A local curling team is making waves as they've qualified for the 2019 Curling Alberta Optimist U18 Provincial Championships March 14 to 17 in Medicine Hat.
The Cochrane-based team made up of skip Zoe Cinnamon, Justine Hagey, Raelyn Helston and Elspeth Cooper will take on the best teams from their province with the chance to qualify for the 2019 Canadian U18 Championship tournament that's being held in Sherwood Park April 2 to 7.
"It feels great. We came up just short last year and we've improved so much this year ... we're working really, really hard and just making it there was a big accomplishment," said Cinnamon of her team qualifying for the provincial tournament. "We're really proud of ourselves, hope to do our best at provincials and hopefully qualify for Nationals."
Cinnamon's team had to go through quite the process in order to qualify for the tournament, as they had to beat out eight other teams for one of the top three spots.
"We had to qualify through the playdown that took place in early February and there were only three qualifying spots available with nine teams competing, so we had to be in the top three and we ended up second," Cinnamon said.
"We played five games and only lost one of them, which was the 'A' final on the last rock in the extra end, so it was super close but we fell to the 'B' side, won both our games there as well as the 'B' final and qualified out of that side of the tournament."
The group came so close to making the cut last year but came up just short finishing fourth. Cinnamon said that really motivated the team to make sure that didn't happen again.
"We really wanted it. It was tough (not to qualify) because we had such a great season last year and that was the only tournament we really didn't play that well in," Cinnamon said of the disappointing results. "It just pushed us that much harder to do even better this season to qualify and we put in a lot of work to get there."
The Cochrane skip believes the level of competition at Provincials will be fierce but she also said her team will be prepared to compete with the best in Alberta.
"Our big goal is we'd like to win a medal and make it to the final if we can," she said. "I think the level of competition will be stiff but we've beaten these teams before, we play them regularly so we just need to be at the right level at the right time."
The U18 club is the first of three teams that Cinnamon plays with, as she also competes with a mixed doubles team as well as her high school team at Cochrane High, which is competing at Divisionals this weekend in Airdrie.
"I obviously want to do well with all my teams, but my main focus is on the U18 team. That's the one I really want to do well with. We practice a ton and do lots of events together," Cinnamon said.
"With my high school team we practice together every Tuesday and my mixed doubles team we have a league on Thursday's that we do, so my week is fairly busy and I have a set day for each team."
Those interested in following the results of the Cochrane team's journey can visit www.albertacurling.ab.ca.
