Mark Wherrett moves to Winnipeg, Ficek looking for a third

Mark Wherrett at the 2011 Nationals
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Mark Wherrett, who appeared on all four Northern Ontario national championship teams, the past three as vice to Wayne Ficek, has relocated to Winnipeg.

"I moved back to Winnipeg late last summer," he said, "and have been curling with the gang in Winnipeg, I played basketball with Chris, George and Dennis in the eighties. I also lived in Winnipeg up to 2000 so it was more like coming back home. The curling rink in Dryden closed this fall so it turned out to be a good move for me with being able to continue to curl."

Mark replaces Don Kalinski on the Manitoban "Team Cascade" at this year's Richmond International, but leaves Wayne Ficek short of a third back in Northern Ontario.  Team Ficek's Chester Draper and Cindy Hoffstrom also curled out of the defunct Dryden CC and their playing status for the coming season is unclear.

Wayne Ficek is CCA's featured athlete of the week

Jean Mills' fascinating series of athlete profiles for the CCA continues to include wheelchair curlers with this week's focus on Northern Ontario champion skip Wayne Ficek.

Read Wayne's take on a rule change that would improve the sport, and much more, HERE.

Team Ficek three-peats as N. Ontario champions

Team Ficek (from 2010 Nationals)
Wayne Ficek, Mark Wherrett, Chester Draper, Cindy Hoffstrom, Denise Miault

Wayne Ficek's Kenora/Sudbury squad won their third consecutive provincial title when they beat Sudbury newcomers Steve Daniel's newcomers 5-4 in the final of  the Shoppers Home Health Care NOCA Wheelchair Provincial Championships at the Fort William CC.

The teams exchanged singles with hammer through 5 ends, but Ficek then stole in the 6th and 7th to go ahead 5-2. In the final end, sitting two, Daniel had a draw for a third point to force an extra but came up short. (Thank you Michael Alberg.)

Steve Daniel Wayne Ficek
(The Chronicle-Journal/Brent Linton)

Team Ficek will now represent Northern Ontario at the TMX Canadian Nationals in Edmonton March 20-27.

Line scores are HERE. An event poster, team rosters, schedule and information is available HERE

News from Kenora, No. Ontario

Wayne Ficek,  skip of Team Kenora/Dryden, says his team is "chomping at the bit and ready to go... As under achievers last year (3-6) none of our team was happy with the results and would love the opportunity to compete in Edmonton."

Denise Miault braced by Mark Wherrett with Chester Draper watching
[photo - Ian Readey]

Congratulations go to two team members, Mark Wherrett and Denise Miault who qualified for full carding under the OCA/NOCA Quest for Gold program.

Last Saturday they played Chris Sobkowicz's Manitoba team winning the first 7-6 when Chris wrecked on a guard looking at three in the four foot.

"The second game was a blow out 9 -1 win after six. While the first game's ice was good, we played on the same sheet after a 45 minute lunch and things had tightened up," Wayne said. "I think we caught them off guard with the ice and this is the first wins the team have had against Manitoba ever, so kudo's to Mark, Chester and Denise who are all playing better than ever.

"We're hoping we can get back to Nationals and truly believe three times = lucky."

News from Northern Ontario

Wayne Ficek braced by Chester Draper
[photo - 2009 - Ian Readey]

Ten curlers and four coaches attended the CCA's Development Camp in Thunder Bay the week before Christmas. Fort William Coach Dave Kawahara reports that it gave "quite a boost" to everyone attending.

He was especially appreciative of the opportunity to hear the responses of people with the experience of Wendy Morgan, Daryl Neighbour and Laura Farres to the same questions that have been asked of the everyday coaches like himself.  "The in-class sessions were very interactive and excellent questions and responses flowed. It was a very successful camp," he said.

Four teams are expected to compete in the N. Ontario Provincials at the Fort William CC in Thunder Bay, February 25-27. Sudbury has formed a team of athletes with experience in other disciplines, who Wayne Ficek, reigning provincial champion, feels will be strong competitors once they gain more on-ice experience.

The title this year, though, is expected to be a contest between two-time champions Team Ficek representing Kenora (though two of the team live in Dryden) and Thunder Bay's Carl Levesque who skipped a selected N. Ontario team at the 2008 Nationals.

Team Ficek, after claiming 4th place in 2009, went 3-6 last March. "As under achievers last year I expect if I can get back to the Nationals that only a play off position would be tolerable this year," Wayne told me today.

Meet the new champs, same as the old champs

Alberta skip Jack Smart, beaced by Martin Purvis with lead Bridget Wilson watching
at 2009 Nationals - photo by Ian Readey

It was deja vu all over again in Edmonton and Kenora as Jack Smart and Wayne Ficek successfully defended their Provincial titles.

Smart's Calgary rink, with Anne Hibberd and Bridget Wilson maintaining their record of making every Alberta provincial team, beat Edmonton's Cliff Nuspl 11-2, completing a tournament where they averaged 8 point winning margins in their 5 games.

N. Ontario skip Wayne Ficek braced by Chester Draper
 at 2009 Nationals - photo by Ian Readey

It was a much tighter affair in Kenora, where local favourite Ficek faced Thunder Bay's Carl Levesque, 7-4 winner over Dawid in Saturday's semi-final. It was a back and forth game with Levesque stealing an early lead but being held to a single with hammer in the 8th, forcing an extra end.

In the extra the play was in the four foot with Ficek second Chester Draper drawing to the top of the 4, and Thunder Bay's Ron Brunelle playing a tap back. Ficek 3rd Mark Wherrett drew to the four foot but Levesque, facing two, put his last rock in the four foot just behind the t-line to sit shot.

Ficek with his last rock drew down to it to win by a measurement. Final score 7-6.

Ficek     0  0  2  0  3  0  1  0  1  -  7

Levesque  1  1  0  1  0  2  0  1  0  -  6 

Kenora's Ficek proves he still has Gregory's number

Unfazed by Bradford's Ken Gregory's unbeaten record at the Ontario Parasport Winter Games, and by finding his team down 4-0 after 3 ends, Kenora's Wayne Ficek brought his team back with a 3 in seven and a steal in 8 to win 7-5.

With Thunder Bay's Carl Levsque beating Ottawa's Bruce Cameron 7-4, the stage was set for a gold medal tie break between Levesque and Gregory this afternoon.