Scotties not just about the top five

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This article was published 19/01/2017 (3498 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When the 2017 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts kicks off next week, most of the focus will be on Jennifer Jones, Kerri Einarson and the rest of the top-five seeds. But there will be plenty of action throughout the field.

Here are a few of the other teams and storylines that we’ll be keeping an eye on next week:

• One of the best stories of last year’s provincials was the return of Cathy Overton-Clapham, coaxed out of retirement to skip a talented young team. They curled as far as the 2 vs. 2 Page playoff game, where they lost to Shannon Birchard. After that loss, Overton-Clapham told reporters she planned to resume her competitive semi-retirement.

It turns out she just couldn’t stay away. Once again, the veteran curler will lead a team of young hotshots into this year’s provincials. Rounding out her rink is third Jenna Loder, second Katherine Doerksen and lead Sarah Pyke.

They’re not ranked in the top five, but there’s no doubt this foursome could make some noise.

• Speaking of Overton-Clapham, this year also sees her former third, Brianne Meilleur, return to skipping duties with her own team. If recent history teaches anything, it’s Meilleur could throw some major upsets in this field.

On the cashspiel circuit this year, Team Meilleur has curled out wins over fellow Manitobans Jones and Einarson, and other top-ranked curlers including Ontario’s Allison Flaxey and Sweden’s Margaretha Sigfridsson.

They had a fabulous run through a high-end field at the Curler’s Corner Autumn Gold Curling Classic in Calgary, where they made it to the semifinal. They made the playoffs in five of their seven big bonspiels this season.

Now, they’ll be looking to keep that batting average going, in a round-robin group that also includes Jones and last year’s provincial semifinalist Birchard. The season’s success, the skip agreed, adds a little boost of confidence.

“It’s nice going in knowing you have seen some of the top seeds before,” Meilleur said. “Then you know you can do it. It’s just a matter of putting the shots together and making it happen out there.”

• The aftermath of the 2016 Scotties was bittersweet, as finallist Kristy McDonald announced her retirement. The good news: her strong team went out and picked up a new skip in Regina’s Michelle Englot and carried on. Now, the foursome of Englot, third Kate Cameron, second Leslie Wilson-Westcott and lead Raunora Westcott are coming into the Manitoba Scotties as third seed. As that position suggests, they have a ton of potential to go far.

They did well on the circuit this year, at one point making three consecutive finals. The highlight of that run came at the Grand Slam of Curling Tour Challenge, where they beat luminaries Chelsea Carey (twice) and Rachel Homan.

Melissa Martin
Reporter-at-large

Melissa Martin reports and opines for the Winnipeg Free Press.

Every piece of reporting Melissa produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.