Winning the Alberta junior women’s championship was a pleasant surprise for Karynn Flory.
The St. Albert curler skipped the Crestwood rink of third Holly Jamieson, second Klara Smiley and lead Katie Roskewich to a dominating 7-3 win over Kelsey Rocque in Sunday’s final at the Thistle.
“It’s very exciting,” Flory said. “We knew we would in the running but I don’t think anyone of us expected we would do as well we did. It was quite a shocker.”
The Flory Four will now represent the province at nationals, Feb. 2 to 10 at Fort McMurray.
“It’s a big deal,” Flory said. “We’re looking forward to it. We’ll really have the fan support behind us.”
Two years ago Flory didn’t win a game in her provincial debut with Smiley as her second. With a different line-up this time, the C-event qualifiers at northerns roared through the round robin with six wins and one loss to tie Rocque of the Saville Sports Centre for first place.
Flory’s 7-5 extra-end decision against 2012 Canadian champion Jocelyn Peterman to wrap up the round robin Saturday morning marked the first time she had defeated the Red Deer skip. Flory’s deuce in nine put her on top 5-4 and in the 11th added another deuce with the hammer.
Saturday night Flory polished off Taylore Theroux of the Saville 12-2 in eight ends. Steals of two in the second, three in the third and one in the fourth, fifth and sixth ends and two in the seventh made it 12-0.
“We went day by day, end by end and shot by shot. We never really thought about the next game,” Flory said.
The only loss was 10-8 to Rocque that saw Flory steal three in the first end before giving up four in two. A deuce by Flory in nine left her trailing by one.
In the rematch, the top team in the Wednesday night Crestwood league came through with a key steal of one in four to go ahead 2-1, a clutch deuce in six to lead 4-2 and a steal of two in nine to salt it away.
“The first deuce was huge. That was a little bit of a momentum swing I guess,” Flory said of the hit for two. “It was kind of one of those games that the first team to get a deuce would have the better shot of winning.”
After shaking hands, “We had a lot of mixed emotions because we’re friends with her,” Flory said of Rocque, who held the edge in the season series with Flory going into the final.
The next day Flory still couldn’t believe she was a provincial champion.
“It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I’ve never been in this position before,” said the product of the Little Rocks program at the St. Albert Curling Club.
Flory, 20, had also challenged for provincial honours in juvenile and finished third a few years ago and in mixed last year was the lead for the Matt Yeo rink.
The first-year student in personal fitness training also skips a NAIT rink with Smiley and Roskewich on board.
On tap next for Flory is nationals.
“I’m very ecstatic about it because it’s my last year in junior,” said the Bellerose Composite High School graduate.
