It was an all-Victoria affair at the 2020 BC Mixed Doubles Curling Championship.
Victoria’s Steph Jackson-Baier and Corey Chester won the championship in Hope, which wrapped up yesterday (Sunday, Mar. 1). The silver and bronze medallists also had Victoria connections.
Jackson-Baier is a BC Scotties Champion (2014) and a five-time BC Junior Women’s champion, while Corey Chester is a two-time BC Junior Men’s champion (2012 and 2013) and was 2007 Juvenile Boys’ champion.
The fast-paced version of the game features one male and one female curler and the game is played over eight ends (instead of the usual 10). Mixed Doubles curling debuted at the Pyeongchang Olympics and is due to be in Beijing in 2022.
Team Jackson-Baier-Chester won gold after beating fellow Victoria Curling Club members Carley Sandwith and Cam de Jong 6-3 in the final. Team Sandwith-de Jong were awarded the silver medals with the bronze medals going to Team Wilson-Cowan – featuring Victoria junior curler Kayla Wilson and Delta-based Troy Cowan.
The BC championship in Hope was a 16-team competition featuring two pools of eight teams.
In Mixed Doubles each team has only six stones and one of those stones from each team is prepositioned on the centre line before every end of play. One player delivers the first and last stones of the end while the other player throws the second, third and fourth stones. If they choose to, the two players may swap positions from one end to the next. Both team members are also allowed to sweep.
The Canada Inns Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship will take place in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba from Mar. 17-22, 2020. BC curlers Tyler Tardi and Dezaray Hawes have already qualified for nationals through the Curling Canada NextGen Mixed Doubles event that took place at the Canada Cup in Leduc, Alberta, during the last week of November.
Full rosters of teams:
Team Jensen/Deane – Tunnel Town
Shawna Jensen
Connor Deane
Team DenToom/Merchant – Vancouver Curling Club
Allison DenToom
David Marchant
Team Prinse/Gamache – Chilliwack/GEWC
Stephanie Prinse
Rhys Gamache
Team Ward/ Gallaugher – Royal City
Shannon Ward
Robbie Gallaugher
Team Woo/Wenzek – Royal City
Courtney Woo
Daniel Wenzek
Team Pohlod/Prade – Delta Thistle
Layna Pohlod
Patrick Prade
Coach: Gregory Pohlod
Team Geiger – Abbotsford
Debbie Geiger
Dean Geiger
Team Little/Small – Nelson
Kristina Little
Nathan Small
Team Everest/Cseke – Kelowna
Elise Everest
Adam Cseke
Team Sandwith/de Jong – Victoria
Carley Sandwith
Cameron de Jong
Team Jackson-Baier/Chester – Victoria
Steph Jackson Baier
Corey Chester
Team Wilson/Cowan – Victoria/Tunnel Town/Delta
Kayla Wilson
Troy Cowan
Team King Simpson/Croteau – Victoria/Campbell River
Karly King Simpson
Connar Croteau
Team Czirfusz/Cheung – Prince George
Eryn Czirfusz
Mattias Cheung
Coach: Doug Dalziel
Team McKinney/Foord – Hope
Debbie McKinney
Terry Foord
Team Wilson/ Silversides – Victoria
Sasha Wilson
Duncan Silversides