Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/217257
Winnipeg 2013 |P4 Winnipeg 2013 |P5 THE 16TEAMS COMPETINGTO WEAR COMPETINGTOWEAR THE MAPLE LEAF ATTHE OLYMPICS TEAM CAREY FORT ROUGE CURLING CLUB WINNIPEG, MB SKIP: THIRD: SECOND: LEAD: ALTERNATE: COACH: Chelsea Carey Kristy McDonald Kristen Foster Lindsay Titheridge Breanne Meakin Dan Carey TEAM HOMAN OTTAWA CURLING CLUB OTTAWA, ONT. SKIP: THIRD: SECOND: LEAD: ALTERNATE: COACH: Rachel Homan Emma Miskew Allison Kreviazuk Lisa Wedge Heather Smith-Dacey Earle Morris TEAM JONES ST. VITAL CURLING CLUB WINNIPEG, MB SKIP: THIRD: SECOND: LEAD: ALTERNATE: COACH: Jennifer Jones Kaitlyn Lawes Jill Officer Dawn McEwen Kirsten Wall Janet Arnott The 2002 Manitoba high school provincial champion, Chelsea Carey has begun to make some noise in the women's ranks, qualifying for the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings by finishing second in the Canadian Team Ranking System over the past two seasons. The daughter of 1992 Brier champion Dan Carey, who played third for Winnipeg's Vic Peters, Carey was runner-up in the Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts in 2011 and 2012 Just 24 years old, Rachel Homan has already compiled an impressive resume, winning a Canadian junior crown, a Canada Games gold medal and earlier this year, the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. In March, Homan and her team of 20-somethings followed up their Scotties win with a third-place finish at the world championship in Riga, Latvia. Homan qualified for the Olympic trials by finishing first in the Canadian Team Ranking System last season. The Canadian Olympic trials are perhaps the only blemish on what otherwise has been a non-stop highlight reel of great shots and big wins for Winnipeg's Jennifer Jones. Despite coming off Scotties Tournament of Hearts victories in 2005 and 2009, Jones faltered at the Roar of the Rings both years, missing the playoffs. This year, her rink enters the event atop the rankings, and was the first to qualify as winner of the 2011 Canada Cup. TEAM MIDDAUGH TEAM NEODHIN TEAM SONNENBERG COLDWATER & DISTRICT CURLING CLUB COLDWATER, ONT. SKIP: THIRD: SECOND: LEAD: ALTERNATE: COACH: Sherry Middaugh Jo-Ann Rizzo Lee Merklinger Leigh Armstrong Lori Eddy Bob Turcotte Originally from Saskatchewan, Sherry Middaugh competed at the first three Canadian Olympic trials, coming closest in 2005 when she went 6-3 and lost in a tiebreaker to Stefanie Lawton. Middaugh has been repeatedly skunked at the semifinals of the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, winning bronze four times in her seven appearances. She is married to Glenn Howard's third Wayne Middaugh, one of several such"power couples"at the 2013 Roar of the Rings. SAVILLE SPORTS CENTRE EDMONTON, ALTA. SKIP: THIRD: SECOND: LEAD: ALTERNATE: COACH: Heather Nedohin Beth Iskiw Jessica Mair Laine Peters Amy Nixon Darryl Horne Despite making her first appearance as a skip at these Olympic trials, Heather Nedohin will have a ton of experience to draw upon when her team takes the ice at MTS Centre. Throwing third stones for Cathy Borst, she played in the trials in 1997 and won the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in 1998. She became Scotties champion again 14 years later, this time skipping her own rink. The 1996 world junior champion, Nedohin qualified for the Roar of the Rings by leading the Canadian Team Ranking System for the 2011-12 season. GRANDE PRAIRIE CURLING CLUB GRANDE PRAIRIE, ALTA. SKIP: THIRD: SECOND: LEAD: ALTERNATE: COACH: Renée Sonnenberg Lawnie MacDonald Cary-Anne McTaggart Rona Pasika Desirée Owen Kurt Balderston Although this will be her first time competing at the Roar of the Rings, Renée Sonnenberg is no stranger to Olympic curling, having coached Team Denmark at the 2010 Games in Vancouver. Hopefully that experience will help, as Sonnenberg hasn't played in an event of this magnitude since 1999 and 2001, when she twice missed the playoffs at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Sonnenberg secured her spot in Winnipeg by beating former world champion Kelly Scott at the pre-trials qualifier in Kitchener earlier this month. TEAM LAWTON GRANITE CURLING CLUB SASKATOON, SASK. SKIP: THIRD: SECOND: LEAD: ALTERNATE: COACH: Stefanie Lawton Sherry Anderson Sherry Singler Marliese Kasner Cori Morris Rick Folk Saskatoon's Stefanie Lawton will compete in her third consecutive Roar of the Rings, after losing in the semifinals and a playoff tiebreaker in 2005 and 2009, respectively. Lawton has represented Saskatchewan twice at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, while her third Sherry Anderson has competed there five times. Anderson also skipped her own rink at the Canadian trials in 2005 and 2001, when she lost in the final to eventual Olympic bronze medallist Kelley Law. Lawton earned a berth at this year's event by winning the 2012 Canada Cup. TEAM SWEETING SAVILLE SPORTS CENTRE EDMONTON, ALTA. SKIP: THIRD: SECOND: LEAD: ALTERNATE: COACH: Val Sweeting Dana Ferguson (throws 2nd) Joanne Courtney (throws 3rd) Rachelle Pidherny TBA Taina Smiley Val Sweeting comes to Winnipeg on a roll after beating 2006 Olympic bronze medallist Shannon Kleibrink and 2010 silver medallist Cheryl Bernard en route to the final qualifying spot at the Road to the Roar pre-trials event in Kitchener. Another transplanted Saskatchewanian, the 26-year-old Sweeting has competed in one Scotties Tournament of Hearts, skipping her Alberta rink to a 4-7 record in 2010. TEAM EPPING DONALDA CLUB TORONTO, ONT. SKIP: THIRD: SECOND: LEAD: ALTERNATE: COACH: John Epping Scott Bailey Colin Mitchell David Mathers Trevor Wall Jim Wilson Despite his relative youth, 30-year-old John Epping brings plenty of experience with him to the MTS Centre, including a 2009 trials appearance as a member of the Wayne Middaugh rink. Third Scott Bailey also curled with Middaugh, winning the 1998 Brier and world championship, while taking part in all four previous Canadian Olympic trials. Team Epping qualified for the 2013 event by finishing second on the Canadian Team Ranking System over the past two seasons. TEAM MARTIN SAVILLE SPORTS CENTRE EDMONTON, ALTA. SKIP: THIRD: SECOND: LEAD: ALTERNATE: COACH: Kevin Martin Dave Nedohin Marc Kennedy Ben Hiebert TBA Jules Owchar One of the most decorated curlers in Canadian history, Kevin Martin is seeking his fourth trip to the Olympic Games, after winning gold in 2010, silver in 2002 and finishing fourth in 1992, when curling was a demonstration sport. The four-time Brier champion was the first to qualify for the Roar of the Rings, by virtue of his victory at the 2011 Canada Cup. Born in Winnipeg, third Dave Nedohin joined the team this season after winning four Briers and three world championships with Randy Ferbey, Martin's longtime Alberta rival. TEAM HOWARD COLDWATER & DISTRICT CURLING CLUB COLDWATER, ONT. SKIP: THIRD: SECOND: LEAD: ALTERNATE: COACH: Glenn Howard Wayne Middaugh Brent Laing Craig Savill TBA Scott Taylor Glenn Howard will be making his fifth consecutive appearance at the Olympic trials, having fallen short twice while playing for his brother Russ and twice more while skipping his own rink, including a loss to Kevin Martin in the 2009 Roar of the Rings final. The 15-time Ontario champion has won four world championships and has played in more games at the Brier than any curler in history. Qualified by finishing as the top-ranked team in the Canadian Team Ranking System for the 2011-12 season. TEAM McEWEN FORT ROUGE CURLING CLUB WINNIPEG, MB SKIP: THIRD: SECOND: LEAD: ALTERNATE: COACH: Mike McEwen B.J. Neufeld Matt Wozniak Denni Neufeld Brendal Melnyk Chris Neufeld This will likely be the biggest event in the young career of Mike McEwen, who has been snake-bitten at the Safeway Championship, losing the Manitoba final three years in a row. The 33-year-old McEwen is married to Dawn McEwen, who throws lead rocks for Jennifer Jones. Consistent play earned the McEwen rink a berth at the Roar of the Rings, as they amassed the top point total in the Canadian Team Ranking System over the past two seasons. TEAM JACOBS SOO CURLING ASSOCIATION SAULT STE. MARIE, ONT. SKIP: THIRD: SECOND: LEAD: ALTERNATE: COACH: Brad Jacobs Ryan Fry E.J. Harnden Ryan Harnden TBA Tom Coulterman Brad Jacobs, the 2013 Tim Hortons Brier champion, earned the final qualifying spot earlier this month by beating 2006 Olympic gold medallist Brad Gushue at the Road to the Roar pre-trial in Kitchener. In April, the five-time Northern Ontario champion won silver at the world championship in Victoria, B.C., losing 8-6 to Sweden's Niklas Edin in the final. Third Ryan Fry returns to his hometown of Winnipeg with six Brier appearances under his belt, having played with Gushue and Jeff Stoughton before joining the Jacobs rink in 2012. TEAM MORRIS VERNON & KELOWNA CURLING CLUBS BRITISH COLUMBIA SKIP: THIRD: SECOND: LEAD: ALTERNATE: COACH: John Morris (throws 3rd) Jim Cotter (throws 4th) Tyrel Griffith Rick Sawatsky TBA Pat Ryan John Morris has already had a taste of Olympic glory, winning gold as a member of the Martin rink in Vancouver in 2010. Yet another Winnipeg-born curler throwing third stones for an out-of-province team, Morris split with Martin earlier this year before signing on with Jim Cotter, who ceded his skipping duties but continues to throw fourth. Morris and Cotter both competed at the 2005 Roar of the Rings in Halifax, with Morris losing in the semis to Jeff Stoughton and Cotter missing the playoffs as a member of Pat Ryan's rink. TEAM KOE GLENCOE CURLING CLUB CALGARY, ALTA. SKIP: THIRD: SECOND: LEAD: ALTERNATE: COACH: Kevin Koe Pat Simmons Carter Rycroft Nolan Thiessen Jamie King John Dunn The 2010 Brier and world champion, Kevin Koe will be hoping the third time is a charm, after falling short in the previous two Canadian Olympic trials. He lost in the semifinal while playing third for John Morris in 2005 before skipping his own rink to a fourth-place finish in Edmonton in 2009. Third Pat Simmons joined Koe in 2012 after skipping his former Saskatchewan rink to four straight Brier appearances and a sixth-place finish at the 2009 Roar of the Rings. The Koe rink qualified by finishing first in the Canadian Team Ranking System last season. TEAM STOUGHTON CHARLESWOOD CURLING CLUB WINNIPEG, MB SKIP: THIRD: SECOND: LEAD: ALTERNATE: COACH: Jeff Stoughton Jon Mead Reid Carruthers Mark Nichols Garth Smith Rob Meakin Some of the loudest roars on the men's side at the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings may be reserved for hometown hero Jeff Stoughton, the only skip to compete in all four previous Canadian trials without winning. The threetime Brier champion and two-time world champion narrowly missed out on an Olympic berth in 2005, losing a heartbreaking 8-7 final to eventual gold medallist Brad Gushue in Halifax. The Stoughton rink qualified for this year's event by winning the 2012 Canada Cup. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE CANADIAN CURLING ASSOCIATION