(by Tim Gall)
P.E.I. women’s coach and a player receive national awards at the Canadian junior championships in Ontario
NAPANEE, ONT. — Despite missing the playoffs, Prince Edward Island came home with some hardware from the Canadian junior curling championships.
The lead and coach of the Sarah Fullerton rink each earned special recognition from the Canadian Curling Association.
Coach Angela Hodgson and Hillary Thompson each earned Fair Play Awards and Hodgson was also named as winner of the Asham National Coaching Award for women’s teams at the championship.
“It was totally unexpected,” said Hodgson, who has coached the team the past two years at the national championships. “It was nice to be recognized by my peers and by the officials of the event.
Thompson, meanwhile, was surprised to be chosen to receive the fair play award for leads in the junior women’s competition.
“It was pretty amazing,” she said. “I was honoured to receive the award. Everyone here has been super nice and really sportsmanlike, so it was a surprise, and I was truly honoured. It means a lot to me.”
Photo special to The Guardian by Michael Burns PhotographyRecipients of women’s Fair Play Awards at the Canadian junior curling championship in Napanee, Ont., Friday, from left, are: Angela Hodgson of P.E.I., coach; Emily Dwyer of Nova Scotia, skip; Marissa Gale of New Brunswick, third; Jess Cunningham of Newfoundland and Labrador, second; Hillary Thompson of P.E.I., lead.
The team of Fullerton, Michelle McQuaid, Sara MacRae, and Thompson, representing the Cornwall and Charlottetown clubs — finished the event with a 6-6 record, one game shy of the 7-5 achieved by the unit last season.
The Charlottetown junior men’s team of Alex Matters, Chris Gallant, Kyle Holland and Andrew Cameron finished the round robin with a 3-9 record.