Winners at Inverness

I've already posted Keith Petrie's report on the Highland Junior International at the weekend, see here. Here's the final touch to that - the photos of the winners, courtesy of Brad Askew.

Above L-R: Lauren Baxter, Maggie Wilson (skip), Dionne Clark and Claire Dagen.

And the junior men, below, L-R, Steve Russell (coach), Daryl Russell, Gary Cannell (skip), Jamie Fraser and Fraser Thomson.

Photos © Brad Askew

Thirtieth Birthday at Inverness

First it was cupcakes at Aberdeen, and now it is a special birthday cake at Inverness. Is this blog obsessed with food?

The cake had been donated by Asher’s Bakery in honour of the thirtieth anniversary of the Highland Junior Curling International competition.

Here is the cake being cut by the chairman of the Inverness Ice Centre board, Tom Pendreigh, watched by some of the competitors. On the right are the organizers of the competition, Innes and Rosemary Rankin, and on the left, Alex Barnet, who have been instrumental in the continued success of this event over the years.

Here are some of those who have taken part over the years. Recognise any of them? (Click on the image to see a larger size).

So how did this special thirtieth edition of the competition play out. Keith Petrie (who incidentally has made the ice for all thirty years) sends this report.

"The Highland Junior International - an event in the European Junior Curling tour - saw twelve men’s teams and ten women’s teams compete for their respective trophies.

At the end of the league play, Section A Boys was won Garry Cannell’s rink with a record of 5 wins 1 loss. In second place was Murray Young’s team. With the remaining teams each on two points, and a quarterfinal place at stake, a late night playoff over four end games saw Blair Fraser’s rink beating Roger Gulka by 7 shots and from Switzerland and Bruce Mouat winning against Sweden's Gustav Eskilsson by 6 shots. The Fraser team came through against Team Mouat 3-0.

Section B finished with Meico Oehninger winning all 5 games followed by Duncan Menzies on 4 wins and Stuart Marshall on 3 wins.

Back onto the Ice at 8.30am Sunday morning for the quarterfinals and Blair Fraser and his rink kept the good form going by winning 7-2 against Duncan Menzies. Murray Young's team swept aside the challenge from Stuart Marshall by winning 9-5. The men’s semifinals were close affairs. The Cannell - Fraser game went to an extra end and Cannell, with the hammer, took his one to win 5-4. In the other semi Meico Oehninger always seemed to be in control of the game and ran out 6-3 winners. In the final, Team Cannell gave the Oehninger team their first loss of the competition, on their way to a 3-2 win.

In the junior women's event, Jennifer Dodds went through the league play undefeated in section A with 4 wins, with Katie Murray on 3 wins and and Lesley Young on 2 wins. In section B, Gina Aitken also went through the league play undefeated with 4 wins with Maggie Wilson on 3 wins and Hazel Smith on 2 wins.

The Hazel Smith v Katie Murray quarter was a very close affair. Murray stole a single in the last end to force an extra which was blanked after Smith's hit rolled out. Skips stones were then played and Smith's draw won her team a place in the semifinal!

Maggie Wilson’s team proved too strong for Leslie Young winning 10-4. Wilson then came up against Jennifer Dodds in the semifinal. They looked and down and out at 1-5, but got back into the game by taking five shots in two ends. A one in the last end secued a place in the final. In the other semi, Gina Aitken's team, despite having played so well previously, was no match for the Smith team who took five shots in the second end.

The final was close. The teams were tied 5-5 after six ends but a three for Wilson in the seventh was decisive."

Thanks Keith.

The results are all here.

Photos courtesy of Keith Petrie

Looking for results?

You can find all the results from the Highland Junior International on this well set out website here.

The results from the Stirling Invitational are available in the form of downloads from the bottom left of this page. Eve Muirhead and her girls beat Tom Brewster's side in the second round 'battle of the sexes'!

The results of the eighth Gormac International at Greenacres can be found here. My good friend and blogally Hugh Stewart sends these two photos of the teams to watch this weekend!

Team Graeme Adam. L-R Jean Lesperance, Stuart Naismith, Bob Kelly and Graeme Adam (skip).

Here is Team Latvia. L-R: Ineta Maca (skip), Elena Kapostina, Rasa Lubarte and Ieva Rudzite.

I've suggested to Richard Harding that perhaps the Greenacres rink could be 'twinned' with Riga's kerlingahalle! (Is this an original idea? Do curling clubs in other parts of the world have twinning arrangements, in the same way that so many towns in the UK seem to be partnered with European counterparts?)

Photos © Hugh Stewart

Two moments from Inverness

I've posted a selection of pics from the Highland Junior International in a Picasa album here. I'll get these captioned this week. The Inverness rink is not the easiest venue in the world in which to take reasonable photos, so apologies that some are a bit ropey! Best I could do. Again, the selection is not comprehensive.

Here are a couple of photos which capture 'moments in time'! Above is the situation in the men's final with two stones to come. Muirhead is one down, but holds the hammer. The Norwegians assess the situation and decided to guard the centre line port, which they do well. This leaves the best option for Glen to go after his own red stone, front of the house on the left. He plays it takeout weight, angles it perfectly towards the two stones in the centre of the house. The blue disappears, and two red stones are left in play, to give the game to Team Muirhead. Great shot!

And here's a photo which I just like! It's the women's semifinal. Jennifer Martin is skipping, with Mhairi Baird playing last stones, and Vicky Wright and Rachel Hannen as the front end, against Team Fleming (who went on to win the event). Jennifer is watching the stone she's just played, with Abi Brown and Alice Spence behind. Click on the photo to see it in a slightly larger size. You can supply your own caption!

That's it from Inverness. What else has been happening in the world of curling? Check out Kay's weekend roundup here.

Pics © Skip Cottage

Trophies from Inverness

I really enjoyed my three days at Inverness. Hard to believe it was the 28th Highland Junior International, and it was the second time that the event has been in the European Junior Curling Tour. ROK was the main sponsor this time.

Sunday saw a great selection of high quality, exciting games in quarterfinals, semis and finals. All were close. In the women's event, Hannah Fleming, Becca Kesley, Alice Spence and Abi Brown captured the trophy for the second year in a row. My report is here, and all the linescores are here. Rosemary Rankin presented the trophy, above.

I was very honoured to be asked to present the trophy to the winners of the junior men's event, Glen Muirhead, Greg Drummond, Thomas Sloan and Michael Goodfellow, below.

I have some more action photos from Sunday's play, and with any luck these will be available this evening, once I've got myself organised after my trip back from Inverness!

Top photo by me, bottom photo by David Hardie.

Inverness Sunday

Right, let's go with the junior men's competition first. Glen Muirhead, Greg Drummond, Thomas Sloan and Michael Goodfellow were up against Pascal Eicher's Swiss in the quarters. Tied after seven, Glen played an brilliant outwick to hide behing a bundle of guards, leaving his opposition little chance of removing it, and the Muirhead team advanced to a semifinal against Graeme Black, John Penny, Colin Howden and Dean Clark.

That was a great game too. Black tied up the game with a draw in the seventh - something of a controversy here, as most of the teams on the ice did not realise they were playing to the bell, and not regulation eight ends. So the eighth was the extra end, and this was won by Team Muirhead, Glen placing his last stone draw in the eight foot for the win.

Grant Hardie's team had Kyle Smith as skip, and Thomas Muirhead and Cammy Smith as the front end, for their quarterfinal against David Bartschiger's Swiss side. Kyle delivered the goods with a perfect last stone draw to a frozen Swiss counter for the win. That put them into a semi against the Norwegians, skipped by Steffen Walstad with Markus Hoiberg playing last stones.

This semi came down to the last stones too, although both teams thought there was another end to play when the bell went. Norway stole a shot for the win, Kyle just a little off with an angled-raise attempt.

The linescores for all the games are here. In the final, Walstad's Norwegians had their noses in front, 3-2 after six. With his eye on the clock, Glen blanked the seventh.

The eighth was as tight as they come. With plenty of shots in play and in front, there was lots of decision making to be done. With shot, but with a Muirhead stone part frozen to it, Hoiberg played a delicate guard with his last. More decision making. There was no easy shot. Glen elected to play the angled raise takeout. Executed perfectly! Game won. What a great final.

The winners: Michael Goodfellow, Thomas Sloan, Greg Drummond, Glen Muirhead

Runners-up: Markus Hoiberg, Steffen Walstad (skip), Steffen Mellemseter, Pal Mortem Fossen

Now the women. Anna Sloan, Claire Hamilton, Vicki Adams and Rhiann Macleod led 4-3 in the last end of their quarterfinal against Isabelle Maillard's Swiss. The Scots played the end well, and progressed to a semifinal against Lauren Gray, Claire MacDonald, Tasha Aitken and Caitlin Barr. Lauren played a key shot in the third, a long angled raise to the button and this set up a steal. She stole three more in the fourth when Anna was short with her last, and Team Gray always were in control.

Hannah Fleming, Becca Kesley, Alice Spence and Abi Brown were up against regular Swiss visitors to Inverness, skipped by Nicole Dunki. Hannah's first shot in the fourth end, an angled raise which removed the Swiss counter off the tee, set up a big five ender. Mind you, they only led by one in the eighth, but did not get into trouble and came safely through to a semi against the giant killers, skipped this weekend by Jennifer Martin, with Mhairi Baird playing last stones, Vicky Wright and Rachel Hannen. The young team had finished top of their section thanks to the defeat of Anna Sloan's Scottish Institute of Sport team on Saturday night.

Team Martin looked poised to pull off another notable win in the semi too against Hannah's team. There were 4-3 up in the last and made Hannah play a pressure takeout for the win, and her place in the final.

All the linescores are here. In the final, Gray was 3-2 in front after six. Time ran out on the teams when they were in the seventh. Team Fleming lay well, and Lauren faced a difficult double with her last. It didn't come off, and Hannah was the winner with no need for her final stone.

The winners: Hannah Fleming, Becca Kesley, Alice Spence, Abi Brown

Runners-up: Caitlin Barr, Tasha Aitken, Claire MacDonald, Lauren Gray

Photos © Skip Cottage. Presentation pics and more from Sunday tomorrow.

Inverness Saturday

Right. Tonight's competition. Study these four photographs carefully! A question follows.

Steffan Walstad

Jennifer Martin

Graeme Black

Lauren Gray

So what do Lauren, Steffan, Graeme and Jennifer have in common? They all skipped their teams to the top of their sections at the Highland Junior International today, and because of that they are through to the semifinals of the event tomorrow.

All the scores and the lineup for the quarterfinals (the teams which finished second and third in each section) are here.

And here are a few more impressions of today. Enjoy.

Grant Hardie. Had to beat the Norwegians to be top of their section but they are still in the quarters against Bartschiger.

Nicole Dunki

Jaap van Dorp delivers.

Thomas Muirhead and Grant Hardie

Manuela Siegrist

Manuela Siegrist and Isabelle Maillard

Not a composition one sees very often! Lauren Gray and Grant Hardie.

Who is this Chinese skip? Does she have a dynasty?

Hannah (Fle)ming

Claire Lang and Katy Richardson sweep Zoe Bain's stone, with Gina Aitken in the head.

Colin Dick and Pascal Eicher

Glen Muirhead

Pascal Eicher

Helen King, with Rhiann Maclead and Vicki Adams behind

Rebecca Steven, with Claire Dagen and Maggie Wilson

Naomi Whyte

Team Maillard

Joacim Suther

David Bartschiger

Jennifer Dodds - apparently it was a bad hair day!

Team Siegrist

Helen King

Seffan Walstad skips the Norwegians, and plays third stone. Markus Hoiberg plays last stones for the team.

The pains and travails of the coach - Brad Askew

Pics © Skip Cottage

Inverness

Here we are, outside the Inverness Ice Centre earlier today. Let's go in and see some of those playing in the ROK 28th Highland Junior International, the second event in the European Junior Curling Tour 2009.

Glen Muirhead's team was there. I rather liked these Adidas tops.

Hannah Fleming skipped the only junior women's team from Scotland which took part in the first European Junior Tour event in Oslo.

Ally Fraser and his team have had a good day today, winning both games. All the results are here.

Ally's front end, Kerr Drummond and Scott Andrews, concentrate on the play.

Jennifer Dodds models the Royal Club's Regional Academy athlete uniform, obtained this year from Kukri.

A rather more flattering pic of Jennifer, who scored a good win over Switzerland's Manuela Siegrist in her morning game.

Here's Manuela, with Mhairi Anderson and Kirsten McNay watching behind.

Current Scottish Junior Champion Graeme Black.

Lauren Gray and Isabelle Maillard

Here's another.

Bad day at the office for the Colin Dick team, with two losses. (Thomas Pendreigh and Colin Dick)

Amanda, who is probably more comfortable with her skates on (she's an ice dance champ), has been one of the ice technicians at Inverness since the beginning of the season.

Diederick Bontenbal and the Netherlands team are here.

"I spy, with my little eye, something beginning with 'S'!" (Claire MacDonald)

Norway v Switzerland

"Is there a dentist in the house?" (Team Dunki)

Nicole Dunki

Another of the 'Let me tell you a story' pics. Team McWilliam, with Struan Wood reciting the first stanza!

Jennifer Martin and Helen King

Hamilton McMillan

Jay and his team lost a tight one against Switzerland's David Bartschiger.

And here's that Swiss team 'in conference'!

Photo of the Day! "Keeek!" (Team Maillard, Switzerland)

Results and standing are here.

Pics © Skip Cottage. More tomorrow.