Smith, Newson, split 1st 2 Atelka PEI Mixed section finals, play again in 3rd

The Veronica Smith rink from Crapaud and Cornwall, and the Jamie Newson team from Charlottetown and Crapaud have each won two of the three modified triple knockout sections, and are now the only teams remaining out of the  9 who began play Friday in the Atelka Provincial Mixed Fours Curling Championships at the Western Community Curling Club in Alberton. Newson won the A final on Saturday, 8-5 over Smith, while Smith, aided by a three point fourth end steal, took the B in an extra end by a 7-6 score Sunday afternoon. The two teams now face off for the third section final — at 11 am Monday, after Smith beat Charlottetown’s Jody Jackson 7-2, and Newson doubled the Tyler MacKenzie rink from Charlottetown 6-3 in the C semi-finals Sunday evening.

The winner of Monday morning’s C final will, as the winner of two sections, have a “double life” in the two game championship round, set for 3 pm Monday and, if needed, 6 pm Tuesday. If that team wins either championship game, they would take the championship, while the other team would have to win both to win the event.

The Veronica Smith team includes third Tyler Smith, second stone Sabrina Smith, and lead Dylan Lowery, while Vanessa Hamming, Tyler Harris, and Miranda Ellis round out the Newson foursome.

The winning team will advance to the 2017 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship, Nov. 14-19, 2016, at the Mariners Centre in Yarmouth, NS. The Mixed Fours are the traditional 4 person competition, while the Mixed Doubles is the newer 2 person format, which has a separate championship.