(Information from the Winnipeg Free Press and Canoe Slam! Sports)

Cathy Overton-Clapham, who played against PEI’s Erin Carmody and Geri-Lynn Ramsay in last season’s Scotties final before being replaced on the Jennifer Jones rink, has been hired by the Canadian Curling Association to mentor PEI’s Carmody, 22, and Ramsay, 21, along with New Brunswick skip Andrea Kelly. Overton-Clapham will work with the Eastern Canadian wing of the CCA’s very successful La Releve program, which is aimed at grooming younger curlers. and  has worked in the past to develop such champions as Jones and Team Canada second Jill Officer. Overton-Clapham has been assigned specifically to work with the three Maritime curlers, saying “I’ll be working with them on all sorts of stuff this winter.  And we’ll play in at least one bonspiel together.”

Overton-Clapham has also accepted an invitation to curl in place of two-time Olympic gold medallist Anette Norberg in the Southwest Ontario Women’s Charity Bonspiel in London Ont. this fall, as Norberg is unable to attend. “Cathy O” is also planning to put together a team for the Manitoba playdowns this year, while Carmody and Ramsay are also planning for a return trip to the Scotties, which will take place in their home province in February.