Morden’s Nastasha Kroeker-Ortiz will represent Manitoba at the Catan National Championships in Toronto in May.
Kroeker-Ortiz beat out 35 other Catan players at Sixteen13 Ministry’s inaugural Manitoba Catan Tournament, held at The Bunker in Winkler over the weekend.
“It feels unbelievable,” Kroeker-Ortiz said shortly after the final match Monday afternoon.
An avid board gamer, she notes she doesn’t play Settlers of Catan all that often these days, though there was a period a few years ago where it was getting to her table multiple times a week.
“I love strategy games and planning ahead, being able to interfere with other people’s plans,” she says with a grin.
While she felt a bit out of practice, Kroeker-Ortiz figured the tournament would be a fun weekend of gaming for a great cause—funds raised from the event go to support Sixteen13’s outreach programming, which includes sharing the Christian gospel, helping newcomers to Canada settle in, and aiding other families in need.
The final game included Kroeker-Ortiz, Morgan Wiebe, Duane Falk, and Patrick Hildebrand. By winning, Kroeker-Ortiz not only qualifies for nationals but, thanks to local sponsors, has her airfare and accommodations covered.
Sixteen13 president Harold Espinosa says they will definitely be hosting the tournament again next year.
“I went around and asked everybody how they felt about it, and they all said it was excellent. Everybody was kind, even though they were competing,” he says. “The cool part was they were all talking and getting to know their stories. It was just really nice.”
Building relationships is what the ministry is all about, notes vice-president Tiffany Krahn.
“It’s such a fun experience for everyone. We want to provide fun experiences for the community, get our name out there,” she says.
They hope to see even more people come out to compete next year.
“I think now that we’ve done one, the word can get out,” Krahn says. “I’m sure lots of people want that experience, that opportunity to get into the big leagues.”
