British Columbia’s young curling talent will be descending upon Parksville Curling Club for the 2020 BC U18 Curling Championships. The final set of teams that will be competing in the event was determined at regional qualifiers this past weekend.
At the Lower Mainland playdowns at Mission Granite Curling Club, three girls’ teams qualified, Team Taylor – the U21 championship silver medalists from Tunnel Town, Team Bowles and Team Wong. There were also three boys’ teams that qualified, Team Reed, Team Ballard and Team Deane.
At Okanagan playdowns in Kelowna, two girls teams from Kamloops qualified – Team Calhoun and Team Hafeli. The two Kamloops teams were also competitors at the U21 level. One boys’ team also qualified in Kelowna – Team Antunes from Summerland/Penticton/Oliver/Kelowna.
Two Vancouver Island and Lower Mainland combination teams, Team Douglas (Gibsons/Duncan/Comox Valley/Parksville) and Team Richards (Comox Valley/Port Moody) secured the girls’ U18 berths at Vancouver Island playdowns at Comox Valley Curling Club. At the same playdowns, three boys’ teams won berths, Team Parkinson (Comox/Qualicum/Parksville), Team Morrill (Parksville) and Team Curtis (Comox/Campbell River).
The two U18 teams to have earned their spots for the U18 championships at an open playdown in Kamloops in December were Team Tao (Richmond/Vancouver/Port Moody) and Team Buchy (Kimberley/Kelowna/Delta Thistle).
The 2020 BC U18 Curling Championships will be taking place from Mar. 17-22 at Parksville Curling Club on Vancouver Island.
The winners of the event will compete in Sudbury, Ont., at nationals. The Canadian championships are scheduled for April 21-26, and will be co-hosted by the Idylwylde Golf and Country Club and the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex
Full team rosters:
GIRLS
Team Buchy, Kimberley/Kelowna/Delta Thistle
Skip: Kaila Buchy
Third: Katelyn McGillivray
Second: Elizabeth Bowles
Lead: Sasha Wilson
Coach: Tom Buchy
Team Taylor, Tunnel Town/Royal City
Skip: Jensen Taylor
Third: Meredith Cole
Second: Keira McCoy
Lead: Chelsea Taylor
Coach: Christopher Summers
Team Bowles, Delta Thistle
Skip: Emily Bowles
Third: Ashley Mallett
Second: Gabby Brissette
Lead: Grace McCusker
Coach: Marla Mallett
Team Wong, Marpole/Langley/Chilliwack/Vancouver
Skip: Sarah Wong
Third: Tanis Short
Second: Naomi Britz
Lead: Amanda Wong
Coach: Ken Britz
Team Calhoun, Kamloops
Skip: Maeve Calhoun
Third: Neave Calhoun
Second: Kate Hancock
Lead: Kaitlyn Garrett
Coach: Lori Olsen
Team Hafeli, Kamloops
Skip: Holly Hafeli
Third: Jorja Kopytko
Second: Hannah O’Neil
Lead: Natalie Hafeli
Coach: Monica Makar
Team Douglas, Gibsons/Duncan/Comox/Parksville
Skip: Rebecca Douglas
Third: Chanelle Meeres
Second: Daleana Reintjes
Lead: Zoe Torgerson
Coach: Dave Douglas
Team Richards, Comox Valley/Port Moody
Skip: Gracelyn Richards
Third: Keelie Duncan
Second: Bryn Woloshyn
Lead: Kate Eisner
Fifth: Cailyn Collins
Coach: Adam Duncan
BOYS
Team Tao, Richmond/Vancouver/Port Moody
Skip: Johnson Tao
Third: Toby Mills
Second: Connor Kent
Lead: Michael Nunn
Coach: Vic Shimizu
Team Antunes, Summerland/Penticton/Oliver/Kelowna
Skip: Tyler Antunes
Third: Zachary Kuechle
Second: Jacob Martin
Lead: Eric Waller
Fifth: Rhett St John
Coach: Glen Brennan
Team Reed, Golden Ears Winter Club
Skip: Thomas Reed
Third: Kazune Eugene Fei
Second: Adam Fenton
Lead: Matthew Fenton
Coach: Fuji Miki/Brad Fenton
Team Ballard, Langley
Skip: Preston Ballard
Third: Neil Imada
Second: Erick Dominiguez
Lead:Ryder Tymich
Fifth: Miles Reed
Coach: Cindy Wenzek
Team Deane, Tunnel Town/Nanaimo/Royal City/Vernon
Skip: Connor Deane
Third: Benjamin Morin
Second: Joshua Miki
Lead: Mack Ellis
Coach: Greg Deane
Team Parkinson, Comox/Qualicum/Parksville
Skip: Chris Parkinson
Third: Jackson Nowak
Second: Connor Litton
Lead: Christian Klein-Beekman
Coach: Bob Franklin
Team Morrill, Parksville
Skip: Michael Morrill
Third: Cole Pletz
Second: Isaac Brightland
Lead: Rowan Brightland
Coach: Rocky Morrill
Team Curtis, Comox/Campbell River
Skip: Greg Curtis
Third: Reuben Tiede
Second: Jesse Tiede
Lead: Henry Holland
Coach: Mark Taylor
