Southern Women’s Curling starts in Swift Current on Friday

A trio of Southwest rinks will be on the ice battling against some of Saskatchewan’s top competitors at the Viterra Southern Women’s Curling Playdowns at the Swift Current Curling Club.

A total of 13 rinks will be on the ice on Jan. 9 to 11 to determine the five teams which will advance to the Viterra Scotties Tournament of Hearts Provincial Championship in Assiniboia on January 21 to 25. Saskatchewan’s representatives will not have far to travel for the national Scotties championship which are being hosted in Moose Jaw this year.

The local trio of teams include Shaunavon’s Wendy Thienes rink, the Jade Telke rink from Abbey, plus Swift Current’s Jolene Campbell rink.

The Swift Current Curling Club rink skipped by Jolene Campbell boasts a strong line-up of seasoned curlers. Campbell and third Teejay Haichert recently won the Canadian Mixed Curling Cham- pionship as members of the Max Kirkpatrick rink, while lead Kelsey Dutton was on the Shaun Meachem rink which won the Saskatchewan Mixed championship in 2014.

The Campbell rink placed seventh in the 2014-2015 Saskatchewan Women’s Curling Tour on the strength of reaching the playoff round of events hosted at the Regina Callie and Saskatoon Nutana clubs.

Campbell has made three appearances at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts as the alternate for Amber Holland’s rink. The Saskatchewan rink won the Scotties in 2011 and went on to win a silver medal at the 2011 World Women’s Curling Championship in Denmark.

Haichert was third on Saskatchewan’s rink which won the 2003 Canadian and World Junior Curling Championships. She then skipped her own rink to a 2004 provincial junior title. She also curled with the Yukon/Northwest Territories at the 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

A number of other teams among the 13-rink field also boast impressive curling backgrounds.

Lana Vey previously won provincial titles in 2012 with Michelle Englot and 2007 with Jan Betker.

Kim Schneider and Tammy Schneider were both back to back provincial champions in 2011 and 2010 as members of the Amber Holland rink.

Nancy Inglis boasts a provincial title in 2007 as second on the Jan Betker rink.

Balgonie’s Mandy Selzer won the 2006 Saskatchewan Junior Women’s Championship along with the Canadian Junior Women’s Championship

Lorraine Arguin from Moose Jaw is the reigning Provincial Senior Women’s Curling Champion.

Jana Tisdale from the Regina Highland Curling Club skipped her league team to the Saskatchewan’s 2014 Provincial Women’s Club Championship.