Glenys Bakker didn’t make it easy for herself and her Airdrie-based rink at the Southern Alberta Curling Association’s women’s championship last weekend.
But Bakker, third Heather Jensen, second Heather Lemna and lead Carly Quigly, won the C-event final, Jan. 9 at the Airdrie Curling Club, and will be heading to the Alberta Women’s Provincial curling tournament in Leduc, beginning Jan. 25.
The Bakker rink won four of its last five games during the four-day championship, culminating with a open hit to score two, in its 5-4 triumph over High River’s Tanilla Doyle.
“My team is just throwing really well,” said Bakker, who is the skip, but throws the third rocks, with Jensen throwing skip stones.
“I just wasn’t making enough shots (early in the season), I felt, so we ended up switching it up and she’s happy to throw last rock – and I’m happy to play third. It just works and takes the pressure off both of us. It’s nice to be able to put the broom down and know that you’re going to get a result. It was a really solid game.”
Bakker lost her first game, Jan. 6, to Calgary’s Morgan Muize.
“We have a new player playing with us (Lemna), so looking at it that way, it’s like having a new team,” Bakker said.
“You change one player and it’s a big change. It took me awhile to figure out her delivery – as well as the ice conditions (with the outside temperature at 12° C on Jan. 6).
“We were overthrowing everything for the first five ends of that game, so I learned a lot in that game, just in deliveries and how to handle the ice for today.”
The Bakker rink then defeated Calgary’s Nicole Blenkin and Strathmore’s Norma Brown on Jan. 7, before dropping the B-final to Calgary’s Lisa Eyamie, Jan. 8, and moving to the C-side.
The Lethbridge-based Casey Scheidegger rink claimed the A-final with an 8-3 win over Jennifer Schaub of Calgary. Eyamie will also head to the 12-team provincials.
“We were making lots of shots and they struggled a little bit,” Bakker said after the 9-1 win over the Brown rink.
“We were able to capitalize on their misses. If we just keep doing what we’re doing, we’ll be alright. We’re playing really well and not getting ourselves into too much trouble. When we do get into situations, we’re able to make big shots and get out of it.”
Bakker beat Calgary’s Nadine Chyz in the C-semifinal to make the C-final.
“I think we’re really controlling the guard zone with our weights. My leads have been playing really well. If we do more of what we did today, I think we’ll be OK.”
