http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/WinnipegSun/Sports/2003/12/03/275099.html

Wed, December 3, 2003

Strange, St. Vital's Jennifer Jones did not win a cent in Saskatchewan last weekend but still finally clinched a Canada Cup berth. Jones did it because no other team was able to match her 60 points in the Man./Sask. region race, said MCT events co-ordinator Bob Picken.

"We're pretty excited," Jones said yesterday. "It's nice because it's our first year together with this team. We definitely wanted to try to get there and it is definitely a perk."

Third Karen Porritt returned after a one-year hiatus; Jill Officer was added at second and Lynn Fallis-Kurz moved down to lead. They will compete at the Cup in Kamloops, B.C., Jan. 6-11.

"I think it will be different than the (nationals) because it's a different kind of event," said Jones, who represented Manitoba at the 2002 Scott Tournament of Hearts. "There are fewer games to play so, you definitely have to get off to a good start."

But first, Jones is focused on this weekend's city zone playdowns where she has been named the top seed. Reigning provincial champion Barb Spencer of Fort Rouge is No. 2. Rounding out the top five are Spencer's clubmates: Cathy Overton-Clapham, Joelle Duguid and Connie Laliberte.

STOUGHTON A LOCK? Charleswood's Jeff Stoughton seems to be a lock to also make it as either the winner of two outside regions or, after winning the top prize of $15,000 at a WCT cashspiel in Ottawa, as one of the top two money earners on the Canada Cup Bonspiel Series. And the team will go, despite the fact it will be missing its skipper (work commitments) at least until the weekend, third Jon Mead confirmed.

"We've got a whole list of names (to replace Stoughton temporarily)," Mead said. "It's a good event and has that Olympic trials spot. And it will be good exposure at least for our major sponsor."

Teams will be allowed to wear one sponsor crest as part of their $1,000 entry fee this year and can pay $500 for a second one.

COMING UP

Gimli will host the $150,000 McCain TSN Skins Game, featuring Alberta's Randy Ferbey and James Koe, Ontario's Wayne Middaugh and Norway's Pal Trulsen, this weekend ... Assiniboine Memorial's Kerry Burtnyk still leads the Man/Sask region with two events left. But he needs to win the MCT's Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy Cash Spiel to clinch it ... Heather's Clare DeBlonde has been deemed the top seed for the MCA's Strathcona senior men's city zone playdowns that started yesterday. Rounding out the top five are: John Bubbs and Doug Harrison, both of Granite, and Peter Kennedy and Brian Penston, both of Fort Rouge.

HOUSE CLEANING

Manitoba's Connie Laliberte won $5,600 in Ottawa ... Manitoba's Brent Braemer got $3,500 at a WCT spiel in Nipawin ... Sean Grassie of Deer Lodge pocketed $3,000 when he sunk Springfield's Keith McLeod 10-4 in the final of the MCT's Enns Brothers Classic in Morris. McLeod got $2,000 ... The Target junior men's rural zone playdown winners were: Petersfield's Daley Peters, Thompson's Kody Janzen, Rorketon's Justin Panagapco, Strathclair's Travis Brooks, Brandon's Cale Dunbar, Portage la Prairie's Joey Farmer, Morden's Ryan Thomson, Winkler's David Kraichy and Beausejour's Steven Cook. On the junior women's side were: Gillam's

Courtney Reeves, Dauphin's Jacqueline McQuay, Brandon's Tasha Hunter and Megan Morningstar, Meagan Stewart of Portage, Morden's Kristen Foster, La Salle's Calleen Neufeld, Stony Mountain's Ashlee Dvorak, and Beausejour's Rhonda Varnes ... Joyce McDougall of Souris and Brandon's Linda Van Daele won spots in the senior women's provincial championship as the two finalists for the PaceSetter berth spiel.

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