The opportunity to be the home-crowd favourites at a national championship is in the grasp of 14 masters curling teams who have qualified for provincials.
Once the provincials at Creston Curling Club are complete, the winning teams will compete at the 2018 Canadian Masters Curling Championships in Cloverdale and White Rock.
Fourteen teams have now qualified for the 2018 B.C. Masters Curling Championships, which will go ahead at Creston Curling Club Mar. 6-11.
Six more men’s team berths are up for grabs Feb. 16-19 at playdowns in Lake Cowichan and Mission.
The event in Creston will be two 10-team round-robins with three-team playoffs. The top two men’s teams and the top women’s teams will qualify for nationals held at Cloverdale Curling Club and Peace Arch Curling Club, which will run from Apr. 1-8.
A total of 10 women’s teams and four men’s teams have qualified for provincials.
The 10 women’s teams:
· Team Lepine from Cloverdale/Langley/Port Alberni and Qualicum curling clubs, with skip Karen Lepine, third Lynne Noble, second Lorraine Jeffries, lead Agnes Sigurdson and coach Craig Lepine;
· Team Fiedler from Cranbrook Curling Centre, with Joan Fiedler, Joy Walker, Christine Knight and Ria House;
· Team Klebe from Chilliwack and Richmond curling clubs with skip Janet Klebe, third Kerri Miller, second Jane Adam, lead Laurie Shimizu and coach Vic Shimizu;
· Team McFadden from Royal City Curling Club with skip Carol McFadden, third Mona Bassett, second Monica Hunter, and lead Heather Miller;
· Team Sanders from Juan de Fuca and Kerry Park Curling Centres with skip Pat Sanders, third Lorraine Gagnon, second Sherry Findlay and lead Roselyn Craig;
· Team Brunn from Cloverdale and Langley curling clubs with skip Linda Brunn, third Connie Stunden, second Donna Christian and lead Ann Knopp;
· Team Obee from Nanaimo Curling Centre with skip Marg Obee, third Noreen Martin, second Jill McGlenen and lead Moyra Graham;
· Team Dufour from Comox Valley Curling Centre with skip Amber Dufour, third Mary Holden, second Denise Colburn and lead Elaine Starchuk;
· Team Clark from Royal City/Marpole/Golden Ears/Cloverdale and Langley curling centres with skip Gwen Clark, third Pam Chow, second Sandy Fister and lead Susan Teleske;
· Team Gardner from Royal City Curling Club with skip Isobel Gardner, third Margaret Dunn, second Diane Armstrong and lead Rita Araki.
The four men’s teams:
· Team Koffski from Kelowna Curling Club with skip Rob Koffski, third Pat Ryan, second Gerry Richard, lead Randy Nelson and fifth Glen Brennan;
· Team Beaudry from Nelson and Trail curling clubs with skip Garry Beaudry, third Brian LeMoel, second Harry Davidson and lead Richard Faunt;
· Team King from Beaver Valley, Trail and Grand Forks curling clubs, with skip Bill King, third Don Bedard, second Al Bressanutti and lead Murray Walsh;
· Team Kent from Cranbrook, Kimberley and Elkford curling clubs with skip Gerald Kent, third Ken McHargue, second Ivar Larson and lead Dennis Rounsville.
• Haney Masters: The Don Plummer rink ran its unbeaten streak to four games as has come from back of the pack to secure a share of second place in Haney Masters’ curling. Plummer defeated Jim Maitland 11-2 as his rink of Hilly Boonstra, Chris Martin and Bob Neill moved into a tie with Peter England. Plummer has defeated Bob Asher, Gary Sawatski and Bob Terepocki in his climb towards first-place.