In the House – Lyburn to lead top-ranked rink

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/01/2011 (5572 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Allan Lyburn is back in the saddle again, skipping the top-seeded team at the Manitoba Curling Tour championship, which begins today in Morris.

While his skip, Rob Fowler sits on a beach in Hawaii this week, Lyburn takes over the Brandon Curling Club lineup of Richard Daneault, Derek Samagalski and fifth Ross Granger as they chase a berth in the Safeway Championship, Feb. 9-13 in Beausejour.

"Seeds may be irrelevant, but it’s nice to go in as No. 1," Lyburn said. "At the same time, you have to play like a No. 1 seed once you get there. We just have to focus on ourselves and see how it goes. I think the Christmas and New Year’s break gave us a chance to recharge the batteries."

Eleventh-seeded Kelly Marnoch of Carberry also joins the berth chase with his usual lineup of Kevin Hamblin, Tyler Waterhouse and Chris Cameron.

Other teams with Westman ties needing a berth include Brandon’s Brendan Taylor skipping a new West Kildonan team of Chris Galbraith, Taren Gesell and Terry Dreger, seeded seventh. Ninth-ranked Scott Ramsay of Brandon also skips a freshly-minted West Kildonan team of Mark Taylor, Bart Witherspoon and Nathan Bodnarchuk.

Nine of the 24 men’s teams entered at Morris are ineligible for the $16,000 bonspiel’s top prize. It’s possible the berth, which goes to the highest-ranked eligible team, could be awarded to a squad that misses the playoffs, MCT co-ordinator Resby Coutts said.

A 12-team women’s championship will also be played in Morris. A trio of Brandonites will help Winnipeg area teams this weekend as Maureen Bonar throws third stones for third-seeded Kim Link‘s of East St. Paul, Kristen Phillips plays third for defending Manitoba champion and fourth-seeded Jill Thurston of the Granite club, while Stacey Fordyce plays second for Springfield’s Karen Rosser.

JUNIORS — Joey Witherspoon of Carberry is the top-seeded Westman curler competing for the Manitoba Canola Growers Junior Men’s Provincial Championship, starting today in Gimli.

Witherspoon, Connor Njegovan and Mike Neufeld, based at the Deer Lodge Curling Club, are the remaining holdovers from Manitoba’s 2010 junior men’s champions, who are the second-seeded team.

Fourth-seeded Derek Blanchard of the Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club also has local connections, thanks to third Trevor Calvert of Carberry.

Carberry’s Braden Calvert, backed up by Morley Zwarich, Darcy Manns and Jefferey Steen, earned one of the two Westman berths. Brandon’s Brett Fitzmaurice, with Neil Cowie, Dale Guild, Max Van Kommer and Shayne MacGranachan, won the other local regional berth.

In women’s action, D’Arcy Maywood of the Brandon club, rode her Christmas Bonspiel success to a top-eight ranking at the junior women’s provincials that start today at the Victoria Curling Club in Winnipeg. Maywood’s Brandon club lineup of April Jorgensen, Laura Budowski, Ashley Ewasiuk and Meghan Knutson are seeded eighth.

Brandon’s Kaylee McNamee, with Kristin Murray, Kaitlan Patterson and Megan Usick, earned a Westman regional berth, joining Janelle Vachon‘s Brandon team of Janelle Grieve, Jordyn Dickinson and Kylee Calvert.

LAST CHANCE — Friday is the deadline to enter the 75th annual Brandon Ladies Bonspiel, which runs Jan. 14-16 at the Brandon and Riverview clubs. To enter, contact Darlene McPherson at 728-5211.

The Minnedosa Credit Union Mixed Bonspiel, scheduled for Jan. 14-16, also seeks entries by Jan. 12. Call Carol Taylor at 204-867-2245 or Mel Harvey at 204-867-2909.

MASTERS — The Brandon Masters Bonspiel is set for Monday and Tuesday at the Brandon and Riverview clubs, with the final slated for Wednesday.

MORE SUCCESS — Westman’s 2010 curling success burst at the seams, so much so that Manitoba’s Dominion Club Curling Champions, Steve Irwin and Stacey Fordyce of the Brandon club, were unintentionally omitted from last week’s list.