An extra end was the difference between a Canadian Olympic Trials berth or second place at the Home Hardware Canada Cup for Paul Kane High School teacher Lori Olson-Johns as the third for the Val Sweeting rink.
Rachel Homan of Ottawa drew for the win with her final shot to edge the defending Canada Cup champions 8-7 Sunday in Grande Prairie.
The two-time Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion is the first women’s team to qualify for the 2017 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings in Ottawa, which will determine the Canadian team at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympics.
Olson-Johns, 39, made some big shots in the third, sixth and eighth ends for the 2015 Scotties Tournament of Hearts finalists.
It was 6-4 after seven for the 2015 Alberta Scotties champions, with Dana Ferguson at second and Rachele Brown at lead, after Sweeting was unable to blank the end and retain hammer with a 5-4 lead, as her final shot stuck in the rings for one.
Homan counted two in eight to tie by knocking two Sweeting stones off the four-foot with last shot.
In nine, Sweeting attempted an angle-raised takeout for two instead of drawing for one and her last shot was wide to give up a steal of one.
Homan left Sweeting with only one option in 10 with a clean house and the successful draw forced the extra end.
Sweeting finished 4-2 in the round robin and 6-3 overall, and as the runner-up received $9,000, plus $2,000 for every round-robin win.
The World Curling Tour women’s money list ranks Sweeting second at $57,000 and Homan first at $132,254.
This is the second year for Olson-Johns with the Saville Centre rink. The former three-time Alberta junior champion was a second all-star team selection at third in her third Scotties.
This week the Sweeting foursome are in Yorkton for the Canadian Open, a Grand Slam event.
Team Sweeting also has a bye into provincials, Jan. 20 to 24 at the North Hill Curling Club in Calgary, as the defending champions.
The host team for the 2016 Ringette Alberta U12A petite championship is undefeated this season after winning its fourth tournament.
The St. Albert Power improved to 28-0 after defeating Calgary NW Eclipse in the final of the Ed Horvath Interprovincial Classic on Sunday in Medicine Hat.
The Power also celebrated tournament titles at the 17th annual St. Albert Turkey Ring, Sherwood Park Platinum Ring and Airdrie Ring of Fire.
Provincials are March 18 to 20.
Meanwhile, the U19A Charge belles beat Kelowna 4-1 in the final of the Michelle Vandale Memorial Spirit of Winter Tournament, hosted by the Fraser Valley Ringette Association.
The U16A Royals’ juniors were also silver medallists.
Tyler Turner of St. Albert was one of five scout players on the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds dressed for the recent Vanier Cup final against the defending champion Montreal Carabins in Quebec City.
The high school football product of the Paul Kane Blues dislocated his shoulder early in the season and chose not to use a year of eligibility and spent the rest of the year on the scout team.
Turner travelled with the Canada West champions to the Uteck Bowl, 36-9 over the St. Francis Xavier X-Men in Antigonish, N.S., and the Thunderbirds remained out east for the 51st Vanier Cup. The team spent two weeks on the road as the players wrote papers and exams while living out of suitcases and hotels.
A last-play field goal from the 20 by Quinn van Gylswyk was the difference in the 26-23 win over the Carabins.
The Thunderbirds, under new head coach Blake Nill, formerly with the Calgary Dinos, were 2-6 last year before going 6-2 in Canada West this year. They beat the Manitoba Bisons 52-10 in the semifinals and upset the Dinos 34-26 in the Hardy Cup final.
