GFSS Girls Place Second

Grand Forks High School Girls Place Second in the 2010 BC High School Curling Championships    by Gerry Foster

A team from the Grand Forks Secondary School has done it again! Representing the Kootenay region they finished in second place with an outstanding 6-1 record at the 2010 BC High School playdowns in Chilliwack, February 4-6. Their only loss was to South Kamloops who finished in first place, going through the round robin undefeated. This is the fourth consecutive year that a team from Grand Forks has achieved a winning record. In North Vancouver in 2008 they went undefeated and won the Gold medal. Last year in Smithers they finished the round robin schedule tied for first, but settled for a Silver medal when they lost a one game playoff. This four year span is one of the best quadrennial records in the history of high school curling in the province.  What makes this year’s performance so remarkable is that three team members were curling in their first High School Championship and one of them, Lead Kim Lacey, is a virtual rookie in the sport. Third, Kelly Ludwar and Second, Mackenzie Field played in the BC Juvenile provincials last year, winning a bronze medal. Skipping the team in Chilliwack was veteran Erinn Bartlett. She finishes her high school career with one of the winningest individual records ever achieved in Girls or Boys BC High School curling; this outstanding athlete has won 23 games, 17 of these victories as the Third for Randi Ludwar, Junior Female Athlete of the Year in 2008, who dominated the provincial school curling scene.  Throughout this remarkable stretch their terrific coach, 2008 BC Coach of the Year, Teresa Hiram, has been a tower of strength. She has displayed exceptional ability instructing and mentoring these outstanding curling teams, who have not only excelled in the sport, but have also demonstrated great sportsmanship and maturity. In Chilliwack last week the team opened with convincing wins over Caledonia and St. Thomas More, coming back from a 4-1 deficit after 5 ends. Their one loss came on the final draw on Thursday. Early Friday morning they took to the ice to face the undefeated team from Fort Nelson. Trailing 5-3 after 7 ends, they turned things around with 4 in the 8th and 3 in the 9th. Late Friday evening they were in a battle against a strong South Delta team. Down 8-7 playing the final end, Erinn executed a pressure packed final shot before a huge crowd, giving the Grand Forks team an 11-8 win. Their final game of the competition was against Chilliwack, skipped by 2009 BC Juvenile champion Stephanie Prinse. Not only was this game for second place, but if South Kamloops lost their game two sheets over, a tie for first in the standings was a possibility. Erinn and her team roared out of the hacks, building up an 8-0 lead after 3 ends. Chilliwack, before a supportive home crowd, started to come back. The scoreboard, playing the ninth, read 11-8 for the Boundary girls, but their opponents were laying one, partially covered by a guard. Again, this talented shooter from Christina Lake, rose to the occasion, and made a superb shot for two and an insurmountable five point lead. Meanwhile the first place team from Kamloops won their game, and the team from Curl Grand Forks would settle for a well earned Silver medal. Kim, Mackenzie, Kelly and Erinn, you were all outstanding.

Curl GF ~ © 2008-2009 Grand Forks Curling Club - Grand Forks, British Columbia