On the Broom with Paul Wiecek

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/11/2008 (6469 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Kleibrink on fire

Winnipeg’s Jennifer Jones is the defending world champion but it’s Calgary’s Shannon Kleibrink that looks like the world-beater right now.

Kleibrink (right) was first on the women’s World Curling Tour money list with $41,200 heading into the weekend and it’s not hard to see why when you look at her team’s statistics.

The Kleibrink foursome has a 23-7 record through 30 games this season and is dominating in the takeaway-giveaway department — Kleibrink is scoring 9.19 points per game on average, while yielding just 5.60 points per game.

Fry’s move looking good

Winnipeg’s Ryan Fry caused quite a stir last spring when he defected from five-time Manitoba men’s champion Jeff Stoughton to play for Newfoundland’s Brad Gushue, the 2006 Olympic gold medallist.

Well, the early returns are now in and they’re paying dividends to Fry. The Gushue foursome is sixth on the men’s money list so far this season, while Stoughton — who recruited Alberta’s Kevin Park to replace Fry — is languishing in 19th spot.

Around The Rings

ones team finding

juggernaut form of old

DEFENDING world women’s champion Jennifer Jones from Winnipeg won four straight over the weekend to qualify for today’s playoff round at the $35,000 Colonial Square Ladies Classic in Saskatoon.

Jones won the same event in 2006 but had been mostly struggling — until this weekend, that is — to find the ruthlessly opportunistic form that catapulted her team to the top of the world last April.

Manitoba rivals Chelsea Carey, Karen Porritt and Kerri Flett were also alive in Saskatoon Sunday night, but they were down to their last lives as they chased four playoff berths up for grabs on the C-side.

Burtnyk blown away

in Lloydminster event

Kerry Burtnyk was an early casualty at an $81,000 WCT event in Lloydminster over the weekend. Burtnyk was eliminated Sunday morning, falling 7-2 to Edmonton’s Chris Schille in a C-side game.

Fellow Manitoban Daley Peters still had life last night, however, and was playing a C-side qualifying game.

Brandon’s Skinner reaches

Swan River playoff round

At the $40,000 White’s Drug Store Classic in Swan River, former Brier champion Vic Peters and 2008 provincial men’s runner-up David Bohn are out, while Brandon’s Kelly Skinner and Moose Jaw’s Joel Jordison are in today’s playoff round.

Also in today’s playoff round are USA’s Craig Disher and Saskatoon’s Shawn Joyce.

Still alive and playing in C-side qualifying games last night were the likes of Doug Riach, Allan Lyburn, Brent Scales and Murray Woodward.

Loads of action as fights

for berths intensify

It was a busy weekend on the berth trail.

At Glenboro, West St. Paul’s Kelsey Boettcher defeated Ste. Anne’s Alyssa Vandepoele 9-3 in the final of the junior women’s berth bonspiel to collect the first berth into January’s Target Juniors.

Petersfield’s Steen Sigurdson earned the same distinction for junior men, beating Brandon’s Joey Witherspoon 6-5 in the final of the junior men’s berth bonspiel in Ste. Anne.

Meanwhile, at Starbuck, Brandon’s Lois Fowler — winner of multiple provincial women’s titles over the years — is alive in her quest to add a seniors title to the mantle.

Fowler defeated Minnedosa’s Jean Garbolinsky 8-1 in the final of the Mondetta senior women’s berth spiel on Sunday.

There will be yet another provincials berth handed out today, when they’ll play all three rounds of playoffs at the McDiarmid Lumber senior men’s berth bonspiel.

East St. Paul’s Carl German and Tim Friesen and Brandon’s Jim Renwick are among the eight teams who will play for the berth today.