Silvernagle claims second straight Saskatchewan women’s curling title

MELVILLE, Sask. — Robyn Silvernagle will make a return trip to the Canadian women’s curling championship wearing the host province’s colours.

Silvernagle defeated Sherry Anderson 8-5 to claim Saskatchewan’s women’s championship Tuesday.

Silvernagle, vice Stefanie Lawton and front end Jessie Hunkin and Kara Thevenot out of North Battleford’s Twin Rivers Club advanced to next month’s Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Moose Jaw.

The same foursome finished third in last year’s Hearts in Sydney, N.S., falling to Ontario’s Rachel Homan in the semifinal there.

Up 6-5 coming home with hammer, Silvernagle’s double hit with her final throw in Melville earned her a second straight provincial crown.

“This one of course we wanted really bad because it’s at home,” the skip told CurlSask. “That is something we had as our goal the whole season.”

Silvernagle scored three points in the fourth and stole one in the eighth to lead 6-3.

She beat Anderson in the final a second straight year. Silvernagle stole a point in the 10th end to win 6-5 in 2019.

Anderson’s lead Aly Jenkins died Oct. 20 from complications during childbirth. Chaelynn Kitz played lead for Anderson in Melville.

The 2020 Hearts field will be complete by Sunday when Manitoba, B.C., Ontario and Northern Ontario conclude their provincial playdowns.

Two wild-card teams — the top two non-qualified teams in the Canadian Team Rankings System (CTRS) — meet Feb. 14 in Moose Jaw with the winner gaining entry into the Hearts main draw the following day.

Manitobans Tracy Fleury, Kerri Einarson and Jennifer Jones currently rank first to third.

Laura Walker (Alberta), Noemie Verreault (Quebec), Andrew Crawford (New Brunswick), Mary-Anne Arsenault (Nova Scotia), Erica Curtis (Newfoundland and Labrador), Kerry Galusha (Northwest Territories), Lori Eddy (Nunavut), Suzanne Birt (Prince Edward Island) and Hailey Birnie (Yukon) join defending champion Chelsea Carey and Silvernagle among the teams already qualified for Moose Jaw.

Saskatchewan’s men’s championship opens Wednesday in Melville with the winner advancing to the Tim Hortons Brier in Kingston, Ont.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 28, 2020.

The Canadian Press