The U20 Brosse Performance Provincial Championship was held from February 25 to March 1 at the Riverbend Curling Club in Alma. Despite a smaller number of teams registered this year, the athletes delivered a very high-level show for the spectators in attendance. The organizing committee succeeded in making this championship a memorable moment for the teams. Thanks to their commitment, the club was buzzing all week in front of packed stands!
In the women’s event, three teams were registered and two spots at the Canadian U20 Championship were at stake. The competition was played in a double round-robin format. During the preliminary round, Team Kénogami Soudex, led by Jolianne Fortin, dominated by maintaining a perfect record of four wins in as many games, finishing in first place. The matches between Riverbend/Opémiska and Pointe-Claire were particularly close. However, both games ended in victories for Pointe-Claire. The final therefore matched Pointe-Claire against the two-time defending provincial champions, Kénogami Soudex. In this extremely tight final, the Pointe-Claire team eventually prevailed in an extra end, capturing the provincial title. The finalist team also earned its berth to the Canadian championship as Québec 2—congratulations to both teams!
- Gold medal: Pointe-Claire – Summer St. James, Léonie Lamarre, Emma Nguyen, Alexandra Legault and Sonny St. James (coach)
- Silver medal: Kénogami Soudex – Mégane Fortin, Megan Lafrance, Emy Lafrance, Jolianne Fortin and Brandon Lafrance (coach)
- Bronze medal: Riverbend/Opémisak – Emmy Bélanger, Emilie Padbury, Juliette Bergeron, Sarah Bergeron and Daniel Bélanger (coach)
On the men’s side, five teams took part in the championship, including one 100% local team. During the preliminary round, the Grand-Mère EvDuty and Pointe-Claire teams stood out. Grand-Mère EvDuty completed the preliminary tournament with a perfect record, while Pointe-Claire suffered only one loss. The third team to advance to the semifinal was Riverbend Enseignes ESM, which secured its qualification thanks to two victories in the preliminary round. In the semifinal, the Riverbend team managed to stand out and earn a place in the final.
The final, like in the women’s event, was very close until the end. After a great game, Grand-Mère EvDuty ultimately won the championship with the last stone of the eighth end. Team Grand-Mère will therefore represent Québec at the Canadian Junior Championship, which will take place at the end of the month in Sudbury, Ontario.
- Gold medal: Grand-Mère EvDuty – Raphaël Tremblay, Louis-François Brassard, Pierre-Olivier Roy, Mathis Arsenault, Thomas Corbeil and Jean-Sébastien Roy (coach)
- Silver medal: Riverbend Enseignes ESM – Mathis Vaillancourt, Raphaël Tremblay, Alexis Ste-Marie, Olivier St-Pierre and Nathalie Gagnon (coach)
- Bronze medal: Pointe-Claire – Coby Olszewski, Cole Richard, Nicolas Janidlo, Zachary Janidlo and Stephen Janidlo (coach)
Awards
Two awards were also presented during the championship.
Cédric-Grondin Award
We would like to congratulate Mathis Arsenault, who was selected by his peers as the recipient of the Cédric-Grondin Award. This award is presented each year to the athlete who best represents the qualities of perseverance, determination, and intensity—values that so well characterized Cédric Grondin, a junior curling player who passed away too soon.
Coaches’ Award – presented by Asham
We would like to congratulate the recipients of the Coaches’ Awards, which were presented to:
- Brandon Lafrance, for the women’s teams
- Stephen Janidlo, for the men’s teams
Curling Québec would like to warmly thank the host club Riverbend in Alma, as well as all the volunteers, ice technicians, and officials who contributed to the success of the event. A special thank you to the referees, including Chief Umpire Jacques Desharnais and his assistant Joël Gagné, for their work throughout the championship.
