Carman’s Shaela Hayward and her mixed curling team earned a fourth-place finish for Team Manitoba at last week’s 2024 Canadian Mixed Curling Championships in St. Catharines, Ontario.
Hayward throws third stones for Team Ryan Wiebe, who represented Manitoba, including Ty Dilello and Jennifer Clark-Rouire at the front end.
Team Manitoba went 7-3 in the round-robin to qualify for the playoffs. In the round robin, they defeated New Brunswick (6-5), Nunavut (9-1), Prince Edward Island (9-4), Quebec (5-4), Alberta (6-5), British Columbia (4-3) and Newfoundland and Labrador (8-6). The team’s three losses came to Northwest Territories (5-4), Nova Scotia (9-2) and Saskatchewan (6-5).
In the semi-finals, Manitoba lost its rematch with Nova Scotia in a tough 7-4 decision. Alberta then defeated Manitoba in the bronze medal game by a 9-4 score, allowing Hayward’s rink to finish in fourth place.
“It was a great week in St. Catharines as we played against some top mixed teams and performed very well,” said Hayward. “Being able to test my level against some of the best men’s and women’s players was a great experience, and I hope to be able to carry that into my junior team for the rest of this season.”
During the trip, Hayward and Team Manitoba also took in the sights in the picturesque area of St. Catharines, checking out nearby Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake, and dining in some fancy restaurants between games.
“It was the perfect spot for a curling Nationals as there was so much to see and do in the local area,” said Hayward. “I had never seen Niagara Falls before up close so that was a wonderful experience.”
The 18-year-old Hayward was the youngest player at the event and earned praise from other teams, fans, and officials during the Mixed Nationals for her strong play.
“She’s the real deal,” said Wiebe. “Shaela is one heck of a shotmaker on the ice and carried us at times this week. She’s going to be a great player in the future if she keeps with it, and we’re so fortunate to have had her on our team.”
Hayward will now return to her Carman-based junior rink. She will be in action this weekend at the Sunlife Junior Curling Challenge in Brandon from Nov. 14-17.
“I’m looking forward to carrying this momentum for the rest of my season as we hope to win the Manitoba junior curling championships. That’s our goal.”
