When Selena Sturmay and her Saville Community Sports Centre rink came into the 10th end of Sunday’s Sentinel Storage Alberta Scotties Tournament of Hearts final draw in St. Paul’s Clancy Richard Arena a single point behind Kayla Skrlik’s rink from the Garrison Curling Club, that deficit was no doubt a stark reminder of her rink’s only loss in the seven-game round robin, where Skrlik won by a single point.
With both of Sturmay’s skip rocks left to throw, and rocks from both teams already in the house, she called for a time out to seek advice from coach Ted Appleman, then added another guard to the lineup, calling another time out after Skrlik threw her first rock before adding another red stone to the lineup.
Skrlik also called a time out to discuss her final shot with coach Shannon Kleibrink, but her hope for the win was shattered when that final rock not only continued past the centre of the house, but slid just far enough past both of the Sturmay rocks to give that rink the two points they needed to win the trip to the 2024 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Calgary at the conclusion of the hard-fought game.
The Skrlik rink, one of three to go through the round robin with four wins and three losses, won the Sunday morning semifinal over Serena Gray-Withers’ rink, also from the Saville Community Sports Centre, by a single point in an extra end.
“It was a great five days of curling,” declared Michael Laderoute of Curling Alberta, as he came forward to present the gold medals to Sturmay, Danielle Schiermann, Dezaray Hayes, Paige Papley and coach Appleman and the silver medals to Skrlik, Brittany Tran, Geri-Lynn Ramsay, Ashton Skrlik and coach Kleibrink.
Host committee chair Troy Bohn and vice-chair Andrea Austin of the St. Paul Curling Club also took part in the closing ceremonies, with Bohn thanking the many volunteers, sponsors, Curling Alberta officials and the Town of St, Paul, saying the event “was everything we could ask for.”