Among the 28 teams who began play Wednesday in the Viterra Championship in Selkirk, there are no fewer than 13 skips who have won at least one previous Manitoba championship. Eleven skipped those earlier championship teams. Two won Manitoba championships at the third position.
Twelve of those former champions played on Day #1 of the Manitoba Men’s Championship and collectively posted a record of 9 wins and 5 losses.
On the late draw Wednesday, three of the top four seeds played their first games after the seeding by the competing teams gave them a first round bye.
Defending Manitoba champion and #2 seed Jason Gunnlaugson (Morris) opened his defense of the 2020 title with a 9-1, 6-end victory over Grant Shewfelt (Baldur)
Former Manitoba Mixed Doubles champion and #3 seed Colton Lott (Winnipeg Beach) jumped out to a 4-1 lead over Daniel Birchard (Pembina) at the 5th end break and went on to a 7-3 victory.
Tied 3-3 after eight ends with clubmate Brett Walter, former World Junior champion and #4 seed Braden Calvert (Assiniboine Memorial) scored a deuce on the ninth end but Walter forced an extra end with two of his own coming home. With last rock, Calvert won the game 6-5. Walter, who is the 2020 Manitoba Junior champion, had a win and a loss in his two games on opening day.
Top seeded Mike McEwen and his 2019 Manitoba Viterra Championship winning team will play their first game Thursday morning on the 8:30AM draw against Richard Muntain (Granite).
In the fourth late draw game, the first “B” side game; Jack Hykaway (Pembina) bested Evan Martin (Fort Rouge) by a 7-4 score. The second loss of the day for the Martin team, skipped by Travis Bale, means they are eliminated.
Throughout the first three draws of the day, reigning World Junior Champion Jacques Gauthier (who was a Manitoba Junior champion third but won the 2020 World Juniors after winning Canada as a Wild Card entry); Manitoba Junior Champions Brett Walter, JT Ryan and Riley Smith (also a Manitoba Junior champion third); U-18 Champion Jordon McDonald; and former Canadian Mixed champion (and World Mixed Doubles Bronze Medallist) Sean Grassie; all won their first games of the competition.
Former World Senior silver medallist Randy Neufeld and former Manitoba Men’s champion Mark Lukowich lost their first games. Former Manitoba Junior champion Travis Bale, skipping the Evan Martin entry, lost a pair of games.
Following are the results of the first three draws on the first day of play in the 2022 Viterra Championship.
4PM DRAW:
Richard Muntain (Granite) 10-4 over Sam Antila (Burntwood)
Sean Grassie (Deer Lodge) 7-4 over Justin Richter (Beausejour)
Jordon McDonald (Deer Lodge) 7-5 over Graham Freeman (Virden)
Jacques Gauthier (Assiniboine Memorial) 8-3 over Kyle McCannell (Pilot Mound)
12:15PM DRAW:
Corey Chambers (Fort Garry) 8-3 over Mark Lukowich (Fort Rouge)
Brett Walter (AMCC) 7-6 over Jeff Stewart (Gladstone).
Riley Smith (AMCC) 8-3 over Ryan Thomson (Morden)
William Lyburn (Granite) 6-5 over Kelly Marnoch (Carberry)
8:30AM DRAW
Ryan Wiebe (Fort Rouge) 9-3 over Jack Hykaway (Pembina)
JT Ryan (Assiniboine Memorial) 6-2 over Evan Martin (Fort Rouge)
Daniel Birchard (Pembina) 8-3 over Dean North (Carman)
William Lyburn (Granite) 6-5 over Kelly Marnoch (Carberry)
