HOME SIDE STRANRAER B TRIUMPH AT SKILL AWARDS CHALLENGE

Many congratulations to Team Stranraer B (Rebecca O’Sullivan, Gemma Cassie, Lily McClymony, Rachel Stewart) who triumphed at the 2023 Skill Awards Challenge. The home side won all three of their fixtures to clinch the title.

A total of four rinks, hailing from Stranraer and Dumfries, took to the ice for the event. The first round saw Stranraer A (Jessica Maxwell, Katie Keegan, Erin Jamieson, Mikayla Brown) play their team mates Stranraer B while the all girls team of Dumfries YC2 (Belle Sloan, Lexi Dunlop, Isla McColm, Jasmine Douglas) took on their male counterparts of Dumfries YC1 (Joe Morrison, Callum Morrison, Finlay Pederson, Euan Brown).

Between the Stranraer sides, the rink skipped by Rebecca O’Sullivan took a convincing win by 10 shots to four against Katie Keegan’s team. In the ‘Doonhamers’ game, the boys skipped by Joe Morrison won the challenge seven shots to two against Belle Sloan’s rink.

After a short break home side Team O’Sullivan took on Belle Sloan’s side. After four ends the local heroes were eight shots to one up and it finished 11 shots to two for Rebecca. In the other game Team Keegan took on the Dumfries boys and it was an 8-2 win for the home rink.

The visitors were keen to get back on the ice after the lunch break and Team Morrison took on Team O’Sullivan. The break certainly fired up the Dumfriesians as this was the closest of the games played. Joe stole one in the first end before forcing Rebecca to one in the second. After three ends Dumfries were a point up, but a wide take-out from them saw Stranraer get a two in the fourth end to take the lead. The visitors equalised with one to go where Rebecca, having hammer, got her one and a close 4-3 win.

In the other game it was an all girls fight with Team Sloan taking on Team Keegan. The latter opened proceedings with a stolen three points that set them on their way to a 7-2 win. All curlers played to a very high standard on the day.

With all scores and ends counted, it were the two home rinks that took the honours: Team O’Sullivan ranked first place with three wins and six points while Team Keegan followed in runners-up spot. Third place was the all boys rink skipped by Joe Morrison and in fourth was the all girls rink skipped by Belle Sloan.

Prizes were handed over by Gail Munro and Ladies Branch president Maureen Parker popped in to welcome all the curlers and families to Stranraer, congratulate the rinks for their high standard of play, and wish them all good curling for their future.