麻豆社区

The top masters curlers in the country will converge on the Yukon capital for the national championships next week.

The Whitehorse Curling Club will host the 2015 Canadian Masters Curling Championship, beginning with an opening ceremony Monday.

Twelve men鈥檚 and 12 women鈥檚 rinks will compete for their respective titles next week.

Headlining the women鈥檚 draw is defending champion skip Merle Kopach of Saskatchewan.

Men鈥檚 2014 champion Eugene Hritzuk will not return.

The tournament will feature three Yukon entries, with 61-year-old George Hilderman skipping the Yukon men, and 64-year-old Ellen Johnson captaining the Yukon ladies.

Pat Banks, the 69-year-old event co-chair, has also been called into duty to skip a host rink in order to ensure even numbers for the women鈥檚 draw after a women鈥檚 rink from Prince Edward Island signed on late.

鈥淭his will be the first time the championships have been held North of 60,鈥� Banks told the Star.

鈥淎s a member of the national masters committee, I have fought for Whitehorse to be added to the roster and it is finally here.鈥�

Apart from the 96 curlers involved, 21 additional family members and coaches are expected to attend. That is a telltale sign to Banks that people are excited to come North.

While the event is sanctioned by Curling Canada, it is not funded and participants pay their own way, said Banks.

Hilderman鈥檚 rink will include Gord Zealand (third), Clarence Jack (second) and Richard Trimble (lead).

The veteran skipper said he was looking forward to home-ice advantage after competing at last year鈥檚 national event in Coaldale, Alta.

鈥淚 love this ice and I curl well on it,鈥� Hilderman said after the local masters playdowns in December. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 going to fit us very well.鈥�

Meanwhile, Johnson鈥檚 rink includes tournament co-chair Elaine Sumner (third), Ev Pasichnyk (second) and Nancy Kowalyshen (lead).

And alongside Banks, the host team is made up of Marg鈥圵hite (third), Val Whelan (second) and Lorraine Stick (lead).

The event includes separate events for male and female curlers over age 60. Entries are open to one team from each gender from each province or territory, as well as Northern Ontario.

The finals for the event, sponsored by Northern Vision Development, will be held next Sunday.

NOTES: Weekly game passes, including semifinals and finals are available for $20, while daily passes are $10 and single game tickets are $5. ... Limited $20 tickets are available for Yukon Night April 1 featuring Hank Carr and the Canucks and the closing banquet ($50) April 4 at the Gold Rush Inn. ... Tickets are available at the club, 667-2875.

鈥� 鈥� 鈥�

Walter Wallingham鈥檚 senior rink earned their first victory at the 2015 Everest Canadian Senior Men鈥檚 Curling Championship Tuesday.

Wallingham 鈥� alongside teammates Zealand (third), Herb Balsam (second) and Don Duncan (lead) 鈥� beat Saskatchewan鈥檚 Glen Despins 8-3 at the Thistle Curling Club in Edmonton.

The win improved the Yukon鈥檚 record to 1-5, not good enough to compete for a championship.

The Yukon, now in last place with a 1-7 record, will play out the rest of their games for seeding purposes ahead of the 2016 event.

The territory did not enter a women鈥檚 team for senior nationals.

The seniors event 鈥� age 50-plus 鈥� is sponsored by Everest, a national funeral planning and concierge service.