Hurry hard work pays off

Team Canada poses with their World Junior bronze medals. Team members include (L-R) skip, Andrea Kelly; third, Kristen MacDiarmid; second, Jodie deSolla; and lead, Lianne Sobey. The team, from Fredericton, NB advanced to the world championship after winning the Canadian title in their home city. (Photo: Paul Ahlgren)

First-year Commerce student, Kristen MacDiarmid's first venture overseas was one of purpose rather than relaxation.

MacDiarmid, of Miramichi, NB, and her Fredericton foursome from the Capital Winter Club, captured the 2005 Canadian Junior Curling championship on home turf, winning the Canadian title and rights to sport the Maple Leaf at the World Junior championship in Pinerolo, Italy.

The future site of curling competition for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, Italy's Palaghiaccio stadium, hosted 20 men's and women's teams representing countries from across North America, Europe and Asia in the quest for a world junior title.

"There's no extra pressure to show what we can do. We've already done that," says MacDiarmid, responding to the fact that Canadian women representatives on the world junior stage have earned medals 17 times in the event's 18-year history. "We're just going to go out there and play our game."

Team Canada third, Kristen MacDiarmid, in action at the 2005 World Junior championship in Pinerolo, Italy. Canada finished the event with a 9-2 record. (Photo: Paul Ahlgren)

After finishing in first place following the round-robin portion of the event with an 8-1 record, Team Canada faced Switzerland in sudden-death semifinal action. Giving up five points in the fifth end gave Switzerland an insurmountable lead and a hard-pressed effort by the Canucks wasn't enough. Canada lost 9-7 and dropped out of gold medal contention. Focused now on the bronze medal, MacDiarmid and team faced Denmark. Team Canada wasn't about to let their last chance for a medal slip away. Commanding play the whole game, Canada won the match 6-4 over the Danes to earn a world junior bronze medal.

Despite the distance between MacDiarmid, attending Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS; and her teammates, all based in New Brunswick; hard work and long-time relationships paid off for the team. "I've played with them so long that we know each other so well," says MacDiarmid, 18.

Interestingly, they donned black and gold (signature colours of both the Dalhousie Tigers and the New Brunswick team) while paying their dues to the sport. MacDiarmid has been to the Canadian championship twice before (earning bronze in 2004) and the Canada Winter Games (earning a bronze in 2003). MacDiarmid was named an all-star at this year's Canadian championship; recognizing her as the top-performer among players at the third position.

Law student Kelly Mittelstadt has qualified with Team Nova Scotia for a berth in the Canadian Olympic Curling Trials set for Halifax in December, 2005.

Dalhousie is no stranger to other championship curlers. This past weekend, Law student Kelly Mittelstadt attended the Canadian men's curling championship, the Tim Hortons Brier, in Edmonton, Alberta. Finishing third after round-robin play, Mittelstadt and his Nova Scotia crew triumphed over Québec and Manitoba in playoff action to face perennial favourite in the final, Alberta's own Randy Ferbey. A 5-4 loss to Alberta denied the Bluenosers a trip to the men's world championship but was good enough to secure a spot at the upcoming Canadian Curling Trials. The event is set for Halifax in December 2005 and will determine Canada's representative at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games.

Mittelstadt had quite a junior career as well. Playing for his native Alberta, Mittelstadt won the 1994 Canadian junior championship and went on to capture gold at the world event, held in Bulgaria. "Winning [junior] nationals was an incredible achievement," recalls Mittelstadt, "Representing our country was really special."

Making the move from junior's to men's isn't as easy as it sounds. "There is so much to the game that you don't have a chance to learn it all by the time you come out of the junior ranks; in men's the depth is so much greater," notes Mittelstadt. "In my early years in men's I learned a lot about what it would take to be successful at the highest level of competition. Also, you go from playing with guys your age to playing with guys who have jobs and families, etcetera. It makes for a different team dynamic."

Stay tuned next season as MacDiarmid and her New Brunswick squad hope to defend their title at the 2006 Canadian Junior championship in Thunder Bay, ON and Mittelstadt and his Nova Scotia foursome look to wear the Maple Leaf at the Torino Games.

If Mittelstadt is victorious, he won't have to go far for advice on the Italian venue. I'm sure MacDiarmid would love to tell him all about it!