Halifax Curling Club’s Owen Purcell Secures Gold at Canadian Mixed Curling Championship
SAINT CATHARINES, Ont. — Owen Purcell’s Halifax Curling Club team capped off an impressive week by clinching the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship gold in a tense 5-4 victory over Jason Ackerman’s Regina-based Highland Curling Club team on Saturday.
Purcell, along with third Christina Black, second Adam McEachren, and lead Jennifer Baxter, demonstrated consistent strategy and skill throughout the tournament, saving their best performance for the final showdown. After Ackerman tied the game at 4-4 with a single in the seventh end, Purcell held his nerve, expertly using the hammer in the eighth to seal the win.
Ackerman’s silver-medal team included third Amber Holland, second Sam Wills, and lead Colleen Ackerman, who fought hard in the close match but ultimately came up short in the final end.
In the bronze medal game, Kurt Alan Balderston of Grande Prairie, Alta., led his team to a decisive 9-4 victory over Ryan Wiebe’s Winnipeg squad. Balderston’s team dominated early, securing a deuce in the first end, stealing a single in the second, and adding three in the fourth to gain control of the match. Balderston’s winning team members included third Janais DeJong, second Daylan Vavrek, and lead Stephanie Sara Malekoff.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Nov. 9, 2024.
