Scottish Junior Championships

Next stop in a busy season is Curl Aberdeen where the Scottish Junior Curling Championships get underway today. There are eleven teams in the junior women's competition. I remember last year finding it difficult to explain how the eleven teams are going to end up as three for Sunday's semi and final. Here goes again!

There are two sections of six and five. Each section completes a round robin, and the top four teams combine to play in a further section of eight. Each team will have already played three of these teams, and their record against these teams is carried forward. After four more games, against the four teams that had started out in the different section, the top ranked team progresses straight to the final; second and third contest a semi. I hope that makes sense.

The draw for the first games, which get underway at noon, can be found here, and the results will be here. Anna Sloan (above) and her team of Claire Hamilton, Vicki Adams and Rhiann Macleod have to be the ones to beat.

The junior men's competition has its first round tomorrow, Wednesday, at 12.30. The eight teams were decided in a prequalifying competition at Ayr, see here. Glen Muirhead, Greg Drummond, Thomas Sloan and Michael Goodfellow start as favourites. The draw is here, and results here. But given how unpredictable junior curling can be, who knows what will unfold this week. It's bound to be entertaining though!

Photos by Bob

Junior Masters at Greenacres

Fifteen junior men's teams contested the Greenacres Junior Masters, the first U-21 competition of the season. Colin Dick and Michael Reid skipped their teams directly into the semifinals as the top sides in their sections. Glen Muirhead's team, the favourites, had dropped a point against Ross Thompson's team, but gained their place in the last four with a 7-6 win against Gary Cannell in a 'quarterfinal'. Grant Hardie made up the final four by beating Hamilton McMillan.

Hardie, with Kyle Smith, Thomas Muirhead and Cammy Smith, then knocked out Team Dick to reach the final. Muirhead, with Greg Drummond, Thomas Sloan and Michael Goodfellow, had to steal the last end of their semifinal against Michael Reid's side for their place in the title decider.

Hardie's team held the former Scottish Champion for four ends, then Muirhead edged 3-1 ahead. The game was over in the sixth when Grant and his side gave up four against the head, and shook hands.

L-R: Glen Muirhead, Greg Drummond, Thomas Sloan and Michael Goodfellow.

Ten junior women's teams played in two sections. Mhairi Baird's team went undefeated in her group, and then beat Helen King in the semifinal. Gina Aitken topped the Green Section and edged Hazel Smith's team in the other semi.

The final was closely fought. Both teams are new this season. Aitken, with Katy Richardson, Clare Lang and Zoe Bain, made the move in the fifth with three shots for a 5-2 lead. Hard as they fought, Baird, Jennifer Martin, Mairi Girvan and Rachel Hannen, could not get back to their opposition.

L-R: Gina Aitken, Katy Richardson, Clare Lang and Zoe Bain.

All in all, it was a top competition. New teams, some fine curling, great enthusiasm, with the Greenacres rink making us all welcome. Yes, there was one hiccup over rules - involving what should, or should not, have happened when one team had a player short for their first game on the Friday. Otherwise, the tenth Greenacres Junior Masters got the 2009-10 season off to a great start.

Hopefully, I'll have more photos from the weekend here on Monday afternoon.

Pics © Skip Cottage