Two local curlers were part of the rink that won the provincial mixed championship.
The Lower Mainland’s Team Joanisse will represent B.C. at nationals after they defeated Kimberley’s Tom Buchy 5-2 in the final of the 2015 AMJ Campbell B.C. Mixed Championship in Kelowna.
Skip Dean Joanisse, and his team of third Shannon Aleksic, second Tyler Orme and lead Kelsey Steiger took an early lead in the final when they opened with a three-ender. They then forced Buchy to blank the second end, before stealing one in the third. Aleksic and Steiger are both from the local club.
“It’s always a thrill and honour to represent your province at a national championship,” said Aleksic.
“It is all the more special because I have achieved this with my fiancé [Joanisse] and two great friends. We look forward to trying to do B.C. proud.”
The rink, which curls out of Royal City, Golden Ears Winter Club and Vernon, is unbeaten since they formed in February, having won every game they’ve played at both playdowns and in the B.C. championship.
Tom Buchy, and third Lori Buchy, second Dave Toffolo and lead Robyn Toffolo, recorded singles in the fifth and seventh end but had to concede in the eighth after running out of rocks. The Kimberley team had previously won the championship in 2006, 2010 and 2012.
Three members of Team Joanisse had already come close to clinching provincial titles this year as Joanisse was runner-up at the B.C. men’s championships, while Orme took bronze at the same event and Aleksic was a B.C. Scotties bronze medallist.
The eight-team field at this year’s championships was considered a particularly strong one, including five skips who had already won silver medals this year, as well as several past provincial champions.
Team Joanisse will now go on to represent B.C. at the Canadian mixed championships, which take place at the Weston Club in Toronto from Nov. 7-14.
• All of the scores from the 2015 AMJ Campbell Van Lines B.C. Mixed Championship, which was held at Kelowna Curling Club from March 19-22, can be found at playdowns.com.