Eighteen different curling clubs from across Manitoba will be represented when the Seagram’s Whisky Curling Club Championships take place at Gimli Curling Club this weekend (April 4-7, 2024). The women’s first games are scheduled for 11:30AM, today with the men starting on the 2:30PM draw.
Twelve teams will compete in a round-robin with pools of six teams in each of the two championships. The first-place team in each pool advances to the semifinals while the second and third place teams will meet in a crossover play-in game. All playoff games are scheduled for Sunday, April 7 with the two finals at 5:00PM.
Three former champion teams return to the competitions with the same line-up which won in past years while one other Clubs Champion skip and a number of other champion skips from other competitions will also be vying for the titles.
In the Seagram’s Whisky Women’s Club Championship, 2020 champion Marlene Lang’s St. Vital team (Pamela Kok, Jackie Hendrickson, Megan Pauls) and 2018 champion Deb McCreanor’s La Salle team (Trisha Hill, Michelle Buchanan. Jen Cawson) will both be trying to win their second Clubs Championship. Both have the same line-up which won that previous championship. Former Senior Women’s champion skips Terry Ursel (Neepawa) and Joelle Brown (Fort Rouge) and this year’s Manitoba and Canadian Mixed Doubles champion Kadriana Lott (Gimli) are among the highly regarded challengers.
In the Seagram’s Whisky Men’s Club Championship, 2022 champion Zachary Wasylik and his Pembina team (Jack Hykaway, Josh Harding, Graham Normand) will attempt to win their second championship together. The 2019 Clubs champion skip, Derek Blanchard (Assiniboine Memorial) returns with a different team but it is the team which competed in the 2024 Viterra Championship. Former Mixed champion skip Corey Chambers also will contend with his Fort Garry team.
As the host club, Gimli is represented by Kadriana Lott’s team in the Seagram’s Whisky Women’s Club Championship while Kyle Einarson will skip the host entry in the Seagram’s Whisky Men’s Club Championship.
Five other Manitoba clubs; Burntwood, Carberry, La Salle, East St. Paul, and Fort Garry, will have teams competing in both the men’s and women’s events.
Beausejour, Brandon, Fort Rouge, Granite, Neepawa, and St. Vital are represented in the Women’s championship while Arborg, Assiniboine Memorial, Charleswood, Gilbert Plains, Pembina, and Portage are represented in the Men’s championship.
The champions will represent Manitoba at the national championship in Barrie, ON next fall.
