After scoping out the B.C. curling competition together Diamond Wilson and Alyssa Connell will go from teammates to rivals this week.
“It’s going to be fun, entertaining, you take it really seriously but as soon as we get off the ice we’re all friends and we’re there for each other and cheering for each other,” said Wilson.
The two College Heights Cougars teammates returned from the high school provincial championship in Kamloops where they placed
third.
Now Connell, third on the Cougars team, will skip her own team at the 2013 Tim Hortons B.C. juvenile curling championships, starting Wednesday at the Prince George Golf and Curling Club.
There will be eight girls and eight boys teams from across the province in Prince George this weekend trying to capture the juvenile title.
Prince George will be represented in the boys’ draw by skip Dustin Withey, third Brendan Carswell, second Coleton Vriesendorp and lead James Brown.
Wilson skips a team with third Carly Connor, second Jessica Withey, lead Erin Rose and alternate Carsyn Hamilton, while Connell will hold the broom for third Jordan Henson, second Jennilee Slaney and lead Julianne Slaney.
Both Prince George skips were able to earn a berth at the juvenile championships this week, representing Zone 8 because nobody qualified from Zone 7. They won’t play each other during the round-robin portion of the event, but could face off in the playoffs.
“Either one of us could make [the final] and that’s what we want,” said Wilson. “We cheer for P.G.”
Connell said by playing third to Wilson’s skip on the Cougars’ team last weekend it allowed her to see what she’ll need to do this week.
“I’d watch her and see all the pressure she’s going through so that was interesting for me,” said Connell.
The Cougars started off well in Kamloops winning their first four games but ended up finishing with a 4-3 record, including a 7-4 loss in their final game to Seaquam skip Sarah Daniels. The Delta-based school finished the high school tournament with a 7-0 record to win the provincial title.
Wilson and Connell will get another chance to take down Daniels this week as she’s in Prince George representing Zone 4.
Connell said the competition this week will be good preparation for everyone as the 2015 Canada Winter Games close in, an event both she and Wilson have circled on their calendars because they’ll get to compete in Prince George.
“It just prepares us to see what the provincial level of competition is like,” said the 14-year-old. “It’s a good practice run for the timing and all the different rules
compared to zones.”
The juvenile championship wraps up Sunday.
