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Jennifer Jones couldn’t have scripted her farewell to the Scotties any higher …
Though a win Sunday evening for a historic seventh title take on the Canadian ladies’s curling championship would definitely be the way in which she’d need it to finish.
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“My final one, so … yeah … it’s enjoyable to be in these massive video games,” stated Jones, who introduced simply hours forward of the 2024 Scotties Event of Hearts that it will be her final.
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“All Scotties have been nice, however this one’s been fairly superior,” continued Jones. “So I don’t suppose that I might’ve scripted it any higher.”
And with fairly the ending, besides.
Jones met Rachel Homan — herself on the lookout for a fourth Scotties crown and skipping the most popular crew on the planet — in Sunday’s championship draw at Calgary’s WinSport.
It was a 3rd assembly between the 2 legendary skips and their groups through the 10 days of those Scotties.
Each round-robin head-to-heads got here all the way down to the ultimate stone, with Homan popping out on high every time to conclude epic contests.
And the ultimate was anticipated to supply the identical sort of drama, with feelings for Jones hitting an all-time excessive.
“I simply needed to soak all of it in,” Jones stated. “The gang’s been superior. I simply actually needed to take pleasure in it. I’ve by no means not loved taking part in.”
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Manitoba’s Kate Cameron slides into remaining day at Scotties
SCOTTIES NOTES: Alberta, Selena Sturmay miss on likelihood to advance
Hugs and tears have been plentiful on her remaining day Sunday — from followers, foes, officers and her Manitoba crew of third Karlee Burgess, second Emily Zacharias, lead Lauren Lenentine and coach Glenn Howard from the St. Very important and Altona curling golf equipment.
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So, too, have been the accolades for among the best and most profitable athletes the game has ever seen, as she chased the prospect to face alone on high of most Scotties wins — another than Colleen Jones.
“Jen’s been a drive for 20-some years now,” added Howard. “Her uncanny potential to make the massive shot is what sticks in my thoughts. She makes clutch after clutch shot.”
SEMIFINAL SHOT
Jones executed one other clutch shot in profitable Sunday’s semifinal 12-7 over fellow Manitoba skip Kate Cameron and her crew from Winnipeg’s Granite Curling Membership.
In contrast to lots of her memorable photographs, this one got here early — within the first finish to safe a five-ender.
Though the double-takeout wasn’t a circus shot — pretty straight-forward, in actual fact, for Jones — it was actually clutch.
“It was,” agreed Cameron. “There was each groups going backwards and forwards on some unhealthy photographs in that first finish, I’d say. After which I put my first one nearly as good as we might, after which I might by no means bounce off (Jones’ rock) with my final one, and that’s what I did. And it’s Jen — she’s going to make these photographs greater than she’s not.”
It was her second five-count of the week.
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“In case you preserve a number of rocks in play, you by no means know,” Jones stated. “You would possibly get a giant finish. And we received lucky when Kate rubbed off and left me the double. That was clearly a giant turning level within the recreation.”
Actually, it was the tip of Group Cameron, which unleashed fairly the run at these Scotties all the way in which to the semifinal.
“We simply tried to take care of the scoreboard at that time and hoped that we’d get a few breaks alongside the way in which,” stated Cameron of attempting to rebound after the five-ender. “Statistically, I don’t suppose it’s good odds after that time, however I believe it was simply focusing one finish at a time and seeing if we might make one thing occur on the market.”
Cameron, third Meghan Walter, second Kelsey Rocque, lead Mackenzie Elias and alternate Taylor McDonald managed to attain deuces in every of the second, fourth and eighth ends, however Jones & Co. managed these within the third, fifth and seventh frames to proceed their dominance on the scoreboard.
“As a lot as that loss sucks proper now, the ladies are going to take rather a lot from that,” Cameron stated. “I believe that’s one of many largest video games they’ve performed in. Tons to be taught from.
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“This entire week we will pull from,” continued Cameron, a 32-year-old Winnipeg native. “We turned some heads and received a couple of video games individuals weren’t anticipating. We knew we might. We simply needed to keep in that mentality of 1 recreation at a time — our backs have been in opposition to the wall since Thursday morning. So I believe it was fairly spectacular to make it to Sunday.”
Jones thought simply as a lot of her rival.
“I’ve an actual soft-spot for Kate,” Jones stated. “I believe she’s simply an superior particular person and an superior competitor. I really like taking part in in opposition to them, as a result of they only love the sport and I see superior issues for them sooner or later.”
That, nonetheless, can be one with out Jones — at the least on the Scotties.
“Jen’s a very nice particular person and clearly a very fierce competitor,” added Cameron. “We’ve been taking part in in opposition to her for a very long time. And even rising up curling in Manitoba, you noticed her simply form what a variety of athletes needed to be, so that you appeared as much as her. I believe it will be great for her to finish on a excessive and win this factor.”
EXTRA ENDS
The 2024 Scotties all-stars — together with the Robin Wilson First Group — have been introduced Saturday, with Group Homan inserting all 4 common members on the 2 squads. Homan herself is the first-team skip, becoming a member of her third, Tracy Fleury, and her second, Emma Miskew, on the star-studded high line-up honouring Robin Wilson, who was the driving drive behind Scott Paper Restricted’s resolution in 1982 to come back aboard because the title sponsor of the Canadian Ladies’s Curling Championship … The primary-team all-star lead wasn’t even presupposed to be an everyday, however Canada’s Krysten Karwacki stepped in for Briane Harris, who was deemed inexplicably ineligible simply hours forward of the Scotties start-up. Canada dominated the second-team all-star squad, with skip Kerri Einarson and second Shannon Birchard among the many honourees. They’re joined by third Karlee Burgess, of Jones’ Manitoba crew, and Homan’s lead, Sarah Wilkes … The Marj Mitchell Sportsmanship Award went to Ontario skip Danielle Inglis … Calgary’s Brenda Rogers is acknowledged because the 2024 Joan Mead Builder’s Award winner as a passionate curling volunteer, together with because the chief umpire for these Scotties. Rogers has spent 20 years as the top official for numerous Alberta curling organizations, together with Curling Alberta and the Southern Alberta Curling Affiliation … And Donna Spencer of The Canadian Press is the recipient of the 2024 Paul McLean Award, introduced by TSN to an individual behind the scenes who has made a big contribution to the game of curling. Spencer has attended 16 Scotties, 13 world championships and 9 Briers, along with three Winter Olympics.
tsaelhof@postmedia.com
http://www.x.com/ToddSaelhofPM
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