(by Mike Carson) SUMMERSIDE – The Blair Jay rink from the host Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club in Summerside won the Atlantic Curling Tour cashspiel in an extra end on Sunday afternoon.
Photo © Mike Carson/Journal Pioneer. Skip Blair Jay (right) and opposing skip Robert Campbell (centre) watch Jay’s red stone enter the house as sweepers Mac LeClair and Aidan Downey look on during action at the Atlantic Curling Tour cashspiel at the Silver Fox Curling and Yacht Club.
Jay defeated Robert Campbell of Charlottetown 8-6 in an extra end to take home the $1,800 first-place prize. The Campbell foursome won $1,200 as runner-up.
It was the second consecutive extra-end game for the Jay rink, which defeated Kevin Saccary of the Dartmouth Curling Club 6-5 in one of two semifinals on Sunday morning. Campbell defeated clubmate Suzanne Birt 9-4 in the other semifinal.
“It’s certainly been quite the day,” Jay said following the win.
Jay hadn’t intended to curl the event, but at the last minute another team withdrew. In order to balance the schedule he put his rink in.
“We weren’t expected to do anything,” said Jay. “We would have been quite happy to win a game, and just game after game we found a way to win. We just stayed focused.”