Team Thomas, Team Memorial, CIS Champions & Team Canada; The Ride Continues

Familiar with curling success at the local, junior national and university level, the young Colin Thomas rink will take a big leap this week as they become Team Canada and head to Japan to compete in the prestigious Karuizawa International Curling Event in Karuizawa, Japan.

The CIS-CCA Championship rink of Colin Thomas, Cory Schuh, Spencer Wicks, Chris Ford, Stephen Ryan and coach Jeff Thomas earned the opportunity to wear the Team Canada uniform after winning the CIS-CCA Championship at home last March as the team took the national title in a narrow 7-6 victory over the University of Manitoba.

The team will join the Wilfrid Laurier University women's team, who won the 2011 CIS women's championship and will also represent Canada at this event. The teams head to Edmonton on January 19th to attend a two day camp at the National Curling Training Center. Scores and results from the event will be available at www.karuizawaclub.ne.jp/icurling/en/info/index.cfm. The competition will run from January 25-29th and will feature an 8 team event, with 6 countries represented including Canada, Norway, Germany, China, Korea.

Colin and his teammates just received their Team Canada gear for on ice play and are very eager and proud to wear the maple leaf representing their country. "I am thrilled to have the privilege to participate in this prestigious international bonspiel. Representing my hometown, Memorial University, Newfoundland & Labrador and Canada will be an amazing experience that I already know I will remember for a lifetime".

Although the excitement of winning the CIS championship has faded somewhat for Thomas and his teammates, it still resonates as one of the highlights of his curling career. Thomas says "as the event in Japan gets closer I find that the winning feeling from the CIS championship comes back more and more every day, as I realize what has come with our accomplishment.

Follow Team Thomas and his rink on their international journey by visiting goseahawks.ca