Tour Roundup: Homan, Bottcher secure mixed doubles trials spot
Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher punched their ticket to the Canadian mixed doubles trials.
Homan and Bottcher completed an undefeated 6-0 run through a qualifying event in Guelph, Ont., with an 8-1 win over Lauren Wasylkiw and Shane Konings in Sunday’s final.
The Canadian mixed doubles trials begin Dec. 30 in Liverpool, N.S. The winning team will compete at the 2025 world championship in Fredericton, N.B., and the 2026 Olympics in Italy, if Canada qualifies.
Elsewhere on tour, John Epping and his new Sudbury, Ont., team captured their third tour title of the season at the Stu Sells Living Waters Collingwood Classic.
Team Epping finished with an unblemished 5-0 record through the tournament with an 8-1 victory over Switzerland’s Team Michael Brunner during Sunday’s final in Collingwood, Ontario.
Epping, who has won three Grand Slam titles as a skip, joined forces with third Jake Horgan, second Tanner Horgan and lead Ian McMillan this season.
The team also captured titles at the KW Fall Classic and the Stu Sells Toronto Tankard.
Starting the season ranked 33rd in the world, Epping has ascended to 11th in the total standings and seventh on the year-to-date list.
Team Krista McCarville of Thunder Bay, Ont., took the women’s title with a 6-4 win over Team Hollie Duncan of Woodstock, Ont.
McCarville also went undefeated through the event at 5-0.
In Morris, Man., Team Braden Calvert captured the Dekalb Superspiel men’s title.
Calvert beat Team Brett Walter 7-4 during Sunday’s all-Winnipeg final.
Team Bobae Kang claimed the women’s title following a 4-1 victory against Team Eunjung Kim in a matchup between South Korean clubs.
In Moose Jaw, Sask., Team Penny Barker scored the Moose Jaw SaskTour Spiel title on home ice with a 7-5 decision against Saskatoon’s Team Michelle Englot.
In Edmonton, Team Momoha Tabata beat Team Yuina Miura 8-1 in a clash of Japanese clubs to take the Saville U25 Challenge women’s title Sunday.
Team Ben Kiist stole the winning point in the eighth end to edge Team Johnson Tao 5-4 in the men’s final.