Team Koltun is going from rinks to links this weekend.
The Whitehorse women’s curling team has another big season planned for the winter and is hosting a fundraiser golf tournament on Saturday to help cover travel and bonspiel entry costs.
“We’re going to a lot of high-end bonspiels that cost a lot of money,” said Koltun third Chelsea Duncan. “Traveling to meet up and coming back here to work with (coach/fifth) Lindsay (Moldowan) costs a lot of money. So we’re just trying to raise as much money as possible and possibly get this going as an annual thing.”
The team, which includes skip Sarah Koltun, second Patty Wallingham and lead Jenna Duncan, competed at numerous Women’s World Curling Tour events last season and the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
Team Koltun won their eighth consecutive Yukon junior title in their last year of eligibility in December.
“The other three girls are going to school somewhat around the Vancouver area at different colleges and universities,” said Chelsea. “I will still be in Edmonton at school.
“We are currently putting applications for different spiels. We don’t have each one sorted out, but we will be doing several competitive World Curling Tour spiels throughout the season.”
If they can win the Yukon Women’s Curling Championships, they will also try for a second straight appearance at the Scotties, Canada’s women’s curling championship.
Team Koltun was the first Yukon rink to reach the Scotties since 2000 this past February. Hindered by illness, the team still grabbed two wins and had a couple close losses at the championship.
The Scotties will feature a new format beginning this year. Canada’s bottom-four ranked jurisdictions will now compete in a qualifying playdown for entry into the national championship.
This year Yukon, N.W.T., Nunavut and Northern Ontario will compete for a spot. So if Team Koltun wins the Yukon Women’s Curling Championships, there’s no guarantee they will make it into the championship, but will have to travel to the hosting city of Moose Jaw, Sask., to find out.
“Because we’re all the four bottom teams we’ll have to go a bit before the event to playdown for one spot to play at the Scotties,” said Chelsea. “So we go into the week not knowing if we’re going to go home at the end.
“Even if we do make it for Yukon, we don’t have a guarantee of playing in the Scotties, which is added pressure.”
The fundraising tourey will be a nine-hole, best-ball tournament and will take place Saturday afternoon at Meadow Lakes Golf Club. It will include dinner, as well as longest drive, closest to the pin and putting contests for prizes.
For more information, or to register a team, contact Meadow Lakes at 668-4653.
“Gordon (Moffatt), Lindsay’s dad, was golfing at Meadow Lakes and talked to (club manager) Johnny (Enns) and he’s being super supportive and wants to support our team,” said Chelsea. “It was his idea to have this.”
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com