830.  The Consolation final will be played on the same draw, between Kelly Lauber of Pembina and Brian Baker of Fort Rouge.

By reaching the final, Grassie is assured of securing a berth in the MCT Championships in Morris this coming weekend (January 2nd-4th). Dutiaume had qualified previously for Morris on MCT money earnings.

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<Dec 28, 2008>

The eight playoff teams will move into quarter-finals in the SHAW DIGITAL CHRISTMAS OPEN at 6 p.m. Monday (Dec.29th) at the Fort  Rouge Curling Club.

Six teams qualified in Sunday’s action.  Rich Muntain of Carberry and Reid Carruthers of West Kildonan won their third straight games to advance out of the “A” event.  Two other West Kildonan skips, Randy Dutiaume and Sean Grassie, had qualified on Saturday.

Last season’s Manitoba Junior champion Kyle Peters of Pembina, Dan Lilla of Centerville, Wisconsin, plus Ken Schenkeveld and Mark Franklin, both of the Fort Rouge home club, qualified out of the”B” event.

The quarter-final matches have Dutiaume meeting Lilla, Peters against Carruthers, Muntain versus Schenkeveld, and Franklin facing Grassie.  Semi-finals will follow at 9 p.m. tonight, setting the stage for Tuesday’s 7 p.m. live televised final, on Shaw Cable Channel 9.

The Shaw Fort Rouge event is the last on the regular schedule of the Manitoba Curling Tour, and will determine the final two entries in the MCT Championships that start on Friday (January 2nd) in Morris.

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<Dec 27, 2008>

The West Kildonan teams of Randy Dutiaume and Sean Grassie are the first qualifiers in the Shaw Digital Christmas Open at Fort Rouge Curling Club, the last event of the regular season on the Manitoba Curling Tour.

Dutiaume earned a playoff berth by beating Mark Franklin of Fort Rouge Curling Club 7-5, while Grassie made it with a 7-1 victory over Colin Sundell, who now curls out of Ste. Anne.

The Fort Rouge spiel is an Open event, allowing for men’s and women’s teams, or a combination of both genders.  Home from Ottawa for the Christmas holidays, Rhonda Varnes has skipped a mixed team from Fort
Rouge to two victories and will qualify with one more “A” event win.

Six more teams will qualify for the playoffs, which will start on Monday night (Dec.29th) with quarter-finals at 6 o’clock, and the semi-finals at 9:00 p.m.  Tuesday night’s final will be televised live on Shaw Cable Channel 9 at 7:00 o’clock.

The winner of the Shaw event is eligible for the Manitoba Curling Tour Championships, January 2nd-4th in Morris.

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<Dec 24, 2008>

The eight-team women’s field is set for the Manitoba Curling Tour Championships January 2nd-4th at the Morris Curling Club.

Defending champion Barb Spencer of Fort Rouge heads the field, and will try for her fourth MCT women’s title.  Spencer defeated her sister Darcy Robertson in last season’s tour final in Portage, but the two former Kirkness sisters have re-united this season with Darcy at third. Brette Richards and Barb Enright returned at the second and lead positions.

Kim Link of East St. Paul, who won the women’s division of the Interlake Pharmacy Classic this season, is the number two seed.  Kristy Jenion of Fort Rouge qualified by winning the McMillan Insurance Classic in Selkirk, and Janet Harvey of Fort Rouge with her victory in the Atkins Curling Supplies Classic at Charleswood.

Other cashspiel winners in the field are Kerri Flett of Selkirk, who won the Sunova Classic in Beausejour, and Brandon’s Lisa (Roy) Blixhavn, who captured the inaugural King Spud Classic in Carberry.

Rounding out the women’s cast in the double knockout event are the teams of Chelsea Carey of Morden and Patti Burtnyk, playing out of Assiniboine-Memorial.

Four women’s teams will earn prize money in Morris, with the winner receiving $4,000, the runner-up $2,000, and the losing semi-finalists $1,000 apiece.

The 24-team men’s lineup will be finalized after the last event on the MCT schedule, the Shaw Christmas Open at Fort Rouge.  The latest skips to confirm their entries are the Granite’s Bob Sigurdson, Ryan Hyde of Portage, Brad Haight of West Kildonan, and Vic Peters of Fort Garry, who has won the men’s MCT title three times.  There will be one out-of-province invader in the field, Joel Jordison of Moose Jaw.

The mens’ division will divide up $18,000, with a top prize of $7,000 plus a berth in the Safeway provincials in Selkirk for the winner or highest finishing eligible team.

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<Dec 17, 2008>

After a break over the Christmas holidays, 28-year-old Mike McEwen will lead his Canada Cup-bound team in defense of the MANITOBA CURLING TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP in this season’s renewal January 2nd-4th in Morris.

McEwen’s foursome, including B.J. Neufeld, Matt Wozniak, and Denni Neufeld, is fresh from reaching the semi-finals in the Canada Cup Qualifying Bonspiel in Edmonton this past weekend.  The team thus earned a berth on CTRS points in the Canada Cup March 18th-22nd in Yorkton.

As the defending champion (he won in Portage last season), McEwen was one of the first to confirm his entry in the 24-team men’s division of the MCT Championships in Morris.

Other skips who have firmed up their entries are Peter Nicholls of Deer Lodge, a three-time winner on the MCT this season, and the tour’s leading money winner Jeff Stoughton of Charleswood. Terry McNamee of Brandon and Dave Boehmer of Petersfield, who have won Safeway provincial berths, plus other Western Manitoba notables Allan Lyburn of Brandon, Kelly Skinner of Hamiota, and Graham Freeman of Virden have entered.

Other possible threats in Morris will be Daley Peters of Beausejour, and four teams from West Kildonan skipped by Randy Dutiaume, Brendan Taylor, Doug Riach, and Reid Carruthers.  Murray Woodward of Ste. Anne, Ian Beavis of Morden, and David Bohn of Assiniboine-Memorial also will be in the field.

Like the men’s division, the women’s eight-team field in Morris is not complete, but confirmed entries are in from Kim Link of East St. Paul, Kerri Flett of Selkirk, Janet Harvey and Kristy Jenion of Fort Rouge, Chelsea Carey of Morden, and Lisa Blixhavn of Brandon.

The format in Morris is double knockout with a $26,000 prize purse and a berth in the Safeway provincials in Selkirk for the men’s champion or highest finishing eligible team.

One more tour event precedes the MCT Championships, the Shaw Christmas Open (Dec.26-30) at the Fort Rouge Curling Club, which offers the final qualifying berth for Morris.

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<Dec 14, 2008>

Peter Nicholls of Deer Lodge guided his team to a third victory on the Manitoba tour this season, by winning the THISTLE INTEGRITY STAKES at Winnipeg’s Thistle Curling Club today (Sunday).

Nicholls, with Dean Dunstone at fourth and his front end of James Kirkness and Wayne Sigurdson, won five straight games at Thistle, including a 5-1 triumph over Calleen Neufeld of La Salle in the Integrity final. Nicholls had previous tour wins in the McMillan Insurance Classic at Selkirk and the Pharmasave Gimli Classic.

The Neufeld foursome, including Sabrina Neufeld, Jasmine Bracken, and Brenna Philp, had recorded earlier victories in the Integrity playoffs over Travis Bale of Springfield and Bob Sigurdson of the Granite, in trying to become the first women’s team to capture an MCT open event since Maureen Bonar won at Boissevain six years ago.

Nicholls won the top prize of $2,300, Neufeld $1,400, Sigurdson and Brad Haight of West Kildonan $700 apiece for reaching the semi-finals, and Bale and Ken Ringaert of the Heather each earned $500 in qualifying for the quarter-finals.

Bryan Zachary of the Granite picked up $500 by winning the Consolation event, topping Bryce McEwen of Victoria 7-5 in that final.

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<Dec 13, 2008>

The first three qualifiers have emerged in the THISTLE INTEGRITY STAKES, this weekend’s event on the Manitoba Curling Tour.

Bob Sigurdson of the Granite, Peter Nicholls of Deer Lodge, and Travis Bale of Springfield won three straight games to advance from “A” section to Sunday’s prize round at the Thistle Curling Club.  In the shootout for playoff positions, Sigurdson and Nicholls finished 1-2 to earn the byes to the semi-finals.

Sigurdson qualified with a 10-2 win over Ross Rybak of Pembina, Nicholls with a 7-2 win over Brad Haight of West Kildonan, and Bale moved into the money with an 11-6 victory over Mark Franklin of Fort Rouge.

Three more teams will qualify from Saturday evening draws.  The Sunday playoff times are 10 a.m., 1 o’clock and 4 p.m.

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<Dec 7, 2008>

Doug Riach wiped out a three-point deficit in skipping his West Kildonan team to an extra end 6-5 victory over clubmate Reid Carruthers in the final of the MORRIS CURLING CLASSIC at the Morris Curling Club today (Sunday).

Riach guided his foursome of Kevin Thompson, Brent Baschuk and Greg Klassen to five straight wins in Morris, beating Mark Franklin of Fort Rouge 8-2 in the semi-finals before his team’s clinching success over Carruthers in the final.

Riach’s team earned $2,600 and a berth in the MCT Championships (to be played in Morris January 2nd-4th, 2009), while Carruthers had to settle for $1,700.  Losing semi-finalists Franklin and Craig White of West Kildonan received $1,000 apiece, while Kris Mazinke and Lorne Hamblin, both of Morris, each picked up $600 for reaching the quarter-finals.  Greg Todoruk of Dauphin won the Consolation prize of $500.

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<Dec 5, 2008>

Action resumes on the Manitoba Curling Tour tonight (Friday, December 5th) with the start of the MORRIS CURLING CLASSIC at 6:00 p.m. at the Morris Curling Club.

Defending champion Lorne Hamblin leads a field of 18 teams aiming for a top prize of $2,800 and a berth in the MCT Championships (January 2nd-4th, 2009) at the same Morris Curling Club site.

Hamblin will open against Colin Sundell of Ste. Anne on Friday’s 9:00 p.m. draw.  Other favorites in the field are Reid Carruthers of West Kildonan, Randy Neufeld of La Salle, and Ian Beavis of Morden.  Randy Baird of Bemidji, Minnesota, is the one out-of-province invader.

Six teams will qualify for Sunday’s playoff round, plus the Consolation event.

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<Dec 1, 2008>

Brendan Taylor’s team from West Kildonan won the DAUPHIN CLINIC PHARMACY CASHSPIEL at the Parkland Recreation Complex in Dauphin today, capping a three-victory day in the playoffs by beating Terry McNamee of Brandon 6-5 in an extra end final.

With support from Kyle Werenich, Taren Gesell, and Cory Naharnie, Taylor rang up earlier wins today (Monday) over Allan Lyburn of Brandon and Kelly Skinner of Hamiota en route to an $8,000 top prize. It was the first cashspiel victory of the season on the MCT for the Taylor foursome.

McNamee’s team, which won the MCA Safeway Berth Bonspiel in Carberry in early November, earned a runner-up $5,000.  Skinner and Brent Scales of Swan River received $3,500 apiece as semi-finalists, and losing quarter-finalists Randy Dutiaume of West Kildonan, Ken Anderson of Balmertown, Ontario, Ryan Hyde of Portage, and Lyburn each picked up $2,500 (29 teams-8 qualifiers).

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<Nov 30, 2008>

The DAUPHIN CLINIC PHARMACY CASHSPIEL on the Manitoba Curling Tour has advanced to the eight-team playoffs at the Parkland Recreation Complex in Dauphin.

Sunday evening’s “C” event qualifiers were Randy Dutiaume and Brendan Taylor of West Kildonan, Terry McNamee of Brandon, and Brent Scales of Swan River.

They joined Allan Lyburn of Brandon and Ken Anderson of Balmertown, Ontario, who won four straight games to qualify in the “A” event, and Ryan Hyde of Portage and Hamiota’s Kelly Skinner, the “B” event qualifiers.

The Monday 9 a.m. quarter-finals have Lyburn against Taylor, Skinner facing Dutiaume, Anderson versus Scales, and Hyde meeting McNamee.

Semi-finals are scheduled for 12 noon, and the final at 3 o’clock Monday.  The playoff teams will divide a $30,000 purse, with $8,000 going to the winner (runner-up $5,000, 2 x $3,500, 4 x $2,500)

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<Nov 28, 2008>

This weekend’s stop on the Manitoba Curling Tour, the DAUPHIN CLINIC PHARMACY CASH SPIEL is under way today (Friday) with a field of 29 teams at the Parkland Recreation complex in Dauphin.

Defending champion Chris Galbraith of Rosser was an early upset victim, falling behind 4-0 in three ends and skidding to an 8-5 defeat at the hands of Jason Krupski of Whitewood, Saskatchewan.

In other results on the opening 8:30 a.m. draw, Safeway Northern Berth Bonspiel winner Richard Muntain of Carberry lost 10-5 to Dauphin’s Jim Todoruk, Brett Brezden of Dauphin bounced Blaine Gogal of Flin Flon 9-3, Terry McNamee of Brandon whipped Mark Hadway of Dauphin 12-5, and Ken Lawn of Hamiota nipped Brendan Taylor of West Kildonan 8-7.

The $30,000 Dauphin cashspiel continues all weekend, offering a top prize of $8,000.

---

<Nov 24, 2008>

Jeff Stoughton and his Charleswood team chalked up a second victory on the Manitoba tour this season, beating Brad Haight of West Kildonan 7-6 in tonight’s (Monday) final of the INTERLAKE PHARMACY CLASSIC in Stonewall.

The victory was worth $10,000 to Stoughton, and vaulted his team of Kevin Park, Rob Fowler and Steve Gould into first place in the MCT money standings.

Haight settled for runner-up cash of $6,000.  Allan Lyburn’s team (with Scott Ramsay skipping in Lyburn’s absence and Darcy Hayward subbing on the front end) from Brandon, was a 7-1 loser to Stoughton in the semi-finals, and Randy Dutiaume of West Kildonan fell 9-3 to Haight, as the losing teams earned $3,000 apiece.  The two quarter-finalists, Dave Smith of Lorette and Brendan Taylor of West Kildonan, each picked up $2,000 (24 teams, 6 qualifiers), while Reid Carruthers of West Kildonan won the Consolation prize of $1,000.

The women’s champion in Stonewall was Kim Link of East St. Paul, who piloted her team of Colleen Kilgallen, Pam Kolton, and Renee Fletcher to an 8-3 win over Kerri Flett of Selkirk in the final, earning a top prize of $5,000.  Flett received $2,500, while losing semi-finalists Barb Spencer and Janet Harvey, both of Fort Rouge, earned $1,500 apiece (16 teams, 4 qualifiers).  Due to acceptable commitments, Maureen Bonar of Brandon and Tracy Konzelman of Elmwood shared the Consolation prize of $750.

---

<Nov 24, 2008>

The INTERLAKE PHARMACY CLASSIC on the Manitoba Curling Tour has advanced to the semi-final playoffs in Stonewall.

The match-ups in the women’s division for today’s (Monday’s) 4 o’clock semi-finals have Janet Harvey of Fort Rouge meeting Kim Link of East St. Paul, and Barb Spencer of Fort Rouge facing the challenge of Kerri Flett of Selkirk.

The quarter-finals in the men’s division were held last night (Sunday) as Jeff Stoughton of Charleswood eliminated Brendan Taylor of West Kildonan 6-2, and Brad Haight of West Kildonan was a 6-5 winner over Dave Smith, now curling out of Lorette.

Stoughton advances to meet Allan Lyburn’s team from Brandon, while Haight goes against Randy Dutiaume of West Kildonan in 4 o’clock semis today.  The Lyburn and Dutiaume foursomes finished 1-2 in the A Event Shootout to determine playoff positions.

The finals in both divisions in Stonewall will be held at 7 o’clock tonight (Monday).  Top prizes are $10,000 in the men’s bracket, and $5,000 to the women’s champion.

---

<Nov 23, 2008>

The men’s playoff round is under way tonight (Sunday) in the INTERLAKE PHARMACY CLASSIC on the Manitoba tour in Stonewall.

Brendan Taylor of West Kildonan is meeting Jeff Stoughton of Charleswood, and Dave Smith of Lorette is facing Brad Haight of West Kildonan.  The winners will advance to meet Brandon’s Allan Lyburn and Randy Dutiaume of West Kildonan in Monday semi-finals at 4:00 p.m., with the final to follow at 7:00 o’clock.

Lyburn and Dutiaume earned the playoff byes by finishing 1-2 in the “A” Event Shootout, while Haight was the third qualifier.  Taylor, Stoughton and Smith qualified out of the “B” Event.

The women’s division is ready for Monday 4 o’clock semi-finals, Janet Harvey of Fort Rouge versus Kim Link of East St. Paul, and Kerri Flett of Selkirk against Barb Spencer of Fort Rouge, the final to follow at the same time as the men’s, 7 p.m.

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<Nov 16, 2008>

In the fourth game of the day for both teams, Peter Nicholls of Deer Lodge won the PHARMASAVE GIMLI CLASSIC at the Gimli Recreation Centre tonight (Sunday), beating Bob Sigurdson of Winnipeg’s Granite club 5-4 in an extra end final.

Both teams played “B’ Group qualifying games at 9:00 a.m., and followed up with quarter-final and semi-final victories at 12 noon and 3:00 p.m., before agreeing to play the final at 6 o’clock tonight.

It was the second cashspiel win of the MCT season for Nicholls, who won the opening McMillan Insurance Classic in Selkirk with his team of Dean Dunstone at fourth, second James Kirkness, and lead Wayne Sigurdson. The Pharmasave top prize was $5,200, while Sigurdson (with Darren Oryniak, Al Purdy, and Cory Walchuk) earned $2,800.

Morden’s Ian Beavis lost 9-4 to Nicholls, and Vic Peters of Fort Garry fell 4-2 to Sigurdson.  Beavis and Peters received $2,000 apiece for reaching the semi-finals, while three-time Gimli champion Chris Galbraith of Rosser and Randy Dutiaume of West Kildonan each went home with $1,000 by qualifying for the quarter-finals (22 teams – 6 qualifiers).  Kyle Einarson of Selkirk won $500 for his second victory in a Consolation event this season.

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<Nov 15, 2008>

The Sunday 9 a.m. draw will produce three more playoff qualifiers in the PHARMASAVE GIMLI CLASSIC on the Manitoba Curling Tour.

Wayne Ewasko of Riverton will meet Bob Sigurdson of the Granite, Greg Romaniuk of Seattle goes against Peter Nicholls of Deer Lodge, and Kyle Foster of Arborg will be facing Chris Galbraith of Rosser, who won the Pharmasave three times, in 2003, 2005, and 2007.

The winners will advance to join Vic Peters of Fort Garry, Ian Beavis of Morden, and Randy Dutiaume of West Kildonan in the six-team playoffs in Gimli.

In addition, the Consolation final goes at 12:00 noon, Dale Lott of Petersfield against Kyle Einarson of Selkirk.

---

<Nov 15, 2008>

The first three qualifiers in the PHARMASAVE GIMLI CLASSIC will be determined on the 6:30 p.m. draw today (Saturday).

The lineup for “A” group qualifying matches has Ian Beavis of Morden meeting Peter Nicholls of Deer Lodge, Vic Peters of Fort Garry against Chris Galbraith of Rosser, and Bob Sigurdson of the Granite facing Randy Dutiaume of West Kildonan.

The 6:30 “A” winners will do a Team Shootout after the draw to decide Sunday playoff positions.

---

<Nov 10, 2008>

Allan Lyburn’s Brandon team vaulted into third place in the MCT standings by winning the WHITES’ DRUG STORE CLASSIC today in Swan River, topping Kelly Skinner of Hamiota 8-4 in today’s final.

With support from Scott Ramsay, Mark Taylor, and Cory Barkley, Lyburn opened an early 4-1 lead in the final, and coasted to a victory worth $9,000 to the Brandon foursome.  Playing out of Hamiota, Skinner’s crew of Allan Lawn, Darcy Hayward, and Trevor Taylor, failed to add a second MCT triumph to its earlier win this season in the King Spud Classic in Carberry.  Runner-up money in Swan River was $7,000.

Skinner defeated Randy Bryden of Regina 3-2, while Lyburn was a 6-2 winner over Murray Woodward of Ste. Anne in the semi-finals.  Bryden and Woodward took home $5,000 apiece, while losing quarter-finalists Brent Scales of Swan River, last year’s winner Joel Jordison of Moose Jaw, Craig Disher of Rolla, North Dakota, and Saskatoon’s Shawn Joyce each received $3,500 (18 teams – 8 qualifiers).

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<Nov 9, 2008>

All eight playoff teams have been determined in theWHITES’ DRUG STORE CLASSICin Swan River, this weekend’s event on the Manitoba Curling Tour.

Allan Lyburn of Brandon, Murray Woodward of Ste. Anne, Randy Bryden of Regina, and Brent Scales of the home club in Swan River were the final qualifiers out of the “C” bracket.

Earlier, defending champion Joel Jordison of Moose Jaw, Craig Disher of Rolla, North Dakota, Shawn Joyce of Saskatoon, and Kelly Skinner of Hamiota qualified out of “A” and “B” sections.

The lineup for the Monday morning 9 o’clock quarter-finals has Jordison against Lyburn, Joyce meeting Woodward, Disher facing Bryden, and Skinner versus Scales.

The prize purse is $40,000, with a $9,000 payout to the winner, $7,000 to the runner-up, $5,000 each to the losing semi-finalists, and $3,500 each to those losing in the morning quarter-finals.  The semis are scheduled for 12:30 p.m., and the final at 4 o’clock.

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<Nov 8, 2008>

This weekend’s MCT event in Swan River, the WHITES’ DRUG STORE CLASSIC, was disrupted by the onset of winter in Manitoba, and road conditions on Thursday and Friday.  Two teams and two members of a third team failed to travel to Swan River (those of Randy Dutiaume, Bryan Derbowka, and Dave Boehmer) and had to be cancelled out.  The schedule was adjusted, and the local teams of Barry Tall and Craig Zamzow were inserted for draw purposes.

Defending champion Joel Jordison of Moose Jaw and Craig Disher of Rolla, North Dakota, are the “A” qualifiers as the the triple knockout event continues through to Monday (Nov.10th).

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<Nov 3, 2008>

Rob Cosens of West St. Paul won the KEN KURBIS MEMORIAL GALAXY BONSPIEL tonight (Monday), beating Darryl Friesen of St. Vital 4-3 in the final at the Rossmere Country Club.

Cosens opened a 3-0 lead after five ends, then saw Friesen charge back to tie the game 3-3 going to the final end (8th).  Cosens didn’t need to use the hammer when Friesen failed to negotiate a narrow port with his last stone.

The Cosens team, with Jim Ireland, Todd Russell, and Mike Trager, earned $3,200 and a berth in the MCT Championships (Jan.2nd-4th) in Morris for the victory. Friesen’s foursome, with Ernie Funk, Jamie Wall and Curt Bergen, a semi-finalist in the 2007 Galaxy ‘spiel, received $1,600 in runner-up cash.

Others in the prize money at Rossmere were losing semi-finalists Randy Neufeld of La Salle and Ryan Hyde of Portage ($800 each), Robin Nelson of St. Vital and Alex Forrest of Deer Lodge ($600 apiece), who lost in the quarter-finals, and Kyle Einarson of Petersfield, who won the Consolation event and $500 (24 teams – 6 qualifiers plus the Consolation event)

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<Nov 2, 2008>

The weekend event on the Manitoba Curling Tour has advanced to a final at 7 o’clock tomorrow night (Monday) at the Rossmere Country Club.

The teams of Rob Cosens of West St. Paul and Darryl Friesen of St. Vital will meet in the KEN KURBIS MEMORIAL GALAXY BONSPIEL final, shooting for a top prize of $3,200 (runner-up money $1,600).

Cosens defeated Randy Neufeld of La Salle 8-5, while Friesen idelined Ryan Hyde of Portage 5-2 in the semi-finals.  Neufeld and Hyde each earned $800, while losing quarter-finalists Alex Forrest of Deer Lodge and Robin Nelson of Charleswood received $600 apiece.  Kyle Einarson of Pembina won the Consolation event and $500.

One other local curling event concluded on Sunday.  Brian Fowler of Brandon won the men’s division (and $2,800) of the LLOYD GUNNLAUGSON MEMORIAL SENIOR BONSPIEL at the Thistle Curling Club, beating Ron McMorris of Fort Rouge 6-1 in the final.  Rita VandeVyvere of Heather topped Lois Fowler (Brian’s wife) of Brandon 6-5 in the women’s final, earning $1,100.

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<Oct 27, 2008>

Both events on the Manitoba Curling Tour produced runaway finals, as Michelle Englot of Regina and Glenn Howard of Coldwater, Ontario, romped to major cashspiel victories today (Monday, Oct.27th).

Englot was a 6-0 shutout winner over Kelly Scott of Kelowna in the final of the CASINOS OF WINNIPEG WOMEN’S CLASSIC at the Fort Rouge Curling Club.  Englot’s team (with Deanna Doig, Roberta Materi, and Cindy Simmons) earned $16,500, while Scott settled for $11,500, which included an extra $500 for both teams for pay-per-win money in the preliminaries.

Kaitlyn Lawes of Pembina, the 2008 Canadian Junior champion, joined Cathy King of Edmonton as losing semi-finalists, worth $6,500 apiece, including their $500 pay-per-win bonuses.

Losing quarter-finalists Anette Norberg of Sweden and Barb Spencer of Fort Rouge each earned $4,200, while Cheryl Bernard of Calgary and Jennifer Jones of St. Vital each received $4,100 (32 teams-8 qualifiers).

At the Portage Curling Club, Howard’s team (with Richard Hart, Brent Laing, and Craig Savill) chalked up a three-peat, winning the MEYERS NORRIS PENNY PRAIRIE CLASSIC for a third straight year by pounding Brad Heidt of Kerrobert, Saskatchewan, 9-1 in the final.  Howard’s foursome earned $18,000, while Heidt pocketed $10,000.

Wayne Middaugh of Toronto and Brad Gushue of St. John’s, Newfoundland, went home with $6,000 apiece as losing semi-finalists, while Dave Boehmer of Petersfield, Kerry Burtnyk of Assiniboine-Memorial, Daley Peters of Beausejour, and William Lyburn of Brandon received $4,000 apiece for reaching the quarter-finals (32 teams-8 qualifiers).

Mike McEwen of Assiniboine-Memorial, Reid Carruthers of Beausejour, Mark Bice of Sarnia, Ontario, and Joel Jordison of Moose Jaw each received $500 consolation money for losing in “C” event qualifying matches.

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<Oct26, 2008>

Two events on the Manitoba Curling Tour advanced to the playoff round in action at Fort Rouge and in Portage Sunday night (Oct.26th).

In the CASINOS OF WINNIPEG WOMEN’S CLASSIC at Fort Rouge, reigning world champion Jennifer Jones of St. Vital led the way into the quarter-finals, winning four straight to qualify in the “A” event, along with Cheryl Bernard of Calgary.  Two-time world champion Anette Norberg of Sweden and Canadian Junior champion Kaitlyn Lawes of Pembina are the “B” event qualifiers.

In the “C” event, Cathy King of Edmonton, Michelle Englot of Regina, Barb Spencer of Fort Rouge, and Kelly Scott of Kelowna won the qualifying matches to advance to the Monday playoffs.

Toronto’s Wayne Middaugh and Dave Boehmer of Petersfield are the unbeaten “A” event qualifiers in the MEYERS NORRIS PENNY PRAIRIE CLASSIC in Portage.  Kerry Burtnyk’s Assiniboine-Memorial foursome and Brad Gushue of St. John’s, Newfoundland, moved into the quarter-finals out of the “B” event.

In Sunday night’s “C” event qualifying matches, 2006 and 2007 champion Glenn Howard of Coldwater, Ontario, earned a shot at a three-peat, and others advancing to the playoffs were Daley Peters of Beausejour, Brad Heidt of Kerrobert, Saskatchewan, and Brandon’s William Lyburn.

Quarter-finals start in both locales at 10 Monday morning; the semis at Fort Rouge go at 1:30, and the final at 5 o’clock.  In Portage, the semi-finals are scheduled for 2 p.m. and the final at 6 p.m.

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<Oct 19, 2008>

Two of the major events that double on the Manitoba Curling Tour and the World Curling Tour are set to start tomorrow morning (Friday, Oct. 24th) at the Fort Rouge and Portage Curling Clubs.

With a purse of $62,000 ($16,000 to the winner), the CASINOS OF WINNIPEG WOMEN’S CLASSIC opens at 9:00 A.M. at Fort Rouge in a triple knockout format.  Defending champion Shannon Kleibrink of Calgary starts defense of her title against Kim Link of East St. Paul on the first draw.

Thirteen Manitoba teams are in the Casinos’ field, including 2008 world champion Jennifer Jones, who opens against Linda Stewart of Fort Rouge on Friday’s 3 o’clock draw.  Others in the field of 32 teams who ruled the women’s curling world in the past are Anette Norberg of Sweden, Debbie McCormick of Madison, Wisconsin, Kelly Scott of Kelowna, B.C., and Jan Betker of Regina.

After winning in 2006 and ’07, Glenn Howard of Coldwater, Ontario, will be gunning for a three-peat in the MEYERS NORRIS PENNY PRAIRIE CLASSIC in Portage.  Twenty Manitoba teams are in the triple knockout cast, aiming for a top prize of $18,000 from a $58,000 purse.

Three American teams are entered — Jason Larway of Seattle will face Kerry Burtnyk on the opening 8:30 draw, while reigning U.S. champion Craig Brown of Madison, Wisconsin, meets Jeff Stoughton, and John Shuster of Duluth, Minnesota, goes against Chris Galbraith, both on the 12:30 draw.

The eight-team playoffs in both events will be held on Monday (Oct.27th); the Casinos’ at 10:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 5:00 p.m., while the Portage playoff times are 10 a.m., 2:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m.

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<Oct 19, 2008>

It was Peters against Peters in the men’s final of the SUNOVA CLASSIC on the Manitoba Curling Tour in Beausejour today (Sunday, Oct.16th), and Daley Peters of the home club defeated Kyle Peters of Pembina 5-3. Daley Peters, with his team of Jason Gunnlaugson, Justin Richter, and Tylor Forrest, earned $3,500 for the victory, while reigning Manitoba Junior champion Kyle Peters received $1,750.

Bob Sigurdson of the Granite club and Travis Bale of Springfield went home with $1,000 apiece as losing semi-finalists, while Colin Sundell of St. Vital and Ross Rybak of Pembina received $750 for reaching the quarter-finals (20 teams – 6 qualifiers).

Kerri Flett’s Selkirk team, with Daley’s sister Liz Peters, Tamara Bauknecht, and Sarah Wazney, won the women’s title and $2,200 in Beausejour, whipping Karen Rosser of Springfield 8-1 in the final. Rosser received $1,200, while losing semi-finalists Kelsey Boettcher of West St. Paul and Angela Wickman of Rossmere each earned $800 (14 teams — four qualifiers).

In the inaugural KING SPUD CLASSIC in Carberry, Kelly Skinner and his Hamiota team, with Allan Lawn, Darcy Hayward and Trevor Taylor, won the men’s division and $3,100, beating Ian Beavis of Morden 5-3 in the final Sunday night.  Beavis settled for runner-up money of $2,000.

The losing semi-finalists in the men’s division were Don Spriggs of Portage and Graham Freeman of Virden who earned $1,250 apiece, while Ed Barr of Killarney, Jerry Chudley of Neepawa, plus Rob Van Kommer and Joey Witherspoon of Carberry each received $500 as quarter-finalists (16 teams — eight qualifiers).

The women’s title in Carberry went to Lisa Blixhaven (with Jamie Campbell, Lana Hunter and Tanya Enns), who won an all-Brandon club final over Maureen Bonar 7-6.  Blixhaven pocketed $1,550, while Bonar’s foursome earned $1,000.

Brandon’s Lois Fowler and Stacey Fordyce lost in the semi-finals, earning $625 apiece, while Linda Stewart and Jennifer Lamont of Fort Rouge, plus Betty Buurma of Carberry and Darla Hanke of Neepawa picked up $250 each as losing quarter-finalists (16 teams — eight qualifiers).

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<Oct 13, 2008>

Jeff Stoughton, Janet Harvey, and Alex Forrest skipped their teams to victory in the three events on the Manitoba Curling Tour this weekend.

Stoughton’s Charleswood team (with Kevin Park, Rob Fowler, and Steve Gould) won the MANITOBA LOTTERIES CURLING CLASSIC at the Brandon Curling Club, piling up six straight wins, including an 8-7 extra end triumph over Joel Jordison of Moose Jaw in the final. Stoughton needed a tying deuce on the 8th end, then stole the winning point on the extra end to earn the top prize of $12,000.

Jordison earned $7,000 for his runner-up finish, while losing semi-finalists David Bohn of Assiniboine-Memorial and Allan Lyburn of Brandon received $4,500 apiece, and losing quarter-finalists Darrell McKee of Saskatoon, Graham Freeman of Virden, Terry McNamee of Brandon, and John Shuster of Duluth, Minnesota, each pocketed $3,000.

Harvey’s foursome (with Cherie-Ann Loder, Kristin Loder, and Carey Kirby) from Fort Rouge won the ATKINS CURLING SUPPLIES WOMEN’S CLASSIC at Winnipeg’s Charleswood club, topping Chelsea Carey of Morden 7-4 in the final to earn $3,500.

Carey received $2,000, Joelle Brown of Deer Lodge and Patti Burtnyk of Assiniboine-Memorial received $1,100 apiece as losing semi-finalists, while Tracy Konzelman (unaffiliated) and Kerri Flett of Selkirk each picked up $650 for reaching the quarter-finals in the 18-team event.

Alex Forrest and his junior team from Deer Lodge (with Kody Janzen, Braden Zawada, and Trevor Grenkow) needed to advance with a tiebreaker win over former provincial champion Randy Dutiaume to reach the semi-finals of the NOTT AUTOCORP THANKSGIVING CHARITY OPEN at Winnipeg’s Thistle Curling Club.  Forrest followed by beating Reid Carruthers of Beausejour 5-4 and Brad Haight of West Kildonan 7-6 in the final.  Forrest received $2,300, Haight $1,400, while losing semi-finalists Carruthers and Sean Grassie of Stonewall earned $900 apiece.

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<Oct 13, 2008>

Three Manitoba Curling Tour events will move into the playoffs today (Monday).

In the MANITOBA LOTTERIES CURLING CLASSIC at the Brandon Curling Club, eight qualifying teams will meet in the 9 a.m. quarter finals.  Three out-of-province teams are in the hunt as Jeff Stoughton goes against Darrell McKee of Saskatoon, David Bohn will meet Terry McNamee, Joel Jordison of Moose Jaw faces Graham Freeman, and John Shuster of Duluth, Minnesota, will challenge Allan Lyburn.  Semis are at 12 noon, with the final to follow for a top prize of $12,000.

At Winnipeg’s Thistle club, Brad Haight will meet Shawn Grassie in one semi-final in the NOTT AUTOCORP THANKSGIVING CHARITY OPEN n at 12 noon.  Reid Carruthers will face the winner of a 9 a.m. tiebreaker between Randy Dutiaume and Alex Forrest in the other semi-final.

And at the Charleswood club in Winnipeg, Chelsea Carey and Joelle Brown have skipped their teams into semi-finals of the ATKINS CURLING SUPPLIES WOMEN’S CLASSIC.  Patti Burtnyk, Kerri Flett, and Janet Harvey are assured of positions in the quarter-finals.

All three events will conclude with 3 o’clock finals this afternoon.

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<October 6, 2008>

Peter Nicholls and his team from Deer Lodge and Kristy Jenion’s foursome from Fort Rouge are the opening MCT cashspiel winners for 2008-09, capturing top money in the McMILLAN INSURANCE CLASSIC in Selkirk tonight (Monday, Oct.6th).

Nicholls (with Dean Dunstone at fourth stone, James Kirkness at second, and Wayne Sigurdson at lead), defeated Jeff Stoughton of Charleswood for the second time in the event, nailing his victory in the men’s division final 3-2.  Jenion (supported by Karen Klein at third, Theresa Cannon at second and Jillian Sandison at lead) beat the 2008 Canadian Junior champion Kaitlyn Lawes of Pembina 6-4 in the women’s final.

In the semi-finals (on Sunday), Nicholls defeated Reid Carruthers of Beausejour 8-1, Stoughton bounced Mike McEwen of Assiniboine-Memorial 7-6, Jenion was a 6-4 winner over Joelle Brown of Deer Lodge, and Lawes doubled up on Kim Link of East St. Paul 8-4.

The winning teams received $3,520 apiece, while the losing finalists each earned $2,520.  The losing semi-finalists picked up $1,020 apiece.

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<October 6, 2008>

The finalists have been determined in the McMILLAN INSURANCE  CLASSIC in Selkirk, as a result of Sunday’s play.

In the men’s division, Jeff Stoughton’s new foursome (with Kevin Park at third, and his returning front end of Rob Fowler and Steve Gould) will try to turn the tables on Peter Nicholls of West Kildonan, who defeated Stoughton in an “A” qualifying match on Saturday.

In the women’s division, Kristy Jenion, also with a new team  (Karen Klein, Theresa Cannon, and Jillian Sandison), will face Canadian Junior champion Kaitlyn Lawes in the final.  Both finals are scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Monday.

In the Sunday prize round semi-finals, Stoughton topped Mike  McEwen 7-6, Nicholls whipped Reid Carruthers 8-1, Jenion was a 6-4 winner over Joelle Brown, and Lawes doubled up on Kim Link 8-4.

The first prize in both divisions in Selkirk is $3,520, while the runner-up teams each will receive $2,520.  Losing semi-finalists  earned $1,020 apiece.

 

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<October 1, 2008>

An impressive field will gather in Selkirk this week for the opening event on the Manitoba Curling Tour for 2008-09, the McMILLAN INSURANCE CLASSIC, with maximum fields of 16 men’s and 16 women’s teams.

The $16,000 cashspiel starts with draws at 6:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on Thursday (October 2nd) at the Selkirk and District Curling Club, continuing Friday night, all day Saturday and Sunday, and concluding with finals at 6:30 p.m. on Monday.

Former Manitoba Safeway championship skips Jeff Stoughton, Vic Peters, and Randy Dutiaume head the men’s division, along with reigning MCT champion Mike McEwen, Manitoba Mixed champion Sean Grassie, and recent provincial finalists David Bohn, Peter Nicholls, and Reid Carruthers.

2008 Canadian Junior champion Kaitlyn Lawes, three-time Manitoba Junior champion Calleen Neufeld, two-time provincial Junior champion Kristy Jenion, and defending McMillan Insurance champion Kaileigh Strath are among the notables in the women’s division.

OTHER MCT NOTES — Three MCT events will be featured on the Thanksgiving weekend October 10th-13th, the Manitoba Lotteries Stakes at the Brandon Curling Club, the Atkins Curling Supplies Women’s Classic at Charleswood, and the Nott Autocorp Thanksgiving Charity Open (Oct.9th-13th) at Winnipeg’s Thistle club.
Applications to enter The Sunova Classic in Beausejour (October 16th-19th) are still being accepted in the men’s division (the women’s division is complete with 16 teams).  The entry list also is complete (16 men’s, 16 women’s teams) for the first edition of the King Spud Classic (October 16th-19th) in Carberry.

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<September 18, 2008>

The Manitoba Curling Tour is set to move into its 18th season, offering cash purses totalling $451,760 in 19 events.  The schedule begins in Selkirk with the McMillan Insurance Classic in men’s and women’s divisions.  It has a full entry of 16 teams in each division, starting on Thursday night October 2nd, running to the finals on October 6th.

The tour continues with Canad Inns as a major sponsor, associate sponsors in Labatt Breweries Manitoba and Asham Curling Supplies for the MCT Championships, and a website (www.mancurltour.ca) under the guidance of Lori Pelissier.

Four events have new title sponsors this season, the Nott Autocorp Thanksgiving Charity Open October 9th-13th at the Thistle Curling Club, the Atkins Curling Supplies Women’s Classic October 10th-13th at Charleswood, the Beausejour Sunova Classic October 16th-19th, and the Shaw Christmas Open December 26th-30th at the Fort Rouge Curling Club.  The tour also has welcomed back to the lineup a cashspiel at the Brandon Curling Club, the Manitoba Lotteries Stakes, to be held October 10-13th.

For the first time, the tour will have an event in Carberry.  The Carberry King Spud Classic October 16th-19th is aiming for 16 teams in each of men’s and women’s divisions, with modest entry fees of $600 and $300.

The largest purse on the MCT now is offered by the Casinos of Winnipeg Women’s Classic October 24th-27th at the Fort Rouge Curling Club. An increase of $12,000 (including payouts of $100 per win in the preliminary round) will produce a total purse of $62,000.

The MCT Championships will be held January 2nd-4th, 2009, at the Morris Curling Club with a 24-team men’s and 8-team women’s divisions. Morris also will play host to the Morris Curling Classic December 5th-7th, and a new event is planned for the same club March 20th-23rd, to be known as the ’09-10 MCT Launch Bonspiel.  Once again the men’s champion or the highest ranking eligible team in the men’s MCT Championship will earn a provincial berth in the 2009 Safeway Championship.

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<Aug 15, 2008>

The organizers of the CASINOS OF WINNIPEG WOMEN’S CLASSIC at the Fort Rouge Curling Club (October 24th-27th) have announced an increase in the event’s prize money for the coming season.

The total purse has been boosted from $50,000 to $62,000, with a playoff payout of $16,000 – $11,000 – 2 x $6,000 – and 4 x $3,700 (eight qualifiers).  In addition, $100 per win will be paid out for each of the 82 games leading up to the prize round.

The entry fee will remain at $1,000 for this premier women’s event on the Manitoba Curling Tour, and it also continues to be a fixture on the Asham World Curling Tour.  It was won in 2007 by Shannon Kleibrink’s team from Calgary.

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<Aug 13, 2008>

As indicated on July 16th, another women’s event now has been confirmed for the Manitoba Curling Tour this season.  The ATKINS CURLING SUPPLIES WOMEN’S CLASSIC will be held on the Thanksgiving weekend at the Charleswood Curling Club, October 10th-13th.

It replaces a 10-team event that was held on the same weekend at Charleswood last season.

Tamara Bauknecht is the chair and contact (phone 775-6998 or by e-mail – [email protected]), and applications now are open for interested teams.  The entry fee is $500, the target is for 18 teams playing in a three-group round robin with six playoff qualifiers, a $9,000 total purse with a $3,500 first prize, and eligibility for Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS) points.

The Manitoba tour is set to go with 19 events for 2008-09, starting with the McMillan Insurance Curling Classic in Selkirk October 2nd-6th.  New sponsors are in place in Beausejour for the Sunova Classic, at Thistle for the Nott Autocorp Thanksgiving Charity Open, and at Fort Rouge for the Shaw Christmas Open.  In addition, Brandon is back on the tour with the Manitoba Lotteries Stakes, and a new event will be held in Carberry, the King Spud Classic.

Morris will be site of the Manitoba Curling Tour Championships, January 2nd-4th, 2009, and also will play host to two other cashspiels on the tour, December 4th-7th and March 20th-23rd, when the MCT will experiment with the ’09-10 MCT Launch Bonspiel.

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< July 16, 2008>

Another women’s event on the Manitoba Curling Tour is in the planning stages for the upcoming season.

The Charleswood Women’s Classic is projected for the Thanksgiving weekend, October 10th-13th, 2008 (presently an open weekend on the women’s MCT schedule), at the Charleswood Curling Club, where a 10-team event (the Valour Road Women’s Spiel) was held on the same weekend last year.

The entry fee will be $500.  With a minimum of 12 teams, the format would be a two-group round robin with four qualifiers, the total purse $6,000, and would be eligible for Canadian Team Ranking System (CTRS) points.  The first draw is slated for 6 p.m. on Friday, October 10th, concluding with playoffs on Monday, October 13th.

For more information, contact Tamara Bauknecht, phone 775-6998, or [email protected] — by e-mail.

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<July 8, 2008>

All cashspiels on the Manitoba Curling Tour now are accepting applications to enter the events on the 2008-09 schedule.

The tour is in the process of updating the pertinent information on all events for this website, including contacts, phone numbers and e-mail addresses, entry fee amounts and purse details.

We draw your attention to new events this year — the Manitoba Lotteries Cash Spiel in Brandon, the Nott Autocorp Thanksgiving Charity Open at Thistle, the Carberry King Spud Classic, plus all the mainstays that form the backbone of our tour.  Also note the new sponsorship and event title in Beausejour, now known as the Sunova Classic.

The MCT Championships for the upcoming season will be held at the Morris Curling Club, January 2-4th, 2009.

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<June 6, 2008>

Another event has been added to the 2008-09 schedule of the Manitoba Curling Tour, bringing the total number of cash spiels to 18, including the MCT Championships in Morris. The Nott Autocorp Charity Open will replace the former Asham 8-Ender Open at the Thistle Curling Club, and will be held October 9th – 13th, 2008.

It will be a men’s event, 24-team maximum, with an entry fee of $479.00 and a total purse of $13,500. It is intended to be a four-group five game guarantee round robin with 8 qualifiers.

The contact and cashspiel chair is Barry Swain, phone (204)282-0110 or email [email protected].

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<May 26, 2008>

The Manitoba Curling Tour 2008-09 schedule has been finalized.  It will consist of 16 events, plus the MCT Championships, January 2-4th, 2009, at the Morris Curling Club.

The six-sheet Morris club has conducted a regular event (formerly the Enns Brothers Classic) on the tour since its inception.  In addition to the MCT Championships, it will continue this coming season with the Morris Curling Classic December 5-7th, and will hold a new event, the ’09-10 MCT Launch Bonspiel from March 20-23rd, 2009.

An event in Brandon will return to the tour, the $35,000 Manitoba Lotteries Cash Spiel, October 10-13th, at the Brandon Curling Club, being organized by Scott Ramsay.  Another new cashspiel on the tour is the Carberry King Spud Classic for men and women with $9,600 and $4,800 purses, October 16-19th, under the guidance of Kelly Marnoch and Betty Buurma.

The East St. Paul Curling Club, the site of the Scotties Berth Bonspiel for women, November 14-17th, will not be holding its annual cashspiel this coming season.

The largest cash events on the tour will continue to be the Meyers Norris Penny Prairie Classic for men in Portage, and the women’s Casinos of Winnipeg Classic at the Fort Rouge Curling Club.

The schedule follows:

Oct.3-6     Selkirk – McMillan Insurance Classic        (men-women)
Oct.10-13   Brandon – Manitoba Lotteries Cash Spiel     (men)
Oct.16-19   Beausejour – SI Credit Union Classic        (men-women)
Oct.16-19   Carberry – King Spud Classic                (men-women)
Oct.24-26   Hamiota – Hamiota Men’s Cash Spiel          (men)
Oct.24-27   Fort Rouge – Casinos of Winnipeg Classic    (women)
Oct.24-27   Portage – Meyers Norris Penny Prairie Classic   (men)
Oct.30-Nov.3  Rossmere – Kurbis Memorial Galaxy Bonspiel    (open)
Nov.7-10    Swan River – Whites’ Drug Store Classic      (men)
Nov.14-17   Gimli – Pharmasave Gimli Classic            (men)
Nov.20-24  Stonewall — Interlake Pharmacy Classic     (men-women)
Nov.28-Dec.1  Dauphin – Clinic Pharmacy Cash Spiel      (men)
Dec.5-7     Morris – Morris Curling Classic             (men)
Dec.10-14   Thistle – Thistle Integrity Stakes          (open)
Dec.26-30   Fort Rouge – Fort Rouge Christmas Spiel     (open)

Jan.2-4/09  Morris – MCT Championships                  (men-women)

Mar.20-23/09  Morris – ’09-10 MCT Launch Bonspiel       (men-women)

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<Jan 6, 2008>

The champions of the Manitoba Curling Tour for this season are the MIKE McEWEN team from Assiniboine-Memorial and BARB SPENCER’S Fort Rouge foursome.

McEwen went undefeated with five straight wins in Portage, capturing the MCT men’s division title in a field of 24 teams.  With support from B.J. Neufeld, Matt Wozniak, and Denni Neufeld, he defeated Ryan Fry of Jeff Stoughton’s Charleswood team 4-2 in the final.

The McEwen unit earned $7,000 in prize money plus the MCT berth in the Manitoba Safeway Championship, to be held at the Brandon Keystone Centre, February 13th to 17th, 2008.  Jeff Stoughton and Rob Fowler could not play in Portage, so Fry and Steve Gould picked up Chris Schille (who formerly played for Brad Gushue in Newfoundland) and played as a 3-man team all weekend.  They earned runner-up cash of $4,000.

Terry McNamee of Brandon and Reid Carruthers of Beausejour received $2,000 apiece for reaching the semi-finals, while Don Spriggs of Portage and James Kirkness of Deer Lodge each earned $1,500 as losing quarter-finalists (24 teams– 6 qualifiers).

Spencer skipped her team of Kristen Williamson, Brette Richards, and Barb Enright to a $4,000 cheque for a final 11-4 victory over her sister Darcy Robertson of Fort Rouge, who earned $2,000 as the runner-up team in the women’s division.  Holly Scott of the Granite and Maureen Bonar of Beausejour received $1,000 as semi-finalists (8 teams– 4 qualifiers).

This was the 17th MCT Championship (it started in 1991-92), and caps off the 2007-08 tour season.  McEwen’s tour title is his first, and it is a third in the women’s division for Spencer, who won previously in 2001-02 and in 2003-04.

(Final MCT Standings will be updated and released on Jan.8th, 2008)

Dec 31, 2007 Dec 30, 2007 Dec 30, 2007 Dec 22, 2007 Dec 9, 2007 Dec 3, 2007

Dec 2, 2007

Nov. 26, 2007 Nov 25, 2007 Nov 19, 2007 Nov 18, 2007 Nov 15, 2007 Nov 12, 2007 Nov 11, 2007 Nov 5, 2007 Oct 29, 2007 Oct 23, 2007 Oct 22, 2007 Oct 14, 2007 Oct 8, 2007 Oct 4, 2007 Oct 1, 2007 Sept 28, 2007 Sept 10, 2007

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<Dec 31, 2007>

The 24-team men’s field for the Manitoba Curling Tour Championships
in Portage this coming weekend (Jan. 4th-6th, 2008) has been finalized.

Leading the luminaries who will compete for a top prize of $7,000 and the MCT berth in the 2008 Safeway provincials is the tour’s money leader, Vic Peters of Winnipeg’s Granite club, and his foursome becomes the number one seed.

Reigning Manitoba men’s champion Jeff Stoughton will not play, but his team will be there with Ryan Fry doing the skipping.  Kerry Burtnyk is another absentee, away in Scotland curling in the Perth Masters event this week.

Defending MCT champion Don Spriggs of Portage is a natural local favorite, and will open the double knockout against second seeded Allan Lyburn, the winner of the Brandon’s Men’s Berth Bonspiel this month.

Other notables in the field are Reid Carruthers of Beausejour, who has impressed on the World Curling Tour, plus two-time winners on the MCT this season Chris Galbraith of Rosser and Lorne Hamblin of Morris.  Dave Boehmer of East St. Paul, Randy Dutiaume and David Bohn of Thistle, and Canada Cup qualifier Mike McEwen also should be contenders.

The one out-province invader is Bryan Derbowka of Yorkton, who is a regular performer on the Manitoba tour, and will be warming up for the Saskatchewan zone playdowns the following weekend.

The men’s champion in Portage, or the highest finishing eligible team, will represent the tour in the Safeway provincials February 13th-17th at Brandon’s Keystone Centre.

The MCT Championships begin with draws in the men’s division at 12:00 p.m. and 3 o’clock on Friday, while the eight-team women’s division begins with the first round at 6:15 p.m.

The pairings and the first two draws:

Friday 12:00 p.m. —

Allan Lyburn, Brandon – Don Spriggs, Portage
Daley Peters, Petersfield – James Kirkness, Thistle
Randy Dutiaume, Thistle – Sean Grassie, Stonewall
Reid Carruthers, Beausejour – Michael Martin, Deer Lodge
Terry McNamee, Brandon – Rob Atkins, East St. Paul
Chris Galbraith, Rosser – Murray Woodward, Ste. Anne
Friday 3:00 p.m. —

Ryan Fry, Charleswood – Scott Madams, Granite
Lorne Hamblin, Morris – Brendan Taylor, Grain Exchange
Dave Boehmer, East St. Paul – Rich Muntain, Charleswood
Bryan Derbowka, Yorkton – Bob Sigurdson, Granite
David Bohn, Thistle – Mike McEwen, Assiniboine-Memorial
Doug Riach, Thistle – Vic Peters, Granite
<Dec 30, 2007>

Two of the top three money winners in the women’s division of the Manitoba Curling Tour will head an eight-team field at the Portage Curling Club (Jan. 4th-6th, 2008) next weekend in the Manitoba Curling Tour Championships.

Joelle Brown of Rossmere and Barb Spencer of Fort Rouge earned $10,775 and $10,025 respectively in tour events this season, and they will be the top seeds in the double knockout event. Only Shannon Kleibrink of Calgary ($15,000) ranked higher in the standings.

The top prize is $4,000, while the runner-up earns $2,000, and the losing semi-finalists $1,000 apiece.

The skips in the balance of the women’s field are Maureen Bonar of Beausejour, Holly Scott of the Granite, Tracey Lavery, Janet Harvey, and Darcy Robertson all of Fort Rouge, and Chantal Lagasse of Charleswood.

Reigning Manitoba Scotties champion Jennifer Jones of St. Vital is unable to compete due to commitments in Switzerland.

The first round draw for the women’s division:

Friday, Jan.4th/08, 6:15 p.m. —

Joelle Brown, Rossmere — Chantal Lagasse, Charleswood
Holly Scott, Granite — Tracey Lavery, Fort Rouge
Maureen Bonar, Beausejour — Darcy Robertson, Fort Rouge
Janet Harvey, Fort Rouge — Barb Spencer, Fort Rouge

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<Dec 30, 2007>

Mike Mahon (man) of Deer Lodge (with support from Ian Mahon, Blair Smith, and Kevin Meadows) won the LABATT FORT ROUGE CHRISTMAS SPIEL tonight (Sunday), the last event on the tour’s regular season schedule.

Mahon was a 6-4 winner over Lorne Hamblin’s family team from Morris in the final.  Kevin Hamblin, the team’s fourth, also handled skipping duties in the absence of his father for the semi-final and final.

Mahon earned $2,200 and is eligible for the MCT Championships in Portage next weekend.  The Hamblin team received $1,400, losing semi-finalists Randy Dutiaume and Lionel Chartrand, both of Thistle, $900 apiece, while Ryan Hyde of Portage and Sean Grassie of Stonewall earned $700 each for reaching the quarter-finals (21 teams–6 qualifiers). Doug Harrison of the Granite won the Consolation event ($500), topping Jay DeFoort ($400) of Fort Rouge 7-4 in the final.

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<Dec 22, 2007>

Vic Peters, the leading men’s division money winner to date on the Manitoba tour, has confirmed his entry in the MCT Championships, January 4th-6th, 2008, at the Portage Curling Club.

One of the opponents Peters may have to face in the 24-team field is his son Daley, who will skip his Safeway zone-winning Petersfield team in the Portage event.  In addition to the top prize of $7,000, Vic Peters and most other entrants in the men’s division will be seeking the MCT berth in the Safeway provincials, which goes to the highest finishing eligible team.

A pair of two-event winners on the tour this season, Chris Galbraith of Rosser and Lorne Hamblin of Morris, also are confirmed for Portage,  The women’s division will have Barb Spencer of Fort Rouge and Maureen Bonar of Beausejour heading an 8-team field with a top prize of $4,000.

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<Dec 9, 2007>

David Bohn of Winnipeg’s Thistle club (with support from brother Dennis Bohn, Robin Nelson and Chad Barkman) won the INTEGRITY STAKES at his home Thistle Curling Club tonight (Sunday).

Bohn came from behind in the final, scoring a tying two points on the 10th end and a winning deuce on the 11th, to beat Bob Sigurdson of the Granite 8-6.  The victory was worth $1,800 to the Bohn team, while Sigurdson earned $1,000 for his runner-up finish.

Doug Riach of Thistle and Rich Muntain of The Pas received $700 apiece for reaching the semi-finals, and Andrew Wickman of Thistle and Peter Nicholls of West Kildonan picked up $400 each as losing quarter-finalists (18 teams–6 qualifiers).

Corey Chambers of St. Vital won the the Consolation event and $400.

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<Dec 3, 2007>

Chris Galbraith of Winnipeg’s Thistle club (with Adam Norget, Derek Samagalski, and Dan Cox) won the DAUPHIN CLINIC PHARMACY CASH SPIEL and a top prize of $8,000, beating Reid Carruthers of Beausejour 9-5 in the final (Monday, Dec.3rd).

Galbraith also won the Pharmasave Gimli Classic earlier on the Manitoba tour this season.  Carruthers will take home $5,000, while losing semi-finalists Brendan Taylor of Thistle and Jason Krupski of Whitewood, Saskatchewan, earned $3,500 apiece.  Losing quarter-finalists Murray Woodward of Ste, Anne, Craig Disher of Langdon, North Dakota, Dave Boehmer of Petersfield, and Glen Despins of Regina each received $2,500 (30 teams–8 qualifiers).

The other MCT event, the MORRIS CURLING CLASSIC, concluded on Sunday night (Dec.2nd), when Lorne Hamblin’s team (with Kevin Hamblin at fourth, Doug Hamblin at third, and David Hamblin at second) defeated Kris Mazinke in an all-Morris final 9-4.

The Hamblins earned $2,800, Mazinke $1,800, while Brad Wainikka of Morden and Mark Franklin of Fort Rouge, who lost in the semi-finals, picked up $850 apiece (15 teams–4 qualifiers).  Troy Hamilton of Fort Rouge earned $500 by winning the Consolation event.

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<Dec 2, 2007>

Lorne Hamblin’s family team won a home town final over clubmate Kris Mazinke in the MORRIS CURLING CLASSIC, rolling to a 9-4 win.  It was the second tour victory of the season for Hamblin, who skips and throws lead stones, while sons David, Doug, and Kevin play second, third, and fourth. The team won the McMillan Insurance Classic in Selkirk to start the season.

Hamblin’s foursome won first place money of $2,800, while Mazinke picked up $1,800.  Losing semi-finalists Brad Wainikka of Morden and Mark Franklin of Fort Rouge received $850 apiece, while Troy Hamilton of Fort Rouge picked up $500 by winning the Consolation event (15 teams–four qualifiers).

The DAUPHIN CLINIC PHARMACY CASH SPIEL is ready for Monday playoffs. Craig Disher of Langdon, North Dakota, Murray Woodward of Ste.Anne (skipping the former Mark Lukowich team), Chris Galbraith of Thistle, and Jason Krupski of Whitewood, Saskatchewan, won the “C” event qualifying matches last night (Sunday, Dec.2nd).

The quarter-final lineup for 9 a.m. Monday (Dec.3rd) has Woodward against Brendan Taylor of Thistle, Disher versus Reid Carruthers of Beausejour, Krupski meeting Dave Boehmer of Petersfield, and Galbraith facing Glen Despins of Regina.  Semi-finals will follow at 12:00 p.m., and the final at 3 p.m. (times are CST).

The winner in Dauphin will earn $8,000, the runner-up $5,000, the losing semi-finalists $3,500 apiece, and the losing quarter-finalists each will receive $2,500.

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<Nov. 26, 2007>

Kerry Burtnyk of Winnipeg’s Assiniboine Memorial club won the INTERLAKE PHARMACY CLASSIC for a second straight year, beating Vic Peters of Fort Garry 11-9 in an extra end final in Stonewall last night (Monday, Nov.26th).

With his team of Dan Kammerlock, Rich Daneault, and Garth Smith, Burtnyk earned the first place prize of $10,000.  Peters had to settle for $6,000, but that amount boosted the Fort Garry veteran to the top of the MCT money standings.

Peter Nicholls of West Kildonan and Reid Carruthers of Beausejour lost in the semi-finals and received $3,000 apiece, while Brendan Taylor of Thistle and Scott Madams of the Granite earned $2,000 each for reaching the quarter-finals (24 teams–6 qualifiers).  Vic’s son Daley Peters of Petersfield picked up $1,000 by winning the Consolation event, beating Bob Sigurdson of the Granite 9-4 in that final.

Joelle Brown of Rossmere (with Krista Chapman, Ainsley Champagne, and Kristie Moroz) denied a repeat victory for Barb Spencer of Fort Rouge in the women’s division in Stonewall, winning the top prize of $5,000 by beating Spencer 11-7 in the final.

Spencer earned $2,500, while losing semi-finalists Holly Scott of the Granite and Kim Link of East St. Paul received $1,500 each (16 teams–four qualifiers).  Linda Stewart of Bowsman won the Consolation event and $750, beating Connie Shepell of Fort Garry 12-10 in the final.

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<Nov 25, 2007>

Peter Nicholls of West Kildonan and Reid Carruthers of Beausejour advanced to the semi-finals of the INTERLAKE PHARMACY CLASSIC in Stonewall last night (Sunday).  Nicholls will meet Kerry Burtnyk of Assiniboine Memorial, while Carruthers will go against Vic Peters of Fort Garry at 4 p.m. today (Monday).

Nicholls beat Brendan Taylor of Thistle 8-2, while Carruthers topped Scott Madams of the Granite 6-4 in Sunday night’s quarter-finals. The semi-finalists are set in the women’s division, also to be held at 4 o’clock (Monday) in Stonewall.  Joelle Brown of Rossmere will meet Holly Scott of the Granite, and Barb Spencer of Fort Rouge will be facing Kim Link of East St. Paul.  Finals in both divisions are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. (CST).

The men’s champion will earn $10,000, the runner-up $6,000, the losing semi-finalists $3,000 each, while Taylor and Madamssreceived $2,000 apiece.  The women’s champion will earn $5,000, the runner-up $2,500, and the losing semi-finalists will take home $1,500 apiece.

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<Nov 19, 2007>

Chris Galbraith of Winnipeg’s Thistle club won a clash of former junior curling champions in the final of the PHARMASAVE GIMLI CLASSIC at the Gimli Rec Centre tonight (Monday).

With support from Adam Norget, Derek Samagalski, and Dan Cox, Galbraith scored a 10-7 victory over Daley Peters of Petersfield in the final, earning a top prize of $5,200.  Peters settled for $2,800.

Galbraith won the Manitoba and Canadian junior titles in 1995, while Peters won back-to-back Manitoba junior crowns in 2004 and 2005.

Peter Prokopowich of Dauphin and Jared Roland of Minot, North Dakota, lost in the semi-finals and received $2,000 apiece, while losing quarter-finalists Vic Peters of Fort Garry and Scott Madams of the Granite club earned $1,000 each.  Andrew Wickman of Thistle won the Consolation event and $500 (19 teams–6 qualifiers).

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<Nov 18, 2007>

Chris Galbraith of Winnipeg’s Thistle club will meet Daley Peters of Petersfield in the final of the PHARMASAVE GIMLI CLASSIC on Monday night (Nov.19th) at 7 o’clock (CST).

Galbraith defeated Peter Prokopowich of Dauphin 7-5, while Peters was a 9-3 winner over Jared Roland of Minot, North Dakota, in Sunday’s semi-finals at the Gimli Rec Centre.

The finalists will play for a top prize of $5,200, while the runner-up receives $2,800.  Prokopowich and Roland earned $2,000 each, while the losing quarter-finalists, Vic Peters of Fort Garry and Scott Madams of the Granite club, picked up $1,000 apiece.

Andrew Wickman of Thistle won the Consolation event and $500, beating Wayne Ewasko of Riverton 6-5 in the final.

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<Nov 15, 2007>

The tour schedule has passed the midway mark in the season, but six events remain, in Gimli, Stonewall, Dauphin, Morris, and at Thistle and Fort Rouge in Winnipeg, plus the MCT Championships in Portage January 4-6th, 2008.

The Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy Cash Spiel (Nov.30-Dec.3rd), with a $30,000 purse, still had a few openings at last report.  Check under our Events listing for details and contact Ray Baker.

A block of rooms is being held at the Canad Inns in Portage for the MCT Championships.  Teams already eligible (Hamblin, Lyburn, McNamee, Fowler, Atkins, Jordison, Strath, Spencer, Bonar, and Brown) can confirm their reservations now — call (204) 857-9745

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<Nov 12, 2007>

For the fourth straight year, a team from Saskatchewan has won the WHITES’ DRUG STORE CLASSIC in Swan River.  Joel Jordison of Moose Jaw (with Scott Bitz, Derek Owens, and Dean Hicke) defeated Darrell McKee of Saskatoon 7-5 in the final (Monday), earning a top prize of $10,000.

Jordison, a runner-up to Glenn Howard earlier this season in the Meyers Norris Penny Prairie Classic in Portage, followed the previous winning efforts (2006-05-04) of Bruce Korte, Gerald Shymko, and Brad Heidt in Swan River.

McKee earned $8,000 for his second place finish, while Allan Lyburn of Brandon (who lost a 7-6 extra end decision in the semis to McKee) and Shawn Joyce of Saskatoon received $5,000.  The losing quarter-finalists were David Bohn of Thistle, Vic Peters of Fort Garry, Dan Petryk of Calgary, and Bryan Derbowka of Yorkton, all earning $4,000 (26 teams–8 qualifiers).

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<Nov 11, 2007>

On Sunday, Joelle Brown of Rossmere (with Krista Chapman, Ainsley Champagne, and Kristie Moroz) won the EAST ST. PAUL WOMEN’S CASH SPIEL, beating Tracey Lavery of Fort Rouge 9-5 in the final.

Brown earned $3,500, Lavery $2,000; losing semi-finalists Karen Porritt and Barb Spencer, both of Fort Rouge, picked up $1,000 apiece, while Maureen Bonar of Beausejour and Kim Link of East St. Paul each received $500 for reaching the quarter-finals (21 teams–6 qualifiers).

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<Nov 5, 2007>

Rob Atkins filled a pair of vacancies on his East St. Paul team this weekend with Bill Kuran and Dave Boehmer at third and fourth stone, and proceeded to win the KEN KURBIS MEMORIAL GALAXY BONSPIEL at Winnipeg’s Rossmere Country Club.  With Curtis Atkins at lead, the foursome defeated James Kirkness of Thistle 5-4 in the final last night (Monday).

The victory was worth $3,200 to the Atkins team, while Kirkness earned $1,600 as the runner-up.  Randy Neufeld of La Salle, who won the Galaxy in 2005 and lost to Vic Peters in last year’s final, continued to finish in the money at Rossmere.  Neufeld lost 9-4 to Kirkness in the semi-finals, while Darryl Friesen of St. Vital bowed out 7-0 to the Atkins team.  Neufeld and Friesen received $750 apiece.

The losing quarter-finalists were Corey Chambers of St. Vital, Wayne Ewasko of Riverton, Michael Martin of Deer Lodge, and Kyle Peters of Pembina, who received $450 each (27 teams — 8 qualifiers).

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<Nov 5, 2007>

The semi-finalists were determined last night (Sunday) in the KEN KURBIS MEMORIAL GALAXY BONSPIEL at Rossmere Country Club in Winnipeg.

Randy Neufeld of La Salle beat Kyle Peters of Pembina 8-7 in the quarter-finals.  His team will meet James Kirkness of Thistle in the semis; Kirkness knocked out Michael Martin of Deer Lodge 12-6.

In the other quarter-finals, Darryl Friesen of St. Vital bounced Wayne Ewasko of Riverton 8-6, while Rob Atkins of East St. Paul pounded Corey Chambers of St. Vital 8-1.  Short two players off his regular team, Atkins recruited Dave Boehmer to throw fourth stone and Bill Kuran to play third this weekend; Atkins is skipping and throwing second.

The semi-finals are scheduled for 6 p.m. at Rossmere tonight (Monday), with the final to follow at 9 p.m.

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<Oct . 29, 2007>

he East St. Paul Curling Club has announced the cancellation of the Men’s Division of the EAST ST. PAUL CASH SPIEL, scheduled for the period November 6th-12th, 2007.

A major reason for the decision was the conflict in timing this year with the MCA Southern Berth Bonspiel in Neepawa.  The Manitoba Curling Association shifted the berth bonspiel from its previous dates of the first weekend in November.

Not affected by the cancellation is the Women’s Division of the EAST ST. PAUL CASH SPIEL, which will continue as scheduled, and is expected to be expanded.

For more information, contact Carl German 224-5282 or Kim Link at 668-1118.

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<Oct. 29, 2007>

World champion Glenn Howard of Coldwater, Ontario (with Richard Hart, Brent Laing, and Craig Savill) coasted to victory in the MEYERS NORRIS PENNY PRAIRIE CLASSIC in Portage la Prairie (Monday, Oct.29th).

Howard recorded seven straight wins at the Portage Curling Club, including decisive 6-1 and 7-1 victories over Kerry Burtnyk of Winnipeg’s Assiniboine Memorial club in the semi-final, and Joel Jordison of Moose Jaw in the final.

Howard’s second cashspiel success in three outings this season was worth $12,000 to his team, while Jordison earned $8,000.  Burtnyk and Jeff Stoughton of Charleswood received $6,000 apiece as semi-finalists.  Those losing in the quarter-finals — Vic Peters of Fort Garry, Dave Boehmer of Petersfield, Randy Dutiaume of Thistle, and Mike McEwen of Assiniboine Memorial — picked up $4,000 each, and the teams of Allan Lyburn of Brandon, Brad Gushue of St. John’s, Newfoundland, and Todd Birr of Mankato, Minnesota went home with $3,000 each as the 9th-11th place finishers (32 teams–11 qualifiers).

In another MCT event, Brian Fowler of Brandon (with Greg Rabe, Ray McPhail, and Dave Burman) won the HAMIOTA MEN’S CASH SPIEL on Sunday, beating Lawrence Daniel of Hamiota 7-4 in the final.

Fowler received $3,000 for the win, Daniel $1,500, and the losing semi-finalists, Brent Strachan of Hamiota and Barry Rabe of Brandon, earned $750 each (12 teams–4 qualifiers).

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<Oct 23, 2007>

Shannon Kleibrink of Calgary (with Amy Nixon, Bronwen Saunders, and Chelsey Bell) won the CASINOS OF WINNIPEG WOMEN’S CLASSIC at the Fort Rouge Curling Club (Monday night), beating Jennifer Jones of St. Vital 6-4 in the 8-end Grand Slam event final.

Kleibrink made the precise shots needed to produce three deuces on the way to an impressive $15,000 victory.  Jones, who settled for  $10,000, defeated Kleibrink in the 2005 Casinos Classic final, and has been a consistent money-maker with three runner-up finishes.

Krista McCarville of Thunder Bay and Cheryl Bernard of Calgary earned $5,500 apiece for reaching the semi-finals, while Maureen Bonar of Beausejour, Debbie McCormick of Madison, Wisconsin, Cathy King of  Edmonton, and Heather Rankin of Calgary each picked up $3,500 as quarter-finalists (32 teams–8 qualifiers).

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<Oct 22, 2007>

The eight playoff qualifiers were determined last night (Sunday) in the CASINOS OF WINNIPEG WOMEN’S CLASSIC at Winnipeg’s Fort Rouge Curling Club.

Two Manitoba teams are in the 10 a.m. quarter-finals (Monday). Jennifer Jones of St. Vital qualified out of “B” Group, while Maureen Bonar’s team from Beausejour made it from “C”.  Bonar advanced by beating Karen Rosser of Springfield 9-7 in their last chance match.

This is the quarter-final lineup:

Cheryl Bernard, Calgary — Heather Rankin, Calgary
Debbie McCormick, Madison, Wisconsin — Jennifer Jones, St. Vital
Shannon Kleibrink, Calgary — Maureen Bonar, Beausejour
Krista McCarville, Thunder Bay — Cathy King, Edmonton

Semi-finals will follow at 1:30 p.m., and the final at 5 p.m. (all times Central Daylight).

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<Oct 14, 2007>

Terry McNamee’s team from the Brandon Curling Club (with Brendan Taylor, Travis Taylor and Travis Saban) won the men’s division of the SOUTH INTERLAKE CREDIT UNION (SICU) Classic in Beausejour, downing Chris Galbraith of Thistle 8-2 in the final at the Sun Gro Centre (Oct.14th).

McNamee won five straight games in Beausejour, and following the success of Allan Lyburn in the Valour Road Men’s Open last weekend, posted the second win in a row for   Brandon team on the tour.

McNamee’s quartet earned $3,200, Galbraith $1,600, while Don Spriggs of Portage and Kyle Peters of Pembina received $950 for reaching the semi-finals, and $650 went to losing quarter-finalists Daley Peters of Petersfield and Michael Martin of Deer Lodge (22 teams — 6 qualifiers).

In women’s play, Maureen Bonar skipped a team of three sisters curling out of Beausejour (with Quinn, Megan and Leigh (lee) Adams) to the top prize of $1,500, topping Kerri Flett of Selkirk 6-2 in the final. Flett earned $850, while Tracey Lavery of Fort Rouge and Kim Link of East St. Paul received $550 each as semi-finalists (12 teams — 4 qualifiers),

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<Oct 8, 2007>

Allan Lyburn’s team from Brandon Riverview (with Scott Ramsay, Mark Taylor and Hub Perrin) won the VALOUR ROAD MEN’S OPEN, topping Peter Nicholls of West Kildonan 5-3 in the final at the Thistle Curling Club (on Monday, Oct.8th).

Lyburn scored three on the third end to jump into command, and coasted to a victory worth $7,500.  Nicholls had a second runner-up finish in the first two weeks on the Manitoba tour, settling for $5,500.

Earlier, Reid Carruthers of Beausejour and Vic Peters of Fort Garry lost in the semi-finals, worth $3,250 apiece, and $2,000 cheques went to losing quarter-finalists James Kirkness and Randy Dutiaume of Thistle, and the Minnesota teams of John Shuster of Duluth, and Pete Fenson of Bemidji (24 teams–8 qualifiers).

In women’s play, Barb Spencer of Fort Rouge (with Kristen Williamson, Brette Richards and Barb Enright) won the VALOUR ROAD WOMEN’S SPIEL at Charleswood.  Spencer drew the four-foot with last stone to beat Joelle Brown (unattached) in the final 5-4.

Spencer’s team earned $4,025, Brown’s foursome $2,275, and losing semi-finalists Holly Scott of the Granite and Kaileigh Strath of St. Vital received $1,225 apiece (10 teams–4 qualifiers).

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<Oct 4, 2007>

Two events have been organized to replace the cancelled Asham8-ender Men’s and Women’s Opens on the Thanksgiving weekend.

With a field of 24 teams, the 2007 Valour Road Men’s Open will beheld at the Thistle Curling Club, using a four-group round robin (plus playoffs) format.  It will start with an opening draw at 3 o’clock on Friday (Oct.5th), concluding on Monday.  The total purse will be $25,000.

The 2008 Valour Road Women’s Spiel will be held at the Charleswood Curling Club with 10 teams, using a two-group round robin (plus playoffs) format.  It will start with its opening draw at 6 p.m. on Friday (Oct.5th), also concluding on Monday.  The total purse still is to be determined.

Further details will be available on the MCT website (www.mancurltour.ca) as they become available, and there will be a link to the World Curling Tour website for more information on the men’s event.

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<Oct 1, 2007>

The winners of the first event on this season’s Manitoba Curling Tour, the McMILLAN INSURANCE CLASSIC, are the Lorne Hamblin team from Morris (with Lorne skipping and throwing lead stones, Kevin Hamblin at fourth, David Hamblin at third, and Doug Hamblin at second) in the men’s division, and the Kaileigh Strath foursome from St. Vital (with Sabrina Neufeld, Laryssa Grenkow, and Breanne Meakin)) in the women’s division in Selkirk.

Hamblin defeated Peter Nicholls of West Kildonan 6-2 in the men’s final last night (Monday, Oct.1st), while Strath topped Barb Spencer of Fort Rouge 9-7 in the women’s final.  Both winning teams won five straight games in the Selkirk cashspiel.

In the semi-finals, Hamblin defeated Vic Peters of Fort Garry 8-7 in an extra end, Nicholls was a 6-3 winner over Travis Bale of Springfield, Strath eliminated Kristy Jenion of Fort Rouge 7-5, and Spencer scored five on the 10th end to come from behind for a 10-8 win over Janet Harvey of Fort Rouge.

The McMILLAN INSURANCE CLASSIC replaced the SELKIRK STEELTOWN CLASSIC on the tour, with 16 teams and four qualifiers in both divisions (prize money below).

STANDINGS — MEN’S DIVISION
TEAM                CLUB/LOCATION           MONEY EARNED
****                *************`          ************
1   Lorne Hamblin           Morris                      $3,500
2   Peter Nicholls          West Kildonan                2,500
3   Vic Peters              Fort Garry                   1,000
4   Travis Bale             Springfield                  1,000

WOMEN’S DIVISION
****************
1   Kaileigh Strath         St. Vital                   $3,500
2   Barb Spencer            Fort Rouge                   2,500
3   Kristy Jenion           Fort Rouge                   1,000
4   Janet Harvey            Fort Rouge                   1,000

UPCOMING ON THE MCT — the next event on the tour is the VALOUR ROAD MEN’S OPEN at the Thistle Curling Club, starting Friday, October 5th with an entry of 24 teams.  It replaces the Asham 8-ender Open which was cancelled. Still uncertain is the status of a women’s cashspiel at Charleswood Curling Club, also on the Thanksgiving weekend.

The women’s cashspiel at the Charleswood Curling club, intended to replace the Asham Women’s Open on the Thanksgiving weekend, needs two more entries to reach a required total of 12 in order to proceed. Contact Lisa Fargey by phone 219-4642 (home) or e-mail at [email protected] for information.

Also short of entries is the men’s section of the South Interlake Credit Union Classic October 11th-14th in Beausejour.  Contact Doug May by phone 268-4612 (home) or 949-1454 (office) or e-mail at [email protected] for information.

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<Sept. 18, 2007>

The Manitoba Curling Tour is set to move into its 17th season, offering cash purses totalling $431,460 in 17 events.  The schedule begins in Selkirk with the newly-sponsored McMillan Insurance Classic (formerly the Steeltown Classic) with men’s and women’s divisions, from September 28th to October 1st.

In other developments, the tour now has Canad Inns as a major sponsor, joining Labatt Breweries Manitoba and Asham Curling Supplies, and a new website has been created (www.mancurltour.ca) to provide improved local information and liaison with MCT event operations.

To avoid conflict with the Canada Cup qualifying bonspiels of the Canadian Curling Association and the Continental Cup, the Manitoba Curling Tour Championships will be shifted back to January 4th-6th, 2008, and will be held once again at the Portage Curling Club with 24-team men’s and 12-team women’s divisions.

In addition to the McMillan Insurance Classic, two other MCT events will have new titles and sponsors this season.  Beausejour’s cashspiel (October 11th-14th) now is known as the SICU Classic (South Interlake Credit Union Classic), and in Morris, the former Enns Brothers Classic will be called the Morris Curling Classic (November 30th-December 3rd).

The sale of the Agricore United operation in Manitoba has resulted in a one-year suspension of the long running Oiltown Classic in Virden, and in another change the two Asham Open events (men’s and women’s) both will be held on the Thanksgiving weekend (October 5th-9th) at the Thistle Curling Club in Winnipeg.

At its annual meeting in June, the Manitoba Curling Association approved an MCT request to clarify the tour’s representation of its men’s champion each year in the Safeway Championship.  The highest ranking eligible team in the men’s MCT Championship will earn a provincial berth, this season in Brandon in February.

The complete 2007-08 schedule:

Sept.28-Oct.1     Selkirk-McMillan Insurance Classic      (men-women)
Oct. 5-8            Thistle-Valour Road Men’s Open        (men)
Oct. 6-9            Charleswood- Women’s Open      (women)
Oct.11-14          Beausejour-SICU Classic                 (men-women)
Oct.19-22          Fort Rouge-Casinos of Wpg. Classic      (women)
Oct.26-28          Hamiota-Hamiota Men’s Cash Spiel        (men)
Oct.26-29          Portage-Meyers Norris Penny Prairie Classic (men)
Nov. 1-5            Rossmere-Kurbis Memorial Galaxy Bonspiel    (open)
Nov. 6-12          East St. Paul-East St. Paul Cash Spiel  (men-women)
Nov. 9-12          Swan River-Whites’ Drug Store Classic   (men)
Nov.16-19          Gimli-Pharmasave Gimli Classic          (men)
Nov.22-26          Stonewall-Interlake Pharmacy Classic    (men-women)
Nov.30-Dec.3      Morris-Morris Curling Classic           (men)
Nov.30-Dec.3      Dauphin-Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy Cash Spiel  (men)
Dec. 5-9            Thistle-Thistle Integrity Stakes        (open)
Dec.26-30          Fort Rouge-Labatt Fort Rouge Xmas Spiel (open)

Jan.4-6/2008      Portage-MCT Championships               (men-women)

F.M.I.– Bob Picken, phone (204) 489-8642;
E-mail — [email protected]

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<Sept 10, 2007>

The annual pre-season News Conference of the Manitoba Curling Tour will be held on Tuesday September 18, 2007 in the 2nd floor Rossmere Room of the Rossmere Country Club, 925 Watt Street, Winnipeg, MB at 11:30 a.m. Complete information on the tour, adjustments, and interviews will be available.