THUNDER BAY – The Confederation College Thunderhawks Varsity Men’s, Women’s and Mixed Curling teams announced today that they will play host to the 2016 Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Provincial Curling Championship. The competition will take place from February 11-14, welcoming 20 teams from nine colleges across Ontario.
“We are anticipating some high calibre curling at this competition,” said Susan Tucker, Administrator of Campus Recreation & Athletics for Confederation’s Student Union (SUCCI). “We look forward to hosting these teams and showing them why northwestern Ontario is known for its impressive curling scene. We are grateful to our community for quickly jumping on board to support this event.”
Tucker added that this is the second time the Championship has been hosted in Thunder Bay, the first time being in 2005. She also noted that the Thunderhawks have an admirable track record at the competition.
“Our teams have achieved great success in past years, bringing home over 50 provincial titles. We are also the only college in Ontario to have won four national championships in a five-year span. Our athletes have been working hard in the hopes of earning additional titles this year.”
120 athletes and coaches will gather to compete at the Port Arthur Curling Club. Opening ceremonies will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 11 with the first rock thrown by four Thunderhawks alumni, including Angela Lee and Tara George (née Coulterman). The closing ceremonies and medal presentations will take place after the final games wrap up (approximately 2:00pm on Sunday, February 14).
Cole Badiuk, Director of Athletics for SUCCI can’t wait for the competition to begin. “This is an exciting opportunity for us to highlight our varsity sports and specifically to celebrate our curling teams. The event will help our student athletes connect more closely with the community, and in welcoming other colleges to Thunder Bay, we will be able to showcase the north and share our Confederation and Thunderhawks pride. We hope the community will come out to cheer on our home teams!”
The event will be live-streamed by Confederation College’s Broadcasting students and updates will be provided regularly on the event website throughout the competition. Event information and a full schedule are available on the event website. Visit www.ocaacurlingchamps16.ca. The public is encouraged to attend. There is no cost for spectators.
The competing teams from Confederation College are as follows:
- Men’s Team – Coach Paul Carr – Athletes: Philip DeCorte, Stephan Forbes, Adam McKinnon, Kyle Prystie
- Women’s Team – Coach Larry Rathje – Athletes: Carly Angers, Amanda Danolovitch, Katherine Roberts, Megan St. Amand
- Mixed Team – Coach Paul Carr – Athletes: Aidan Harvey, Danyelle Kempe, Daniel Pedulla, Michelle Wright
The Championship is being supported by Confederation College and the Student Union, as well as through event sponsors: BelairDirect, the City of Thunder Bay, Franki’s Pizzeria, the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association, Sodexo, Sportop Marketing and Tbaytel.
Thunderhawks Curling has been a part of the College community since Confederation opened in 1967 and has competed at the OCAA competition since its inception, also in 1967. For more information about athletics at Confederation College, visit www.thunderhawksathletics.com.
