The battle for provincial curling supremacy is heating up in Melville this week, with the SaskTel Tankard men's championship and the Bunge Prairie Pinnacle women's championship running concurrently at the CN Community Centre. The coveted prizes are a provincial title, the iconic green jacket, and the right to represent Saskatchewan on the national stage.
Men's Division: Defending Champion Stays Perfect
On the men's side, defending champion Rylan Kleiter has stormed out of the gates with a flawless record. After securing three wins through Tuesday's action, Kleiter faced a major test on Wednesday morning against 2023 champion Kelly Knapp, who also entered the match with a 3-0 record. Kleiter emerged victorious with a 5-4 victory, improving his round-robin record to a dominant 4-0, while handing Knapp his first loss, dropping him to 3-1.
Another team making waves is the rink skipped by Brad Moser. After managing just one win at last year's provincials, Moser and his team have found their form, sitting at a strong 3-1 record through the first four draws of the competition.
Women's Division: Thevenot Unbeaten, Martin Struggles
The women's event has seen Ashley Thevenot's rink establish itself as the team to beat, racing to a perfect 4-0 start after the first two days of competition. Hot on their heels is two-time champion Penny Barker, who remained undefeated at 3-0 heading into her Wednesday matchup against Jolene Campbell (3-1).
The most surprising development of the championships so far is the slow start for the defending champion, Nancy Martin. Her team faced an uphill battle heading into Wednesday afternoon's draw, still searching for its first victory with an 0-3 record.
Playoff Path and National Berths
Round-robin play for the women continues until Friday night, with the top four teams advancing to Saturday's playoff round. The men will conclude their round robin on Saturday morning, followed by their playoffs that evening.
The playoff format will see the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds battle for a direct berth into the final. The loser of that game will head to the semifinal to face the winner of a match between the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds. Both the men's and women's semifinals are scheduled for Sunday at 9 a.m. The women's provincial final will follow at 3 p.m., with the men's final set for 7 p.m.
The stakes are immense. The women's champion will earn the right to represent Saskatchewan at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Mississauga, Ontario, from January 23 to February 1. The men's winner will advance to the Montana's Brier in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, from February 27 to March 8. They will be joined there by another Saskatchewan team, skipped by Mike McEwen, which has pre-qualified for the national event.
Men's Standings (Through Draw 4, Wednesday Morning):
- Rylan Kleiter: 4-0
- Kelly Knapp: 3-1
- Brad Moser: 3-1
- Joshua Kalthoff: 2-1
- Steve Laycock: 2-2
- Ryan Hartung: 1-2
- Jason Bryden: 1-3
- Kody Carss: 0-3
- Rylan deConinck Smith: 0-3
Selected Men's Scores from Draw 1:
- Brad Moser 7, Jason Bryden 6
- Joshua Kalthoff 14, Rylan deConinck Smith 11
- Kelly Knapp 10, Kody Carss 4
- Rylan Kleiter 12, Steve Laycock 8
