The Mitchell Rowley team from the Maple Leaf Curling Club in O’Leary captured the 20 and Under division, while their clubmates, the Colton Griffin team, won the 15 and Under division at the Island Petroleum Provincial Junior Mixed Curling Championships, which wrapped up this afternoon at the Crapaud Community Curling Club.
Both rinks won the A and B sections of the triple-knockout competition, allowing them to win the two-game championship round by winning either of the games. Both teams won on the first try, with Rowley defeating the Cody Dixon team from the Montague Curling Club by an 8-5 score, and Griffin recording an 8-3 win over Alex Matters of Charlottetown. Rowley was down 5-1 after three ends in his game, but kept the Dixon foursome off the scoreboard for the rest of the game, following two singles with a triple and a deuce. Griffin had a similar game, trailing 3-2 after three, and shutting out Matters in the remaining ends, with a single, a pair of deuces and another single steal in the seventh.
Rounding out the 20 and Under champion Mitchell Rowley rink are Amanda MacLean, Brandon Clements, and Aleya Quilty, with Keith Rowley and Glen MacLean sharing coaching duties. Other members of the runner-up Cody Dixon foursome are Rachel Collier, Joey Collier, and Heather Drake, with coaches Barry and Brent MacDonald.
Playing with 15 and Under champion skip Colton Griffin were Kassinda Bulger, Daniel McCarthy, and Emily Gray, with coaches Norma Jean Griffin and Shelley Gray. The runner-up Alex Matters rink included Megan Davies, Andrew Cameron, and Emma Matheson, with coach Derek Cameron.
Dixon advanced to the championship round with an 8-4 win over Rowley in the “C” finals this morning, while Matters got by Cornwall’s Veronica Smith team by a 7-5 score. Rowley beat Dixon in both the A and B section finals, while Griffin beat Matters in the A section, and Shawn Pitre of Alberton’s Western Community Curling Club in the B.
Four teams began play on Saturday in the 20 and Under Division, while five rinks took part in the 15 and Under section, in this new event which wraps up the 2008-2009 championship curling season on PEI.