Homan, Koe capture Red Deer Classic with dominating performances
Published
Ottawa's Team Rachel Homan and Calgary's Team Kevin Koe picked up wins at the Red Deer Classic on Monday.
Homan and her team of third Tracy Fleury, second Emma Miskew and lead Sarah Wilkes dominated Edmonton's Team Selena Sturmay in the final, winning the game by a score of 8-1 in just four ends.
The foursome rolled through the competition during the entire four-day event, outscoring their opponents by a total of 44-12. The closest game came in the semifinal when they beat Team Kaitlyn Lawes, 5-3.
This was Team Homan's third bonspiel win of the season.
On the men's side, Koe, third Tyler Tardi, second Jacques Gauthier and lead Karrick Martin earned their first bonspiel win of the season after defeating Saskatoon's Team Rylan Kleiter in the final, 6-3.
Team Koe also went 6-0, including a 4-3 victory over Team Mike McEwen in the semis.
Canadian victories in America
Quebec champions Team Laurie St. Georges are winners on Tour for the first time this season after capturing the Curl Mesabi Classic bonspiel on Sunday.
Team St. Georges went 6-0 in Eveleth, Minnesota over the three-day event, including a 9-1 rout of Fargo's Team Miranda Scheel in the championship game.
The Montreal-based rink, featuring St-Georges at skip, Jamie Sinclair at third, Emily Riley at second and Cynthia St-Georges sparing for Kelly Middaugh at lead, were just one of two Canadian teams playing in the American-heavy field.
St-Georges should be the favourite to come out of Quebec and compete at another Scotties Tournament of Hearts this season and could be a dark horse at nationals after the additions of Sinclair and Marie-France Larouche in the off-season.
The 26-year-old St-Georges has been to three straight Scotties, posting a 5-3 record last year in Kamloops before losing a playoff tiebreaker to Team Clancy Grandy of British Columbia.
On the men's side of the draw, it was the Northern Ontario champions led by Tanner Horgan defeating Team Daniel Casper in the final, 5-4.
The new-look Team Horgan, also featuring third Jake Horgan, second Ian McMillan and lead Scott Chadwick, scored three points in the eighth end for the comeback victory.
The Sudbury-based rink also went 6-0 at the bonspiel and were the only Canadian team competing.
It was an impressive win for Horgan given Casper's rink has been red-hot this season with three wins on Tour, including the Tour Challenge Tier 2 on the Grand Slam circuit in October.
The 25-year-old Horgan made the Brier playoffs last season in London, but have since lost veterans in lead Colin Hodgson and third Darren Moulding as both stepped away from competitive curling this season.
The Quebec Scotties run from Jan. 21-28 while the Northern Ontario Tankard goes the same week.
Other Winners on Tour
Men
Finale De Circuit - Yannick Martel
Jim Sullivan Curling Classic - Nick Mosher
Stu Sells Port Elgin Superspiel - Mark Kean
Curling Stadium Martensville SaskTour Series - Bruce Korte
Women
Jim Sullivan Curling Classic - Melissa Adams