(by Al Cameron)
It’s practice day at the Scotties Alberta women’s curling championship in Leduc, where six of the top 11 women’s teams on the Canadian Team Ranking System are congregated, looking to win the right to represent Alberta at the Scotties Tournament of hearts next month in Red Deer.
For what it’s worth, here’s my take on how things will shake down in Leduc this weekend:
The Finalists
Shannon Kleibrink, Calgary-Glencoe Club (Amy Nixon, Carolyn Darbyshire, Chelsey Matson, Daryl Nixon, 1) — The defending champs have soldiered on through a lot of upheaval this season (a cancer scare for Kleibrink, a pregnancy for long-time second Bronwen Webster, a family medical emergency for Matson), and still managed to find themselves in the top 10 on the Canadian Team Ranking System and seeded first for the Alberta championship . . . Based on past performances, they deserve it . . . Their minds should be clear for the provincials, and Kleibrink is throwing a lot cleaner rocks than she did during a disappointing performance at the Scotties in Charlottetown last February
Crystal Webster, Calgary-Glencoe Club (Erin Carmody, Geri-Lynn Ramsay, Sam Preston, Mark Johnson, 3) — Addition of P.E.I. imports Carmody and Ramsay, who finished second to Jennifer Jones at the 2010 national Scotties, was a shot in the arm for the Webster outfit . . . She’s compiled her best season on the World Curling Tour to date, capped by a win in Saskatoon that all but locked up her provincial berth . . . Webster is still waiting for that breakthrough at the provincial level, though. She’s proven she can play with the top teams on the planet on Tour, but the Alberta Scotties has been a source of frustration . . . There’s no question about the talent on this team; the question remains whether it can all come together at the right time.
Close, But Not Quite
Cheryl Bernard, Calgary CC/Calgary-Glencoe Club (Susan O’Connor, Lori Olson-Johns, Jennifer Sadleir, Terry Meek, 2) — Bernard and Co. had to grind it out on Tour to qualify for provincials, and while it wasn’t always pretty (Bernard’s best result was a runner-up spot at the season-opening Shootout in Edmonton way back in September), it got the job done . . .Plenty of talent up and down the lineup, but this continues to be a work in progress