CCAA Curling Nationals
by ACAC Sports Writer Curtis J. Phillips
From 1984-to-1990 the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) curling championships featured post-secondary teams from (west-to-east) British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.
With the sport taking a hiatus from the CCAA national podium from 1991-to-2010, it returned to the sheets in 2012.
During the 1984-1990 sessions, the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference captured a possible 19-of-63 medals including four gold, be it in men's, women's or mixed team curling.
For the 2012 restart, gone were teams from British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Mixed curling was also dropped from the national focus.
The Atlantic Colleges Athletic Association joined for the second phase but dropped the sport recently.
Curling is now strictly an Alberta vs. Ontario (Ontario Colleges Athletic Association) affair.
Since 2012, including the recent 2017 CCAA Championships, which concluded Saturday in Camrose, Alberta and hosted by the University of Alberta Augustana Vikings at Rose City Curling Club, the ACAC has now swept to 19 of a possible 36 medals with four gold.
One of those gold came this weekend with the Red Deer Queens beating fellow ACAC school Concordia University of Edmonton Thunder.
In the ACAC championships held a few weeks prior February 26, 2017 the Queens had lost to the Thunder in the gold medal match 9-4.
They would regroup to beat the Thunder for CCAA A gold 7-6 on a last rock thrown.
"It was quite an exciting final" said Red Deer coach Brad Hamilton of his team consisting of Brett Day, Katie Primrose, Sara McMann, Marla Sherrer and Taylor Konschuh.. "Marla Sherrer (Skip) made some of the best shots I've seen this year. In the semi-final we were in big trouble in the 10th end and she made the shot (7-5 win against Fanshawe Falcons).
"Marla and I talked at the start of the season in that she need to be comfortable in making shots at the end. She skipped a bit it junior but not too much in college. She needed to be comfortable in getting us out of the end and she got better and better as the year went on."
"It was a good gold medal game for both sides," said Thunder coach Dylan Theroux, the women's team consisting of Madysan Theroux, Jessica Panchyshyn, Adrienne Maschmeyer, Veronica Maschmeyer and Brooke Gelasco. "It was definitely a pressure situation with a lot of people watching and it was a national event. The Red Deer girls came out and really wanted to win that one."
"I am super proud of our girls and we did so well this season. They came to perform at every bonspiel and I had so much fun coaching and watching them play. It was no longer high school curling and it was a huge step for some of them."
The Red Deer Kings were top finisher for ACAC men with a bronze medal.
"They were a little disappointed with that they were not in the final game," said Hamilton of the team featuring the talents of Jordan Smith, Austin Kelts-Larsen, Ty Parcels, Ryan Dahmer and David Austin. "But in a week or two they will realize that it will feel much better in having won the bronze."
Red Deer has now swept their way to six CCAA curling medals along with the two current medals they found the podium in 2014, women's gold, Sault Ste, Marie Ontario; 1985 women's bronze Saskatoon Saskatchewan; mixed team gold Kamloops B.C. and 2012 men's silver in Peterborough Ontario.
Schools with both a men's and women's team in the CCAA finals were ACAC Augustana Vikings, Lakeland College Rustlers, NAIT Ooks and Red Deer Kings/Queens with the OCAA being represented by Fanshawe Falcons and Humber Hawks.
ACAC Old College Broncos qualified for men's while OCAA Mohawk Mountaineers were also on the men's side while OCCA Niagara Knights and ACAC Thunder were allocated in the women's side.