Sarah Wark can now call herself a BC Women’s Champion after leading her Abbotsford Curling Club team to a win in the final of the 2019 Scotties BC Women’s Curling Championship, presented by Best Western and Nufloors.
While third Kristen Pilote, second Carley Sandwith and lead Jen Rusnell (filling in for Michelle Dunn) have all previously won the BC Women’s Championship, this is the first for Wark, who has also previously won the BC Junior Women’s, Mixed and Mixed Doubles Championships.
“I am over the moon right now,” said Wark. “This has been a dream of mine since I was a very little girl. To have it come true after all this hard work, I’m thrilled and we’re super excited for the next step.”
The team has been successful all season, coming second in the BC Women’s Curling Tour. They only lost once while in Quesnel, a game against Team Richards in the round robin that required an extra end.
“I literally have the best teammates ever. We are really just best friends who get to travel with each other,” said Wark. “Everybody on the team is super smart and patient and calm, and we just work really well together.”
To get to the final, Team Wark won a close 1-2 page playoff game against Kamloops’ Team Brown, who would later win the semifinal to set up a rematch.
Team Wark took the lead early on, with a 6-1 score after six ends. While Corryn Brown’s team of Erin Pincott, Dezaray Hawes and Ashley Klymchuk tried to close the gap, Team Wark took the win 7-4.
Team Brown, who also had a very successful season that included finishing at the top of the BC Curling Tour standings, improved upon their 2018 BC Scotties bronze medal with their second place finish.
“They played consistent all year as well,” Wark said of Team Brown. “They are really good … [and are] definitely a team to watch.”
The team will now go on to represent BC at the 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Sydney, Nova Scotia from February 16 to 24.
