Apr 28, 2009 - 02:29 PM

By Jim Easson

Recently, the Youth Closing Banquet was held at Annandale.

The Little Rockers, aged between 7 and 12, were recognized for placements in the first and second draws. In the first draw, placing first was the team of Kaitlin Jewer, Brittany Heaslip, Austin Campbell and Abigael Craig. Second place went to the team of Olivia Isaacs, Sabrina Zaczek, Brooke Carroll and Kamee Mongeon, and third went to Riley McMulkin, James Lashbrook, Hannah Woods, and Rebecca Gilpin. For the second draw of the season, first place went to Matt McConnell, Sabrina Zaczek, Lauren Pereira and Xavier Rolland. Recognized coming second was the team of Olivia Isaacs, Connor Faille, Scott McMulkin and Cassandra Cowan, and third was the team of Kaitlin Jewer, Jason Stephens, Hannah Woods and Erica Wheatley.

The bantam and juniors, aged 12 to 20, curl with full-size rocks. In the first draw, first team skip, vice, second, and lead respectively were Carter Adair, Kyle Edgell, Andrew Neary, and Aidan Kelly. Second were Jaclyn Stephenson, Christopher Hawke, Alexandra Dingman and Paul McMillan. Third were Benjamin Bevan, Tamra Barriault, Evan Heaslip and David Dearness. The second draw recognized respectively in first were Mark Bainard, Scott Lavery, Alex Dingman, Jacob Cousins. Second were Jaclyn Stephenson, Matthew Leitch, Chris Zaczek, Matthew Deane. Third team Graham Clendenning, Nicole Gardener, Alison Gardener, Robert Matteau.

At the closing banquet, the Annandale Curling Club executive acknowledged the incoming president for 2009-2010. Lynda Pellow accepted the presidency from Arthur McCrorie. It was much appreciated that Janet Alexander volunteered to fill the vacant position of secretary.

Team Glenn Howard with Pickering resident Richard Hart at vice, and the front end of Brent Laing and Craig Savill, have their work cut out for them this summer to prepare for the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings Olympic Trials next December 6-13, in Edmonton. The team won its way over three years, capturing the 2007 Brier and Ford world men's and 2008 Players' Championship, to make it to the Trials as opposed to fighting its way through the Pre-Trials Road to the Roar. The Trials will be an eight-team round robin competition, with the first-place finisher advancing to the final, while the second- and third-place teams meet in semifinals.

The winners represent Canada at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, where the curling competition takes place February 16-27 at the Vancouver Olympic Centre.