Doug McLennan of St. Albert is playing for a medal today at the Canadian Seniors (50-plus) Curling Championships.
McLennan, 57, is the third for the Team Alberta rink skipped by Glen Hansen of Hinton at the national competition at the Thistle Curling Club.
The top four rinks in the championship pool hook up at 9:30 a.m. and the gold and bronze finals are 2:30 p.m.
The championship winner will represent Canada at worlds next year.
Alberta finished first in pool A and Friday night battled Manitoba (Randy Neufeld of La Salle Curling Club) for top spot in the championship bracket. The score was unavailable at press time.
Both teams were 5-1 going into the last game before the playoffs.
Visit www.thistlecurling.ab.ca for results.
Thursday’s 6-5 extra-end victory over Ontario – Jeff McCrady of Ottawa Curling Club – punched Alberta’s playoff ticket. It was 3-0 for Ontario after four, when Alberta scored back-to-back deuces. Ontario (3-3) regained the lead with a two-spot in seven and Alberta replied with one in eight and stole the winning point in nine.
Alberta’s only loss at nationals was 9-5 to Quebec – Ted Butler of Buckingham Curling Club. Quebec counted four with the hammer in the seventh to lead by four.
Quebec and New Brunswick – Wayne Tallon of Capital Winter Club in Fredericton – shared third place at 4-2 after Thursday’s draw. Tallon won the 2013 nationals and last year’s world championship.
The Alberta lineup includes George Parsons and Don Bartlett at front-end.
Two years ago, McLennan and Parsons competed at nationals with skip Wade White and second Dan Holowaychuk of St. Albert and the Alberta reps were awarded bronze after finishing 9-3 overall in Summerside, P.E.I.
The Travelers – formerly Dominion – Curling Club northern playdowns are underway for St. Albert rinks skipped by Jamie King and Lauren Jenkyns at the Shamrock.
Both rinks are the defending President’s Cup playoff champions in St. Albert.
King’s team consists of third Craig King, second Ralph Killips and lead Elson Keown.
Jenkyns, the 2013 Dominion provincial champion, is curling with third Kathy Piper, second Laurie Schreiner and lead Cindy Bobowik.
Sunday’s finals are noon in the A event and 3 p.m. in the B event.
Three men’s and three women’s rinks advance to provincials in October in Calgary.
Visit www.northernalbertacurling.com for draw times and results.
The President’s Cup and Manager’s Cup playoffs wrap up next week at the St. Albert Curling Club.
The finals are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday for the mixed President’s Cup and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday for the men’s and women’s President’s Cup and the men’s and mixed Manager’s Cup.
If needed, the tiebreakers in the double knockout format are Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in the mixed President’s and Manager’s Cups and 8:45 p.m. for the women’s President’s Cup and the men’s President’s and Manager’s Cups.
The President’s Cup winners advance to the 52nd annual Edmonton and area Tournament of Champions, April 7 to 12 at the Glen Allen Curling Club in Sherwood Park.
Last year at the Tournament of Champions, Lauren Jenkyns won the women’s final and Doug McLennan was the mixed runner-up.
A new President’s Cup men’s champion will be crowned in St. Albert after the King rink lost two playoff games.
