Mondor chasing a second straight junior title

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/12/2010 (5586 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MARIAH Mondor is approaching this season as a defending provincial champion.

It is both a point of pride and a game plan.

Mondor, who played second last season on the Breanne Meakin team from St. Vital that won the 2010 provincial junior title and then went on to represent the province at the Canadian Juniors in Quebec, is now the second for the Kate Cameron team of Victoria Curling Club.

Ironically, it was the Cameron team that Mondor helped defeat in last season’s provincial junior final. Did Cameron notice Mondor’s play and proclaim she must have her join her team?

“No, nothing like that, we had curled together before for three or four years and it was a great opportunity to curl together again,” laughed Mondor, a Grade 12 student at J.H. Bruns Collegiate who curled on Cameron’s team when she was aged 11-14. “There are some other very good teams in Manitoba right now like the Vandepoele team and the Birchard team as well as Meakin. We should have a good shot at provincials but it’s going to be tough. I’m excited to play with my new team, they’re all really good curlers, but we do have a long haul ahead of us. It’s going to be difficult.”

It was Mondor’s 18th birthday Monday when she curled with Team Cameron to begin competition in the Curl Manitoba annual 8-ender Junior Christmas Bonspiel, which ends Thursday. In opening-day action, Cameron defeated Kristy Watling of Assiniboine 8-1.

There are three berths up for grabs out of this event for the 2011 Canola Growers Junior Women’s Provincial Championship set for Jan. 6-10 at the Victoria Curling Club. Two berths were planned but the Norman regional junior women’s spot was vacated and has been placed in the Christmas Bonspiel.

The Christmas Bonspiel also includes a 28-team junior men’s draw, which has two provincial berths for teams to vie for, and a 14-and-under open draw which includes both male and female teams. Games are being played at the Charleswood, Deer Lodge and Assiniboine-Memorial Curling Clubs.

The Cameron team, which includes third Nicole Sigvaldason and lead Sheyna Andries, has already earned its berth in the provincials through the 2011 Manitoba Canola Growers Junior Women’s Berth Bonspiel.

Meakin’s defending provincial champion team, which added Erika Sigurdson at third and moved Briane Meilleur to second with Krysten Karwacki remaining at lead, is competing in the Christmas Bonspiel but also has already earned its provincials berth. Team Meakin won the other of the two berths that were up for grabs at the 2011 Manitoba Canola Growers Junior Women’s Berth Bonspiel.

At last year’s Christmas Bonspiel, the Alyssa Vandepoele team from Ste. Anne earned a berth in the 2011 provincials. A total of 10 teams among the 21 competing in the Christmas Bonspiel have already punched their tickets to the provincials but decided to compete in the Christmas bonspiel anyway.

“This event is one of the better events that is held in Manitoba for junior curlers. It allows for a lot of really good competition for all the teams and it’s very good practice for us going into provincials so soon,” Mondor said. “It’s a good opportunity to boost our confidence and boost our playing ability right before provincials.”

In addition to being the last chance for teams to qualify for provincials, the Christmas Bonspiel is also one of the oldest junior bonspiels in Canada, dating back over 60 years.

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca