Coach James Kissick and members of the Churchill Community High School girls curling team. (Submitted photo/Karla Hardcastle)

By Derek Cornet

high school sports

Churchill curling team dominates district tournament

Feb 6, 2025 | 5:00 PM

The La Ronge Churchill Community High School senior girls’ curling team have returned home from a district tournament as champions.

The team was in Big River on Feb. 5, where they dominated the other two teams in attendance including Meath Park Public School and St. Mary High School from Prince Albert.

Churchill beat both of those teams with scores of 11-0 and 13-3.

“The teams that we were playing are pretty beginner teams, so I think we had quite a bit of an advantage playing against them,” said team skip and Grade 11 student Heidi Hardcastle.

Hardcastle, along with teammates Alison O’Brien (third), Idabelle Llororente (second) and Jovie Herperger (lead) have been playing together for four years. Hardcastle noted at first they found it challenging to win games, but are now finding the sport more enjoyable as their skill level has increased and they winning more often.

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The girls train together twice per week at the Mel Hegland Uniplex and also participate in league play. They attended two other tournaments so far this season and have placed third and fourth, respectively.

“I have been playing for around six or seven years,” Hardcastle added. “I don’t play many other sports, and I think it is the only one that has ever stuck with me that I play.”

Coach James Kissick has been instructing the team for the last two years and he said he has witnessed significant development during that time.

The team will next compete in regionals in Ituna on Feb. 28 and March 1. If they are among the top two teams, they will advance to provincials later next month.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com