It may not have had all the drama as the Scott Tournament of Hearts final Sunday afternoon but the ‘A’ showdown of the annual Fort Frances ladies’ bonspiel also came down to the last rock.
And it was the Kathie Jackson foursome who came away the winners, edging the Bonnie Mueller rink 6-5.
“We went out for fun and we got a $600 bonus,” enthused Jackson. “It was a very good weekend and the last game against Bonnie Mueller’s team went very well.
“We were tied in the seventh [end] and it was a really exciting game. No one likes a blowout,” she added. “We would put a guard in and they took it out. We would put another one and they would take it out.”
Jackson, whose rink included third Kim Beaudry, second Julie Lowery, and lead Caroline Spencer, noted she has been curling in this bonspiel for years but this was only the second time she’s won it.
Jackson’s crew opened action Friday afternoon with an easy 9-2 win over Lorraine Green, then blanked Linda Hill 8-0 later that day.
After beating Karen Angus 6-2 in their lone match Saturday, they downed Wendy Brunetta 7-3 in the semi-finals Sunday morning to advance to the final against Mueller.
Brunetta ended up taking third spot in the ‘A’ while Lois Tabak, whose rink lost 6-4 to Mueller in the other semi-final, wound up in fourth spot.
The B. Lyn Button rink of Sioux Lookout captured the ‘B’ crown after doubling Kim Roy 8-4 in the final Sunday afternoon.
They had opened with a 10-5 loss to Tabak in their opening game Thursday evening. Then after having a bye Friday, Button rebounded with a 9-2 win over Vicki Allen that put them into the ‘B’ semi-finals Sunday morning.
They advanced to the final with a 7-4 victory over Mary Lou Watson.
Watson ended up third in the ‘B’ while Jackie Windigo, who had lost 11-2 to Roy in the other semi-final, took fourth.
After opening with a pair of losses (6-5 to Sandra Windigo on Thursday night and then 8-5 to Jackie Windigo on Friday night) and then getting a bye Saturday morning, Anna Cunningham reeled off three-straight wins to win the ‘C’ title.
She nipped Janey Biggs 5-4 on Saturday afternoon, then dumped Diane Pattison in the semi-finals Sunday morning before downing Linda Hill 7-3 in the final that afternoon.
Pattison ended up third in the ‘C’ while Tracey Coran, who had lost 8-5 to Hill in the other sem-final, finished fourth.
And in the ‘D’ event, also known as the “Rat Race,” Marg Bartel prevailed with a 7-5 win over Shannon Jackson in the final Sunday afternoon.
She had opened the bonspiel with a 7-1 loss to Diane Wilson on Thursday night. But after nipping Noreen Gustafson 6-5 on Friday afternoon, Bartel fell 5-4 to Roy in the noon draw Saturday to drop down to the ‘D’ event.
But she didn’t lose again. After beating Nettie Monasterski on Saturday afternoon (the score was not recorded), Bartel downed Bonnie Broman 6-4 on Saturday night, Roz Broman 5-4 on Sunday morning, and then Sharon Payne 7-5 in the semi-finals later that morning.
Payne wound up third in the ‘D’ event while Ann Onichuk, who had lost 5-4 to Shannon Jackson in the other semi-final Sunday morning, finished in fourth place.
Some 35 rinks competed in this year’s cash bonspiel.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
