The first team to qualify for Canada’s women’s national curling championship – outside of defending champion Jennifer Jones – was determined in December, as Nunavut’s representative was declared.
Jenine Bodner’s rink from the host Iqaluit Curling Club includes Jennifer Blaney at vice-skip (throwing fourth stones), second Alison Griffin (throwing third rocks), lead Megan Ingram and coach Susanne Martin. The team will represent the territory at the 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Sydney, N.S., Feb. 16-24.
[Griffin, formerly from the Alberton PEI area, also competed for Nunavut at the Travelers Curling Club Championship in November 2018, and for PEI at the Canadian Mixed in November 2017, as well as the Travelers in November 2016, and also in 2013 when it was known as The Dominion Curling Club Championship.]
TEAM NUNAVUT (Left to right in photo)
Iqaluit Curling Club
Skip: Jenine Bodner (throws second stone)
Vice-skip: Jennifer Blaney (throws fourth stone)
Second: Alison Griffin (throws third stone)
Lead: Megan Ingram
Alternate: Sadie Pinksen (not in picture)
Coach: Susanne Martin (not in picture)
Bodner, who throws second rocks while calling the game, twice defeated Robyn Mackey by 9-4 and 9-5 scores, and downed Sadie Pinksen 12-5 in a double round-robin event among the three teams.
“This year was a great year for Nunavut where we had three teams for both the men’s and women’s respective playdowns event,” Ingram relayed in an email.
At the 2018 Scotties in Penticton. B.C., Nunavut was represented by Amie Shackelton of the Iqaluit Curling Club, who finished 0-7. Bodner did appear at the 2016 Scotties pre-qualifying event in Grande Prairie, Alta., and, while playing lead, delivered the first stone for a Nunavut team to compete at the national women’s event.
Tickets for the 2019 Scotties are available on-line at curling.ca/tickets at the Centre 200 box office or by calling 902-564-2200.