Skip to content

Senior Curling Championship - Parity prevails on men’s side

It’s gridlock on the men’s side at the B.C. Senior Curling championship in Trail.

It’s gridlock on the men’s side at the B.C. Senior Curling championship in Trail.

Gelowitz, Shypitka, Pughe, and Steffin are all tied in second spot with 3 and 2 records, while Craig Lepine leads the pack, suffering just one loss to Shypitka. The parity in the men’s division is remarkable, and should make for an interesting playoff.

Lepine beat the Gelowitz rink 9-3 Thursday morning and Nichol Wednesday 6-3.

Cranbrook’s Tom Shypitka foursome settled down to earth following two straight losses to the Wes Craig and Rick Pughe rinks. After jumping out to a 3-and-0 start, Shypitka would fall in  a close 7-5 match to Craig in the fourth draw Wednesday, and a lopsided 11-3 loss to Pughe Thursday morning.

Shypitka led in both games early, but big ends by the opposing teams ruined what was an otherwise great start. Shypitka led 3-1 heading into the fifth end against Pughe’s Royal City rink, but Pughe reeled off a deuce in the fifth to tie it at three, then followed that up with consecutive end steals of three, one, and a ninth-end dagger for four. Craig also beat Teskey 8-2 Thursday.

The Nichol rink meanwhile was in control against the Steffin rink and led 5-3 in the eighth end. But Steffin would draw in for two to tie it and add steal two more in the ninth when Nichol missed a takeout and chance for three, as his red rock over-curled, raising the yellow into the rings to give Steffin the deuce. Nichol had hammer in the 10th and made a perfect draw to bury his stone and sit one. Steffin missed the tap out, and all Nichol needed was a draw to full eight to force an extra end, but his rock picked and wrecked on the guard for a tough 7-6 defeat.

Nichol is tied with Craig with 2-and-3 records, while Teskie is winless in five games.

The Karin Lepine rink is the only undefeated team remaining in the championship.

Lepine is a perfect 5-0 after defeating the the Hiram rink 12-1 Wednesday afternoon and the Wyatt rink 12-5 on Thursday.

The Jones-Walker and Ridgway rinks however stayed hot on their heels with 4-and-1 records followed by Kathy Smiley at 3-and-2.

Jones-Walker beat Shantz 8-1 Wednesday aftrnoon and Cseke 9-6 Thursday, while Ridgway shot lights out in a 7-2 victory over Smiley, and a 12-3 defeat of the Hiram foursome. Smiley bounced back on Thursday, stealing a single on a 10th end measure for the 6-4 win over Shantz.