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Dunstone, Homan win Red Deer Curling Classic

Dunstone 8 Koe 2
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Rachel Homan (right), along with Sarah Wilkes, Emma Miskew and Tracy Fleury (left to right), won the women’s championship at the Red Deer Curling Classic, which ran from Friday to Monday at the Pidherney Centre. (Photo by Sean McIntosh/Advocate staff)

Dunstone 8 Koe 2

Homan 5 Scheidegger 1

Matt Dunstone and Rachel Homan were victorious at the 2022 Red Deer Curling Classic.

Dunstone, alongside his team made up of lead Ryan Harnden, second Colton Lott and third B.J. Neufeld, defeated Calgary’s Kevin Koe 8-2 at the Pidherney Centre in six ends in the men’s championship on Monday.

“It was just a great day today – we were solid right from the get-go,” said Dunstone, who is from Winnipeg, Man.

“We had full control of this game in the final. Obviously, the scoreboard shows that. I’m real proud of the guys. We’ve been in a lot of finals this year, but haven’t been able to close one out. To finally close this one out – our first as a team – we feel awfully good about this.”

Dunstone’s team lost its first game at the event, but didn’t drop another decision en route to winning in the final.

“We continued to build and get better every single game, and that’s all you can ask for,” he said.

“I’m super thankful Red Deer was able to host us this week. It’s a beautiful facility and the ice was great. It was my first time playing here, so it was a nice visit. I’ve got some family here too from Northern Alberta watching us.”

Dunstone and his team will have a week off before heading to Manitoba for its next competition.

On the women’s side, Homan beat Lethbridge’s Casey Scheidegger 5-1 in six ends in Monday’s championship game. Homan said she and her team, made up of lead Sarah Wilkes, second Emma Miskew and third Tracy Fleury, performed well throughout the event.

“We’re playing really well. We had to battle lots, there were a lot of really good teams we’ve played,” said Homan, who is from Ottawa, Ont.

“I forgot how big this club (in Red Deer) was. It’s awesome we can host two events – men’s and women’s – and get so many good games in. It’s great for fans to come and watch. It was a lot of fun.”

Homan went undefeated throughout the Red Deer Curling Classic. Her team’s next competition is in December.

Kerr Drummond, who helped with registration for the event, said he believed this year’s Classic was a big success.

“It’s been absolutely unreal,” said Drummond, who also competed in the event, which began this past Friday.

“It’s an event we want to keep growing every year. I think the turnout this year has been incredible. We weren’t expected to see so many people come out.”

This year’s Classic had some of curling’s biggest names, which will help the event grow, said Drummond.

“You’ve got Scotties champions, you’ve got Brier champions, you’ve got Olympic champions – they’re playing in this event. When you hear, for example, Koe is playing at 8 p.m. on a Friday night, people will turn out to watch that,” said Drummond.

There were 56 teams from all over the world competing in the Red Deer Curling Classic. A total of $76,000 in prize money was to be given out.



sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com

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Sean McIntosh

About the Author: Sean McIntosh

Sean joined the Red Deer Advocate team in the summer of 2017. Originally from Ontario, he worked in a small town of 2,000 in Saskatchewan for seven months before coming to Central Alberta.
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