Alberta:
The excitement is building in advance of the 2012 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, and nowhere is it more evident than here in “Wild Rose” country.
Curling fans across the province are anxious to know which team will be wearing Alberta’s colours when play gets underway at Red Deer’s Westerner Park on February 18.
Cheryl Bernard (Photo Michael Burns)
That team will be determined through provincial championship play at the 2012 Alberta Scotties Tournament of Hearts, which will be contested from January 25-29 at the Sobey’s Arena in Leduc. The 12-team event will feature a knockout format in advance of a four-team Page playoff. Shannon Kleibrink and her Calgary Winter Club rink of Amy Nixon, Bronwen Webster and Chelsey Bell will make the trip to Leduc as the defending Alberta champions. Edmonton’s Heather Nedohin and Calgary’s Cheryl Bernard earned entries for their teams based upon CTRS points accumulation, while Calgary’s Crystal Webster advanced by way of performance on the Alberta Women’s Curling Tour.
Saskatchewan:
Four of the twelve teams which will comprise the field for the Saskatchewan SaskPower Scotties Tournament of Hearts are now in place. Regina’s Michelle Englot has skipped Saskatchewan teams to six national Scotties appearances and will join Saskatoon Granite Curling’s Stephanie Lawton, Saskatoon Nutana’s Trish Paulsen and Humboldt’s Jolene Campbell at the provincial finale. Englot, Campbell and Lawton all qualified through the accumulation of Canadian Team Ranking System points, while Paulsen advances as the highest ranking team on the Saskatchewan Women’s Curling Tour.
Manitoba:
Four-time Canadian Scotties champion Jennifer Jones and her Winnipeg St. Vital team of Kaitlyn Lawes, Jill Officer and Dawn Askin will be the team to beat when play gets underway in Portage la Prairie in late January at the 2012 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Defending Manitoba champion Cathy Overton-Clapham of Winnipeg’s Fort Rouge Curling Club will also be in the hunt as part of the 16-team final field which will feature pool play in advance of a four-team Page playoff.