Curling’s future in very good hands – Winnipeg Free Press | Only Sports And Health

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What does the future of Manitoba curling look like?

Good. Real good.

Just look at last weekend’s under-21 provincial championship in Carman.

The winner on the women’s side was Carman’s Shaela Hayward, the Keystone Province’s breakout star of the season.

It was her third major victory of the year as she also won the Manitoba crown and the Canadian title at the under-18 level.

The 17-year-old will look to win another national title later this month when she represents the Buffalo in Fort McMurray, Alta., at the under-21 Canadian junior curling championships (March 24-31).

Zoey Terrick, who fell 9-6 to Hayward in the provincial junior final, out of the Heather Club also qualified by being a finalist.

“It was really exciting to play in our hometown. We were looking forward to it all year. We were still on that high from U18 nationals so we just kind of rode off that,” said Hayward, who plays with fellow Carman Collegiate students Keira Krahn, India Young and Rylie Cox.

“Our main goal this year was to win under-18 provincials and everything since then has been a bonus. It’s been a crazy season and we’ve been playing really good. We’ve had a lot of experiences and opportunities that we’re really grateful for. You just get more goals as you keep going.”

Considering their age and what they’ve already accomplished, you could say Team Hayward is playing with house money in Fort McMurray.

They also had a strong showing at Manitoba women’s provincials in Morden in January where they just fell short of the playoffs at 3-2.

“I definitely didn’t think we’d have all this success this year but I’m happy to do it with this team and I love playing with these girls,” said Hayward. “We’ve been having a lot of fun over the years and definitely this year is my favourite year so far.”

Manitoba’s men’s junior champion Jordon McDonald thinks the Hayward rink can go on a run later this month.

“I’ve kind of watched them over the last couple of years and they’ve definitely taken a massive step this year. From what I see, they have a really good handle on the game,” said the 20-year-old McDonald. “They know what they’re doing, they’re shot makers, and I think they’re gonna do really well at nationals.”

In Carman McDonald defended his Manitoba U21 title by knocking off Virden’s Jace Freeman 7-5 in the championship game.

The Assiniboine product has now won seven provincial finals in a row between the U21 and U18 ranks.

Freeman’s team, which initially got the best of McDonald in the Page 1-2 game, will also wear Manitoba colours at nationals.

“I’ve just figured out that in these provincial finals you either win or you lose, right? So, you have to play to win the game. I think a lot of people who are less experienced play to not lose the game,” said McDonald, who’s also on the University of Manitoba’s golf team.

“I just try to play aggressive and to win the game and I think that’s really important.”

McDonald, third Dallas Burgess, second Elias Huminicki and lead Cameron Olafson were the heavy favourites after finishing in third place at the Manitoba men’s tankard in Stonewall last month. They took Team Reid Carruthers, skipped by Brad Jacobs, down to the wire in the semifinal. Jacobs, an import from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., had to make a tricky double takeout on his final rock to score three to defeat McDonald 10-7.

“I thought ‘Well, we’ll just wait for them to make a mistake. They’re a junior team, eventually they’ll falter and give us an opportunity and we’ll beat them.’ But that mistake never came,” said Jacobs earlier this week. “They threw everything at us and were almost flawless out there. Their compete level was really high, and I was impressed with the fact that they thought they could win that thing. They believed in themselves immensely… So, I was very impressed all around. I was really rooting for them in the U21s, I actually watched the final few ends of that game… and I hope they do very well at nationals.”

No longer one of the younger teams in the field, McDonald hopes to bring home gold. He claimed third last year in Rouyn-Noranda, Que.

The winners will represent Canada at next year’s world juniors which is expected to take place in Italy.

“That would mean the world to me. That’s what we’ve been training for and working hard for the last couple years,” said McDonald. “So, if we were able to do that, that would just be amazing for us.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

X: @TaylorAllen31