Kelowna rinks hot on the Olympic trail

Kelly Scott came within a hair of representing Canada at the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin, Italy.

Four years later, the Kelowna rink is back for another crack at the world’s biggest curling spectacle.

Scott, Jeanna Schraeder, Sasha Carter, and Jacquie Armstrong will be in Prince George next week for the Olympic pre-trials, the next major step on the way to the 2010 Games in Vancouver.

“It’s very exciting for us right now, so close we can taste it,” said Scott, who lost the 2005 Olympic trials final in Halifax to Shannon Kleibrink on the last shot. “The trials are unique and special and we’ve been working towards this for three years now. We’re energized and excited to get out there.”

Scott is the top seed among 12 teams that will be vying for four berths to join four other teams for the final Olympics trials in Edmonton, Dec. 6 to 13.

Jennifer Jones, Shannon Kleibrink, Stefanie Lawton and Cheryl Bernard have already qualified for Edmonton.

Like any rink with designs on representing Canada in Vancouver, a solid and consistent start to the 2009-10 curling season was essential for the Scott crew.

And the Kelowna women have delivered the goods, qualifying for the playoffs in four of five events this fall on the World Curling Tour, including winning the Manitoba Lotteries Curling Classic last month in Winnipeg.

It could be a good omen for the 2006 and 2007 Canadian champs who have worked through some struggles over the past two years to get their game back on track.

With the recruitment of a new player—lead Jacquie Armstrong—during the off season and a renewed focus, the Kelowna curlers feel they’re returning to form.

“Everything is really fresh right now,” Scott said. “The change has made us talk through some areas and situations and it’s been a real learning curve, but it’s been fun. When you play with the same group for seven years, sometimes you need a different way of doing things. I think it’s made us sharper, we’re working hard and we’re playing with confidence.”

As the No. 1 seed, Scott will have a first round bye in the 12-rink event in P.G. Her first game will be 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday night vs the winner of the Cathy King-Krista McCarville game.

Saskatchewan’s Michelle Englot and Amber Holland, and Quebec’s Marie France Larouche are among the other contenders for four qualifying spots.

Ursel on men’s draw

Few rinks in Canadians men’s curling can rival the success Bob Ursel has enjoyed in the first two months of the new season.

The Kelowna rink will be looking for that to carryover next week at the Olympic pre-trials in Prince George. Like the women, four men’s rinks will emerge from the pre-trials to join four other rinks—Kevin Martin, Glenn Howard, Kevin Koe and Randy Ferbey—next month in Edmonton.

Ursel, Jim Cotter, Kevin Folk and Rick Sawatsky have posted a 23-6 record this season on the World Curling Tour, winning events in Edmonton and New Westminster, while finishing second in Vernon. ”I think with the way we’ve been playing, if we can continue that, we have a real good shot at coming out of there with a spot,” said Ursel, the 2008 B.C. men’s champ. “The team has been training really hard, too, so I don’t think we could be more ready or excited about it. We’ve geared everything we’ve been doing for the last year towards this.” Ursel has some personal ties with Prince George having lived in the northern B.C. city for five years. He also won the B.C. men’s title there with Bert Gretzinger in 1999.

“It’s a familar venue for us and I have some good memories from playing there,” said Ursel.

Ursel heads in as the ninth seed and will open play Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. against Edmonton’s Ted Appelman.

Other rinks vying for berths include Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton and Mike McEwen, 2006 Olympic gold medalist Brad Gushue, Saskatchewan’s Pat Simmons and B.C’s Greg McAulay.

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