Field set for Saskatchewan men’s and women’s curling championships

Team Kleiter takes on Team McEwen in the SaskTel Tankard final at Nutana Curling Club in 2024. Photo by Michelle Berg /Saskatoon StarPhoenix

Taylor Shire

Regina Leader-Post

The field has been finalized for the upcoming Saskatchewan men’s and women’s provincial curling championships.

From Jan. 21 to 26 at Kindersley’s West Central Events Centre, the top nine women’s teams and top nine men’s teams from across Saskatchewan will compete for the provincial title and the right to wear the green jacket at their respective national championships.

This year will mark the first time both championships will be held at the same time on the same ice. CurlSask has also reduced the field to nine teams per side, down from the 12-team format previously used in past championships. Each championship will feature a round robin format followed by a four-team page playoff.

On the men’s side, there will be a new SaskTel Tankard champion this year since last year’s winner — Saskatoon’s Team Mike McEwen — has already qualified for the Montana’s Brier via the Canadian Team Ranking System.

That also means there will be two Saskatchewan-based rinks at the national championship with the other being decided in Kindersley.

Vying for the men’s title this year will be Saskatoon’s Team Rylan Kleiter, last year’s runner-up, Regina’s Team Kelly Knapp, the 2023 champion, and Saskatoon’s Team Dustin Kalthoff, who were the top three Saskatchewan-based finishers on the Canadian team rankings

Joining them will be three more Saskatoon squads in Team Jason Jacobson, Team Logan Ede and Team Bradley Moser, who qualified through the Saskatchewan Curling Tour rankings.

Rounding out the field will be Martensville’s Team Dylan Derksen, Langenburg’s Team Charley Thomas and five-time Brier skip Steve Laycock, curling out of Swift Current, who earned the last three spots at the SaskTel Tankard Last Chance event on the weekend in Swift Current.

The winner of the men’s event will join Team McEwen in Kelowna, B.C. from Feb. 28 to March 9 for the Montana’s Brier. The Canadian champion will then wear the Maple Leaf in Moose Jaw at the World Men’s Curling Championship from March 29 to April 6.

Last year, McEwen beat Kleiter 7-3 in the provincial final before going on to a second-place finish at the Brier in Regina.

On the women’s side, after last year’s provincial-winning skip Skylar Ackerman took a leave from her team following at appearance at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, former third Ashley Thevenot took over as skip and has guided the team back into the provincial championship with the addition of Brittany Tran at third.

Joining Team Thevenot at the Viterra Prairie Pinnacle — previously known as the Viterra Scotties — will be Regina’s Team Michelle Englot, who has 10 national championship appearances, and Moose Jaw’s Team Penny Barker, the 2017 champion, who were the top Saskatchewan-based finishers on the Canadian rankings.

Saskatoon’s Team Amber Holland, a two-time provincial champion, Balgonie’s Team Mandy Selzer and Saskatoon’s Team Nancy Martin, the runner-up last year, will also be battling it out for the provincial title after qualifying through the Sask Curling Tour rankings.

Rounding out the field will be Regina’s Jolene Campbell, the 2016 champion, along with Saskatoon’s Jessica McCartney and Regina’s Brooklyn Stevenson, who earned the final three spots at the women’s last chance qualifier on the weekend in Nipawin.

The nine women’s teams will compete for the right to represent Saskatchewan at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts from Feb. 14-23 in Thunder Bay, Ont. The winner from there will represent Canada at the World Women’s Curling Championship in Korea from March 15 to 23.

Last year, Ackerman beat Martin 10-9 in an extra end in the provincial final before the squad put together a 4-4 record at the Scotties, narrowly missing the playoff round.

tshire@postmedia.com

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