Play wraps up today for the winners and runners-up of this year’s O’Connor Glass PEI Under 18 Curling championships, with the PEI winners competing in the Optimist International in Surrey and Langley BC, and the runners-up playing in the Atlantic Under 18 Championships in Stephenville NL.

In the Optimist, both the PEI Men’s rink, skipped by Tony Nabuurs, and Women’s team, skipped by Jenny McLean, won game 4 Saturday morning and both lost Game 5 in the afternoon, with a won-loss record of 2-3 at the end of round robin play. They continue play Sunday with both semi-final and final games for World seeding at 9:30 and 1:30. PEI men are playing Sask. in the semi-finals for the 5th seed, while PEI women play NW Territories in the 9th seed semis. The seedings are one of the determinants used for pool placement in event next year.

Nabuurs and McLean rinks at the Optimist banquet (photo by Margaret O’Connor)

The banquet was held Saturday evening with TSN’s Cathy Gauthier as guest speaker. The gold medal men’s round will see Manitoba play Alberta, and Ontario face Japan in the semi-finals, while the women’s will see Manitoba vs Alberta and Sask. vs BC in the semis.

Meanwhile, at the Atlantics, there’s still one round robin draw left, at 9 this morning, with the PEI men, skipped by Tyler Smith, taking on the host team (Andrew Taylor), and women, skipped by Emily Keen facing 1st place Nova Scotia (Mary Fay). Smith is at 1-2, following a loss to Newfoundland and Labrador, and a win over Nova Scotia on Saturday, while Keen is at 2-1, losing to New Brunswick, but winning over the host team on Saturday.

NS leads the women at 3-0, while Keen and NB’s Justine Comeau are tied for second. New Brunswick, skipped by former Islander Kyle Hughes is 3-1 on the men’s side, while NB and NL are 2-1.

The Championship and Consolation finals go at 1 pm.