2010-11 CIS/CCA Curling Championships headed to St. John’s

Bally Haly and RE/MAX Centre to co-host

The 2010-11 CIS/CCA Curling Championships are coming to St. John’s next March. In an announcement made yesterday the national university tournament was awarded to co-hosts, Bally Haly Curling Club and the RE/MAX Centre. The event, presented by the Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company will take place March 9 to 13, 2011 and will include between 16 and 24 teams in both a men’s and women’s draw.

Craig Withycombe and Toby McDonald, the Co-Chairmen for this Event, were joined by Newfoundland and Labrador Curling Association President, Bob Osborne, and the Director of Athletics at Memorial University, Michelle Healey, in making the announcement.

Osborne said that, “With 16 to 24 male and female teams competing, this will be the largest of the 14 CCA-affiliated national championships (since the first in 1966) to be played in this Province and not be played in an arena (except for the 1999 Canada Games in Corner Brook).”

However Osborne expressed confidence that “the experienced staff and volunteer base at these two Clubs, the 10 sheets of very reliable curling ice, and the Host Committee formed under the Chairmanship of Craig Withycombe and Toby McDonald are up to the challenge. All bodes well for a highly successful event both technically and with respect to the hospitality that visitors can expect.”

Withycombe explained that, “Planning has been underway for a couple of months and the Committee is utilizing expertise from both Clubs, Memorial University, and NLCA. Sponsorship is being sought, and we will be putting a procedure in place shortly to recruit a large team of volunteers. The CCA will provide Head Official and Web Site assistance.”

Although there will be no on-ice or ice shed seating, the two Clubs and the games will be open to the public at no charge (to the extent that capacity will allow) throughout the week.

Michelle Healey, Director of Athletics at Memorial University, said that, “Memorial has had a deep and successful history of intercollegiate curling, on both the female and male sides, going back to 1969 (Memorial’s first AUAA Championship). University curling has been an important stage in the development of some of the Province’s top curlers. Many of our university curling athletes have gone on to National success with some gaining international experience. It was just three years ago that the CCA and CIS created a partnership to deliver a national championship annually and although curling has not been funded as a full varsity sport, we have been able to provide some support to the travelling teams. I commend our local curling people for seeking out the opportunity to host this event in St. John’s, and we are pleased to be assisting with the delivery of this event.”

McDonald explained that, “The high level coaching and experience from university curling serves these athletes well for decades beyond their graduation. We are pleased to be again showcasing this sport with such a large local following, and a sport that is so important in fitness and healthy living for today’s youth, a great many seniors, and all ages in between.”

This year the National (the third at the university level) was be played in Edmonton. The winners, University of Regina Cougars (skip Brooklyn Lemon) and Queen’s University Gold Gaels (skip Jon Beuk), will represent Canada at the 2011 World University Games in January in Erzurum, Turkey. At the 2009 World University Games in Harbin, China, the Hollie Nicol and Mike Anderson skipped teams, both from Sir Wilfred Laurier University, represented Canada. Anderson finished sixth with a 4-5 record. Nicol was 9-0 in the round robin, defeated Great Britain 7-5 in the Semi-Final, and lost the gold medal game to Bingyu Wang of China, the 2009 World Women’s Champions, by the same 7-5 score.

Memorial University teams have generally been quite competitive in mainland competition. For example, in March 2009 at the Royal Montreal Curling Club, the women’s team, skipped by Julie Devereaux, was 4-3 and the men’s team, skipped by Ryan LeDrew was also 4-3. In Atlantic University play from 1969 to 1990 Memorial University teams have won 18 AUAA Championships (10 men’s, 5 ladies, and 3 mixed). Teams skipped by Jill Noseworthy, Alex Smith, and Fred Durant have each won three championships.