Field is set for 2016 Canadian Direct Insurance BC Men’s Curling Championship
By The Nelson Daily Sports
The field for the 2016 Canadian Direct Insurance BC Men’s Curling Championship in Nelson is now set.
Three teams have earned the final berths in the 16-team BC Championship field, a tournament that includes Tom Buchy of Kimberley and Creston’s Chris Ducharme, during qualifying this past weekend in Salmon Arm.
Two Vancouver Island teams, Team Montgomery and Team Jackson, will be joined by Team House, from Richmond when the top curlers in BC flock to the Nelson Curling Club February 10-14 for a chance to represent the province at the Tim Hortons Brier in Ottawa.
Team Montgomery were the first to qualify by capturing the A event, with three straight wins. The team, of Skip Jason Montgomery, Third Miles Craig, Second Cameron De Jong, and lead Dave McGarry, represent Victoria Curling Centre, but two of the team members (Montgomery and Craig) hail from Shawnigan Lake and also curl at Duncan Curling Club.
Team Jackson, also from Victoria Curling Centre, grabbed the second spot with their only loss against Team Montgomery. Skipped by Glen Jackson, the team also features Third Andrew Komlodi, Second Corey Chester and Lead Joel Cave.
The third and final team to qualify was Team House. The team of Skip Will House, Third Kelly McQuiggan, Second Greg Davis and Lead Thomas Sayer will represent Richmond Curling Club at the Nelson event.
Ten teams had previously qualified at regional playdowns in December. In addition, Team Cotter, from Kelowna/Vernon, earned a trip back to provincials as the defending champions, along with the top two CTRS (Canadian Team Ranking System) points winners, Team Joanisse and Team Geall (both from Royal City Curling Club).
The teams that qualified in regional playdowns include Buchy and Ducharme, Team Richard, from Kelowna Curling Club, Team Longworth, from Vernon Curling Club, Team Craig, from Victoria Curling Centre, Team Dangerfield, from Victoria Curling Centre, Team Johnson, from Royal City Curling Club, Team Martyn, from Royal City Curling Club, Team Schneider, from Vancouver Curling Club and Team Wenzek, from Langley/Royal City Curling Clubs.
Team Wenzek had qualified for the BC Men’s event as a five-player team skipped by Tyler Tardi, but Tardi and the team’s fifth, Sterling Middleton, will be travelling to Norway for the Youth Olympics during the event. The team will now be playing as a three-player team of Daniel Wenzek, Jordan Tardi and Nicholas Meister.
Team Buchy consists of the skip, former Brier rep Deane Horning at third, second Dave Toffolo and lead Darren Will while Ducharme is joined by third Josh Firman, second Jim Stewart, lead Jim Maccaulay and fifth man Brendan Stead.
This year’s Championship, which will be televised on Sportsnet, takes place at Nelson Curling Centre from February 10-14. For ticket information, and to find out more about the event, visit http://cdimens2016.curlbc.ca/.
Visit http://www.playdowns.com to view past scores and to follow the scores and standings from the championship event.
