Curling has an amazing six nominations going into Wednesday night’s Sport PEI annual awards banquet at the Rodd Royalty in Charlottetown. Here is the list:
Senior Female Athlete of the Year
Erin Carmody
Summerside’s Erin Carmody exploded onto the senior curling ranks in 2010, enjoying a year which saw her win a Scotties silver medal, and a prestigious national award.
Just one year out of junior, Erin and her long-time friend Geri-Lynn Ramsay teamed up with the experienced Tricia Affleck and Kathy O’Rourke, and the chemistry was perfect as they won a provincial championship.
At the Scotties, Erin threw skip rocks, and she relished the pressure of a televised event as time and time again she came through in tight situations, helping the team to a play-off berth with an 8-3 record.
In the play-offs Erin was lights out, particularly in the semi-final against Ontario when she curled 93%, a performance that ultimately saw her win the Sandra Schmirler Award for Scotties play-off MVP.
Although the team came up just short in the final, Erin and the team had caught the imagination of the country’s curling fans, and she has a very bright future ahead of her in the women’s game.
Sports Official
Cliff Poirier
Summerside’s Cliff Poirier is undoubtedly the province’s finest curling official, and in 2010 he was in demand, working not only most of the provincial events, but the national Brier and Dominion championships as well.
In Halifax, Cliff worked many of the Brier draws as timing supervisor, while at the Dominion championships held on PEI he not only served on the committee, which meant organizing the officials’ details, he was also an on-ice or head official throughout the championship.
A conductor of the association’s timing clinics, Cliff was constantly busy over the past 12 months, and when he wasn’t directly associated with events, he was reviewing, critiquing and providing feedback to the Canadian Curling Association for its new rule book.
Generous with his time, knowledgeable and accommodating, when Cliff Poirier is in charge, curlers know that they will get maximum effort, and the best officiating it is possible to get.
Team of the year
Kathy O’Rourke Rink
The Kathy O’Rourke Curling Rink from Charlottetown caught the imagination of the whole nation in 2010, with an outstanding run at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Sault Ste. Marie, which almost resulted in a fairytale win.
Islanders were glued to their sets throughout the week as the team of O’Rourke, Tricia Affleck, Erin Carmody and Geri-Lynn Ramsay curled superbly to record an 8-3 record, and first-place after the regular standings, before defeating Ontario 10-6 in the semi-final, a game in which Carmody curled 93% throwing skip stones.
Standing in the way of a first Scotties title for PEI was three-time title holder Jennifer Jones and her Team Canada Rink, and PEI made the early running , opening up a 6-3 lead heading into the 7th end, before Jones battled to lead 7-6, with PEI tying it again in the 10th to force extra ends.
Alas, one in the extra end was enough for Jones to claim her 4th title, but it had been a fantastic effort by PEI, with Carmody winning the Sandra Schmirler award as play-off MVP, and the whole team recognized with a hero’s reception back at the Charlottetown Club on their return.
Robert Campbell Curling Rink
Charlottetown’s Robert Campbell won a national mixed title in Manitoba back in 1989, and it was a repeat performance in 2010 as his team of third Rebecca Jean MacPhee, second Robbie Doherty, and lead Jackie Reid dominated from start to finish, earning the skip a second Canadian championship.
It was a confident quartet that headed to the small Manitoba community of Morris in November, having secured the provincial title the previous March. Skip Campbell admitted he expected the team to do well, but their round-robin play exceeded all expectations when they put up a 10-1 record to earn a bye into the final. Adapting well to the good ice, the team drew well throughout the tournament and was dogged in holding on once they took a lead.
In the final the Charlottetown Rink came up against the only team to beat them in the round-robin, Terry McNamee’s Manitoba rink, and it was a cat-and-mouse affair with no team scoring more than a single.
PEI held a 3-2 lead heading into the 9th before McNamee pulled off only the second steal in the game with a shot to the button, but in the 10th a miss on a double-raise takeout gave PEI the point it needed to win the championship.
Campbell was named all-star skip for the championship, while he, and Rebecca Jean, will represent Canada at the World Mixed Doubles Championships next month in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Coaching
Al Ledgerwood
Photo: Ledgerwood
Charlottetown’s Al Ledgerwood is one of the most in-demand coaches in Island curling, with his expertise and knowledge of the game an invaluable resource for a number of teams competing at the national level.
With over 40 years under his belt as a player and coach, there is nothing Ledgerwood does not know about the game, and 2010 was arguably his finest in the sport, when he helped the Kathy O’Rourke Rink from the Charlottetown Curling Club win a national silver medal.
The make-up of the O’Rourke Rink was diverse, with the experienced Kathy and Tricia Affleck joined by Erin Carmody and Geri-Lynn Ramsay, two young curlers straight from the junior ranks.
It was Al’s responsibility to mould the team into a cohesive unit, and what a job he did, beginning in the spring of 2009 and working with each player, correcting weaknesses and establishing clear goals.
His efforts paid off, first with a provincial title, and then at the Scotties in Ontario, where his presence at crucial times, both on and off the ice, pushed the team to a magnificent silver medal that had the whole province glued to their TV sets.
Al was the perfect complement to this talented team, and his strong work ethic, passion and enthusiasm played a vital role in one of PEI’s finest sporting accomplishments of 2010.
Administrator of the year
Shirley Lank
North Wiltshire’s Shirley Lank is another individual who has given a tremendous amount to her sport, with over 30 years of volunteering on her curling resume.
Currently in her third term as president, Shirley had a busy 2010 which saw her co-chair the successful Canadian Dominion Championships in Charlottetown and Cornwall. She is constantly trying to ensure that all curlers have a chance to participate, and that the provincial association provides quality programming.
An avid supporter of junior curling, Shirley is known for her can-do, no-nonsense approach, and she is particularly wise when it comes to making financial decisions for the association.
Her many years experience have included sitting on numerous boards and committees, organizing events, and offering support to both coaching and officiating.
Lank is an Honorary Life Member of the PEI Curling Association.
Good luck to all our nominees!