Kennedy update
Marc Kennedy’s sabbatical from the competitive curling circuit lasted as long as a blanked end.The two-time Olympian from St. Albert was recruited by Team Brad Jacobs to play as a substitute at the Canada Cup, Dec. 5 to 9 in Estevan, Sask.
Kennedy, 36, announced March 3 he wasn’t returning to Team Kevin Koe, the fourth-place finishers at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games in South Korea, in order to heal a lingering hip injury while also recharging his batteries.
Kennedy will replace Ryan Fry, a gold medallist at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi with Jacobs, E.J. Harnden and Ryan Harnden. The foursome also won the 2013 Brier.
Fry, a third, announced last week he was taking a break from the Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.-based rink to focus on growth and self-improvement after he was ejected from a recent World Curling tour event in Red Deer for what organizers called unsportsmanlike behaviour on and off the ice resulting from excessive drinking.
Fry, 40, was a substitute on the Jamie Koe rink in Red Deer and along with Koe and teammates Chris Schille and DJ Kidby were kicked out of the competition.
Organizers said Fry broke three brooms and the team used foul language and was disruptive to other players on the ice.
The World Curling Tour fined Fry $1,000, which will be donated to Red Deer Junior Curling.
All four players later issued statements apologizing for their actions.
The Canada Cup men’s and women’s winners qualify for the 2021 Road to the Roar Pre-Trials.
Team Jacobs is seventh in the WCT rankings.
Kennedy, a three-time Brier winner, two-time world champion, 2010 Olympic gold medallist and 2011 St. Albert Curling Club wall of fame inductee, starting practicing this fall and last month teamed up with Rachel Homan to win a mixed doubles event in Sherwood Park.
Bronze for Wolves
The only loss at the Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association 3A men’s volleyball championship for the Morinville Wolves was Saturday’s semifinal against the Barrhead Gryphons in Rocky Mountain House.The Wolves fell 21-25, 15-25 to their North Central zone rivals after going 5-0 in pool play for a berth in the medal round.
The Wolves rebounded to knock off the Edmonton Christian Lions, a metro Edmonton division one team, 25-16, 25-17 in the bronze-medal match.
Barrhead repeated as provincial champions by defeating the Peace Wapiti Academy Titans (North West) of Grande Prairie 25-17, 25-17.
Barrhead was also the 2016 provincial silver medallist.
Last year Barrhead swept the Wolves 25-20, 25-21 in the gold-medal match.
Both years Barrhead was a wild-card team at provincials after losing to the Wolves in the North Central finals. This year’s score in the final was 25-23, 25-23 for the Wolves, seeded second in the zone tournament at Barrhead.
Last year’s silver medal for the Wolves was also the first 3A provincial podium result in team history.
The last provincial men’s volleyball championship for the Wolves was 1981 in the 2A tournament.
The Wolves finished the season with an overall record of 52-8, including a 2-5 mark against Barrhead, after the team’s third provincial appearance since 2015 as quarter-finalists as a tournament wild card.
In pool A of the 12-team draw, the Wolves posted victories of 25-20, 25-22 against the Cochrane Cobras (South Central), 25-19, 25-19 against the Cardston Cougars (South, wild card), 25-19, 25-23 against Edmonton Christian (Edmonton, wild card), 25-15, 25-10 against the H.J. Cody Lakers (Central) of Sylvan Lake and 28-26, 25-14 against the St. Martin de Porres Kodiaks (Calgary) of Airdrie.
The Wolves graduate five players from a roster that included five returnees from the 46-9 team that also finished 6-1 at last year’s provincials.
3A Lady Wolves
The Morinville Wolves wrapped up a 22-19 season with two wins in five matches at the Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association 3A women’s volleyball championship last weekend in Beaverlodge.In the red pool of the 12-team draw, the North Central zone champions lost 25-22, 17-25, 12-15 to the St. Joseph Ceinahs of Grande Prairie and last year’s gold medallists, defeated the Camrose Trojans 25-14, 25-18, lost 24-26, 12-25 to the Edmonton Christian Lions, a metro Edmonton division one team, and 13-25, 6-25 to the Cochrane Cobras before closing out the tournament with a 26-24, 20-25, 15-10 decision against the Crescent Heights Vikings of Medicine Hat.
In the medal finals, Cochrane swept the Peace Wapiti Academy Titans of Grande Prairie for the championship and Edmonton Christian prevailed in three sets against St. Joseph for bronze.
The lady Wolves competed at their first provincials since going 2-3 in pool play in 2015 as North Central champions.
This year’s zone final was 25-22, 25-27, 15-7 for the Wolves over the host Barrhead Gryphons. The Wolves were seeded first in the tournament.
The Wolves graduate seven players from a roster that included five returnees from the 2017 zone finalists.
