The Owen Collier rink from the Montague Curling Club and the Sarah Parsons team from the host Crapaud Community Curling Club are PEI’s newest, and youngest, curling champions, winning the KFC Provincial age 12 and Under Curling Championships on Sunday.
The Collier rink, which includes John Campbell throwing fourth stones, along with second Dawson Chatman, and lead Jayde Maynard, with coaches Steve Ryan and Nancy Collier, finished round robin play with a 3-0 win-loss record. The runner-up Ryan Lowery rink was also from Montague, and also had a 3-0 record. The two teams were in different pools and did not play each other, with the winner determined by a points system combining ends won and score difference in addition to win-loss records. Other members of the Lowery team, coached by David Rice and Cody Dixon, are Darian Rice, Tyler Garnum, and Dawson Higginbotham. Third place went to defending champion Donald DeWolfe and his rink from Cornwall, with a 2-1 win-loss record. Carter Worth, Ben Wilson, and Riley Taweel, with coaches Avery Wells and Steve DeWolfe complete the DeWolfe rink.
Rounding out the Parsons team are Kaleigh Peters, Sierra Clyke, and Bridget Paterson, with coach Dario Zannier. The runner-up rink in the girl’s division was skipped by Kristie Rogers out of the Cornwall Curling Club, with teammates Megan Stewart, Olivia MacPhail, and Rachel MacLean, and chaperone Michele Rogers. They finished with the same 2-1 record as the winning team, but in a separate pool. The third place team, from the Silver Fox curling and Yacht Club in Summerside was skipped by Elly Whitney-Coulter, with third Abbey MacFadyen, Cassidy Arsenault, and Chloe Hunter, with coach Shelley MacFadyen, and also had a 2-1 win-loss record.
Six boys and six girls teams took part in this event. For less-experienced curlers in the 12 and Under age category, KFC is also sponsoring a Fun Tournament at the same club, on March 4, which offers three four-end matches, and allows players on a team to be any combination of boys and/or girls. Six rinks are taking part.
Photo: Angus Davies from KFC throws out the ceremonial first rock at the KFC 12 and Under on Sunday. Preparing to sweep the stone are (left) Sierra Clyke, and (right) Bridget Paterson.