Real grind begins today for Jones at hometown bonspiel

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This article was published 26/10/2009 (6163 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ST. Vital’s Jennifer Jones had to battle through an extra end Saturday to edge Amber Holland of Saskatchewan 5-4 and advance into the today’s final rounds of the Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Curling Classic at the Fort Rouge Curling Club.

As a reward, Jones got the day off Sunday.

Also qualifying Saturday through the A Event was B.C.’s Kelly Scott. She defeated Cheryl Bernard of Calgary 9-7. Curling with Scott are third Jenna Schrader, second Sasha Carter and lead Jacquie Armstrong.

Jones, along with third Cathy Overton-Clapham, second Jill Officer and lead Dawn Askin, took the win in her stride.

"Most games are tough," she said, "but a win is a win. We had the hammer in the extra end, but we didn’t have to throw the last rock."

Both Jones and Scott were undefeated, allowing them to rest Sunday in preparation for the grind that begins today. "It (the day off) doesn’t matter really," said Jones. "It’s nice to get the day off, but as long as you make Monday, that is all that matters."

On Sunday, Krista McCarville of Thunder Bay qualified through the B Event by stopping Switzerland’s Mirjam Ott 7-4. Also moving in the playoff round are Calgary’s Bernard, who defeated Winnipeg’s Lisa Blixhavn 5-1 in six ends. Both teams are 4-1.

The last four spots in the playoff round were to be decided late Sunday.

Meanwhile, at the Meyers Norris Penny Prairie Men’s Classic in Portage la Prairie, Quebec’s Robert Desjardins and Wayne Middaugh of Ontario moved into today’s playoff rounds, having gone undefeated through the A event.

Desjardins beat Mark Dacey of Halifax 6-4 to be the first qualifier, while Middaugh stopped Winnipeg’s Kerry Burtnyk 5-4 in the other A event qualifier. Burtnyk bounced back to qualify in the B event, knocking off city rival Jeff Stoughton 8-4.

Brandon’s Allan Lyburn picked up the other B event playoff spot by defeating Scotland’s Glen Muirhead 6-2.

The final four spots in the eight-team playoff draw were to be decided in Sunday’s late draw.

Today’s playoff rounds at Portage are at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The final goes at 6 p.m.