News National

SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. — Jennifer Jones has done it again sweeping through the BOOST National to capture her second consecutive Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling championship this season.

Jones, who also ran the table to capture the Masters last month, topped Casey Scheidegger of Lethbridge, Alta., 8-7 in Sunday’s final at the Essar Centre to win her 14th consecutive game in the series.

It’s the record ninth Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling women’s title (eighth major) for Jones, who is now just a Canadian Open title away from completing a career Grand Slam.

The reigning Olympic champion Jones is supported by third Kaitlyn Lawes, second Jill Officer and lead Dawn McEwen. Alternate Jennifer Clark-Rouire is also with the team this week as they prepare for the Olympic Trials taking place in two weeks time in Ottawa. Jones collected $30,000 from the $250,000 purse.

Here’s how it all went down:

8TH END: Down to the wire, Jones faces two counters and just had to make one disappear. makes it for the win. JONES 8, SCHEIDEGGER 7

7TH END: It’s not over yet! Scheidegger draws for a deuce to cut the deficit in half but will need some steal power. JONES 8, SCHEIDEGGER 6

6TH END: A huge swing from Scheidegger scoring to giving up a steal. Scheidegger looked to make a double takeout and got one but her shooter rolled on top of the other to concede a point. JONES 8, SCHEIDEGGER 4

5TH END: Jones cashes in again hitting and sticking on the button for a deuce. JONES 7, SCHEIDEGGER 4

4TH END: Scheidegger eyed a bunch but jammed and rolled her shooter too far. Still, a measurement gave her a deuce to close back within one. JONES 5, SCHEIDEGGER 4

3RD END: Jones was sharp on the draw for two and extended her lead. JONES 5, SCHEIDEGGER 2

2ND END: It looked like they were going to trade treys but it was only two for Scheidegger. With a quarry of granite crowding the house, Scheidegger looked to draw into the pocket and nudge Jones’s rock for three. However, Scheidegger’s stone bumped off her top one and it was just a deuce. JONES 3, SCHEIDEGGER 2

1ST END: It’s good for three! Jones opened with the hammer thanks to her undefeated record and converted for a trio. Scheidegger hit and rolled too far, Jones popped out the counter and stuck around for her trey. JONES 3, SCHEIDEGGER 0

Jones went 4-0 through round-robin play, eliminated Alina Paetz of Switzerland in the quarterfinals and Calgary’s Chelsea Carey in the semifinals.

Scheidegger, third Cary-Anne McTaggart, second Jessie Scheidegger and lead Kristie Moore slid into the playoffs with a 3-1 round-robin record with their lone blemish against Team Jones there as well. Scheidegger ousted Ottawa’s Rachel Homan in the quarterfinals and top-seed Tracy Fleury of Sudbury, Ont., in the semifinals.

Earlier Sunday, Scotland’s Bruce Mouat topped Chang-Min Kim of South Korea 9-4 in the men’s final for his first career Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling title and the first for a men’s team from Scotland. Mouat, 23, also became the youngest men’s skip to capture a championship in the series.

The Boost National was the third event and second major of the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season and featured 15 of the best men’s teams and 15 of the best women’s teams from around the globe. Coming up next is the Meridian Canadian Open running Jan. 16-21, 2018, at the Encana Arena in Camrose, Alta. Visit Camrosegsoc.goigniter.com or call 1-780-678-2868 for tickets.