OUT OF THE HACK: Vachon looking to put BU back on the map

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This article was published 25/02/2016 (3704 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In January 2013, I returned to the curling ice after a 10-year absence.

A second stone-thrower when I left curling following a junior high school city championship title, I was admittedly nervous stepping back into the hack to toss that first stone at Edmonton’s Saville Community Sports Centre.

All I remember about that first throw was it was a hit, so there was no chance I was going to hog the rock. Although I nearly flashed what was a simple hit against two, I allowed my skipper to clean up the end.

I will not be at the Saville Centre when the Western Canadian University Curling Championships open Friday, but the Brandon University Bobcats women’s team comprised of skip Janelle Vachon, third Kaitlyn Payette, second Hayley Surovy and lead Camille Lough will be.

The BU foursome is one of five schools — Alberta Pandas, Regina Cougars, Thompson Rivers WolfPack (defending champions) and Winnipeg Wesmen — competing in the round-robin event for three berths to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport women’s national championship, which will take place in Kelowna from March 20 to 23. Six men’s teams will also be competing for berth to nationals, but there is no BU team.

Former Bobcat Mike McEwen, who will be making his Brier debut next month, captured the 2002 CIS crown, before eventually capturing a World University Games title in 2003 in Tarvisio, Italy. But Vachon’s team is the first to compete for BU in about a decade, something the skipper is proud to be a part of.

“It’s pretty cool because we took the initiative to get it going again,” said the 23-year-old environmental science student.

Aside from the BU-crested jackets and the $500 entry fee, the curlers are footing the bill to compete in Edmonton, and hopefully beyond.

“We knew right aways that we were going to be fundraising to go and we were fine with that,” Vachon said. “We were just happy for the opportunity.”

To prepare themselves for the WCUCC, the BU curlers participated in bonspiels in Brandon and Killarney, losing just once at each event. Vachon said her team is ready to compete for a trip to nationals.

“I don’t have any complaints, but I think that we are just really coming together with our team dynamic and we are communicating well, playing well and that’s showing on the ice,” she said.

“We’ve all competed at the provincial level quite a few times. A lot of the teams there we’ve seen before so we are just going to go out and play.”

Vachon also explained that while the team doesn’t feel any pressure, the expectations are to earn the right to represent BU at a national championship.

“It’d be pretty sweet,” she said. “We’d definitely be pretty happy with that to make it there our first try.”

The Bobcats’ first draw is Friday against Kelsey Rocque and defending national champion Alberta at 10 a.m. CT.

HIGH SCHOOL: The Manitoba High School Athletic Association curling provincials begin today in Gladstone and runs through to Saturday.

The host William Morton Warriors will be joined in the 16-team girls draw by three other Westman schools: Vincent Massey Vikings, Major Pratt Trojans, Elkhorn Bulldogs and Dauphin Clippers. In addition to William Morton, the 16-team boys draw will feature the Trojans, Pilot Mound Pilots, Virden Golden Bears and Crocus Plainsmen.

The finals will start Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

EXTRA ENDS: Killarney is hosting a juniors bonspiel on March 5 and a men’s bonspiel from March 18 to20. Contact Sandra Lockerby at 204-523-4519 for more on the juniors event and Don Chatham at 204-523-8412 for more on the men’s event … CurlManitoba will be holding a junior high-performance identification curling camp at the Brandon club from 1 to 3 p.m. on Feb. 28. The camp is open to all curlers born between 1998 and 2004, and the cost is $36.75 per curler, plus GST. Registration forms can be found on the club’s website or contact Connie Laliberte at 204-981-72717 or claliberte@curlmanitoba.org … Souris is hosting a Survivor Bonspiel from March 29 to April 3. Men’s teams cost $160, ladies, senior ladies and master men’s teams cost $120, and junior teams cost $60. Contact Karen Dunbar at 204-483-3534 for more on the ladies events and the Souris club at 204-483-3669 for more on the men’s events.

Nathan Liewicki is the Brandon Sun’s curling reporter. He can be reached at 204-571-7386.

» nliewicki@brandonsun.com

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