WCT Recap: Homan, Koe win Shorty Jenkins

Rachel Homan and Kevin Koe started their curling seasons off right with wins at the prestigious Shorty Jenkins Classic in Cornwall, Ont., this weekend.

TSN.ca Staff

Rachel Homan , Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

Men's Tour

AMJ Campbell Shorty Jenkins Classic from Cornwall, Ont

Sept 15-18, 2016

Purse: $59,000

The defending Canadian and world champions from Calgary have not lost a beat. Team Kevin Koe went a perfect 8-0 this week in Cornwall en route to a victory at the Shorty Jenkins Classic in their first event of the season. Skip Koe, third Marc Kennedy, second Brent Laing and lead Ben Hebert beat Scotland's Tom Brewster in the quarter-finals, Sweden's Niklas Edin in the semi-final and Mark Nichols (who was taking over for the injured Brad Gushue) of St. John's in the championship games, 9-3.

twitter embed

After their amazing run in 2015-16 - which included booking a spot to the Canadian Olympic Trials - and their hot start to this season, it appears Team Koe will once again be a rink that will do serious damage on the World Curling Tour.

Gushue was the defending champ at this event, but has missed the last couple weeks due to a hip/groin injury. Charley Thomas played vice in his absence as Nichols was bumped up to skip duties for a second straight week.

Plenty of notable names made the trip to Cornwall for the Shorty Jenkins including Reid Carruthers (2-3, failed to make playoffs), John Epping (lost to Nichols in semis), Glenn Howard (3-2, failed to make playoffs), Brad Jacobs (lost to Epping in quarters), Steve Laycock (1-4, failed to make playoffs) and Mike McEwen (lost to Nichols in quarters).

Craig Savill, who missed most of last season after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, returned to the rink this weekend much healthier and as a member of Chad Allen's Ontario foursome.

Cloverdale Cash Spiel from Surrey, BC

Sept 16-18, 2016

Purse: $8,200

China's Rui Liu bettered Adam Cseke of Kelowna in the final, 6-4. Defending champ Dean Joanisse lost in the quarter-finals.

Women's Tour

AMJ Campbell Shorty Jenkins Classic from Cornwall, Ont

Sept 15-18, 2016

Purse: $29,500

Team Rachel Homan, also in their first event of the 2016-17 season, went 6-0 over the four-day event to take the title. The Ottawa foursome of skip Homan, third Emma Miskew, second Joanne Courtney and lead Lisa Weagle topped Quebec's Marie-France Larouche in the semi-finals and Allison Flaxey of Ontario in the final, 7-1.

twitter embed

"The win earned us additional points on the tour and gets our season off to a great start," said the team in a post on their website.

Other notable rinks included Sherry Middaugh (failed to make playoffs) and last week's winner Silvana Tirinzoni (lost in quarters).

Cloverdale Cash Spiel from Surrey, BC

Sept 16-18, 2016

Purse: $8200

Diane Gushulak and her Vancouver squad posted a flawless 6-0 record and defended their title at the Cloverdale Cash Spiel Sunday. Wins included beating Yukon's Sarah Koltun in the semis and Lindsay Hudyma's in the championship game, 7-2.

Colonial Square Ladies Classic from Saskatoon, Sask

Sept 16-19, 2016

Purse: $40,000

Olympic bronze medalist (Vancouver 2010) Bingyu Wang and her Chinese rink were the last team standing at the Colonial Square Ladies Classic, beating Eve Muirhead of Scotland in the final, 7-4. Wang, who also won gold at the 2009 world championship, lost in the first game of the round robin, but then rattled off seven straight victories to take the title. The foursome of Wang, third Yan Zhou, second Jinli Lu and lead Ying Yang topped Saskatchewan's Chantelle Eberle in the quarter-finals and Anna Hasselborg of Sweden in the semi-finals.

This marks the second straight week Team Muirhead fell in a championship game as they lost to Casey Scheidegger at the HDF Insurance Shoot-Out on Sept. 11.

twitter embed

Other teams in the 24-rink field included Val Sweeting (3-3, failed to make playoffs), Kelsey Rocque (0-3, failed to make playoffs), Alina Paetz (1-3, failed to make playoffs), Stefanie Lawton (lost in quarters to Hasselborg), Kerri Einarson (2-3, failed to make playoffs) and Jolene Campbell (4-3, failed to make playoffs).

Team Jennifer Jones were there too, but without Jennifer Jones, who stayed home to look after her new baby girl, Skyla. TSN curling commentator and 2010 Olympic silver medalist Cheryl Bernard filled in at skip and the foursome had an impressive weekend, making it all the way to the semis where they lost to Muirhead. It looked like they had a little fun in the process as well.

twitter embed