The Ballenas Secondary School girls curling team earned a return trip to the B.C. Secondary School championships last weekend with a three-game sweep of the Vancouver Island play downs at Qualicum & District Curling Club.
The Whalers, who boast four returning players with provincial tournament experience, posted a 3-0 record with round-robin wins over Mount Douglas, Claremont and Reynolds secondary schools, all from Saanich.
With their victory, the Ballenas girls qualified for the March 2-5 provincial championships in Smithers.
The team was skipped by Jada Zimmerman, with third Amanda Litton, second Michaela Morrill, lead Teya Vega and alternate Lauren Onushko. All but Morrill, a Grade 8 newcomer, have previously competed in the provincial secondary school championships.
The Kwalikum Secondary School boys rink skipped by Ben Meldrum with Eli Bodnaruk, Isaac Brightland and Cam Hunter played to a 3-1 record in the five-team boys tournament, but Carihi of Campbell River won the play down and earned the provincial berth in a tiebreaker after also finishing 3-1.
The Ballenas boys, skipped by Devin O’Rourke with Connor Litton, Duncan Kjellbotn and Christian Klein-Beekman, finished in a third-place tie. The team has been together for just two months after being formed during the season.
Host KSS did not have a girls team entered in the playdowns. The Kondors are coached by Irene Creally and come from the Qualicum Junior Curling program headed by Lynne Noble.
The Ballenas school teams are coached by Brian Onushko, and players are affiliated with the Parksville Junior Curling program run by Cheryl Noble.
— NEWS Staff