Team Hayward started its Manitoba Junior Curling Tour campaign on a high note, going undefeated to capture the Morris Fall Classic MJCT from Sept. 12–14.
The Carman-based rink capped the weekend with a 6-3 victory over Team Eagles in Sunday’s final, securing its first tour title of the 2025–26 season.
“It felt great to get that first spiel win of the season,” said skip Shaela Hayward. “Starting off the year like that is huge for our momentum going forward, so we’re excited to build off that win.”
Team Hayward opened with an 8-4 win over Team Cannon on Sept. 12 before edging Team Keough 6-5 in a close match the following morning. They followed with an 11-2 decision against Team Allan on Saturday and a 9-3 win over Team Buchalter in Sunday’s semifinal to earn a spot in the championship.
In the title game against Team Eagles, Hayward’s rink controlled the pace with steady shot-making and timely scores to close out the 6-3 win.
“It was a great game in the final against Team Eagles,” Hayward said. “I felt like we were in control the whole game, so just trying to keep the lead was crucial in coming out on top.”
This year’s roster features Hayward at skip, joined by third Keira Krahn, second India Young and lead Dayna Wahl, with coaching from Ron Westcott. While the lineup has evolved over the years, Hayward’s leadership at skip has remained the team’s constant.
“I’ve always loved being skip and the strategy side of the game, so it definitely is a comfort for me that I’m still in the house,” she said. “The team chemistry is great. We’re really connecting on and off the ice, which I think helped our success this past weekend.”
The win in Morris builds on an already impressive résumé for the Carman curler. Hayward has captured the 2024 Canadian U-18 championship, won the 2024 Manitoba U-21 junior provincial title and claimed three straight MHSAA girls’ provincial championships from 2021 through 2023. She added the 2025 Co-ops of Manitoba junior crown earlier this year and skipped to a 2024 Manitoba mixed championship with Team Ryan Wiebe, finishing fourth at nationals.
Following their Morris victory, Team Hayward will return to the ice this week at the Granite Curling Club for the Mother Club Fall Classic before continuing with the Larry Jones Junior Curling Classic in early October, the Stonewall MJCT on Oct. 17, the Heather MJCT on Oct. 24 and the Kyle Flett Memorial on Nov. 6.
Hayward said the team is determined to make the most of this season, particularly since it marks the final year of junior eligibility for some teammates.
“We have a lot of goals for the team this year as it is half the team’s last year in juniors, but the main goal would be capturing the Manitoba title at the end of the season and being in contention at the 2026 Canadian Juniors,” she said. “We’re also playing in some big events including the first ever U25 Grand Slam of Curling in October and the WFG Cup in December. We’re definitely gearing up for these two big events.”
