Jolene Campbell, formerly part of a championship-winning team as an alternate, is now aiming to secure victory as a skip at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Competing for Saskatchewan after a decade, Campbell led her team to an 8-5 win over Taylor Reese-Hansen of British Columbia, evening their round-robin record at 1-1. “We just wanted to showcase our curling skills,” Campbell expressed.
Teamed up with skip Robyn Silvernagle, and with Rachel Big Eagle and Dayna Demmans on the front end, Campbell’s rink rebounded after a loss, displaying improved performance in the afternoon session. Silvernagle’s impressive 89% led all back-end players, while Campbell threw at 81%.
Campbell reminisced about her past successes, including being part of a Scotties-winning team in 2011 and her skip experience in previous national playdowns. The duo’s partnership and mutual trust have been pivotal in their journey, with Campbell’s strategic play drawing praise from Silvernagle.
In other matches, notable performances included Manitoba’s Kaitlyn Lawes securing a win over Ontario, Canada’s Kerri Einarson defeating Nova Scotia, and Quebec’s Jolianne Fortin triumphing over Yukon. The evening draw saw exciting games, with Alberta’s Kayla Skrlik and Selena Sturmay showcasing strong performances.
The competition will continue until February 1, with the victorious team earning the chance to represent Canada at the world women’s curling championship in Calgary.