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Campbell’s Olympic trial experience will benefit Team Silvernagle

Dec 14, 2017 | 1:00 PM

While she may not have physically competed in the recent Olympic Women’s curling trials in Ottawa, Jolene Campbell views the experience as one that will benefit her and the rest of Team Silvernagle as they prepare for the upcoming Viterra Provincial Curling Championships in January.

Campbell, who plays third for Robyn Silvernagle’s North Battleford rink was asked to join Michelle Englot’s Winnipeg team as a fifth player for the Olympic trials and said it was certainly fun to be part of.

“When you get to a big event like the Olympic trials there is just so much to take in,” said Campbell. “It wasn’t the result that Team Englot was looking for, but I certainly learned a lot interacting with the best curlers in the country, so it was a positive experience for sure.”

Team Silvernagle, which represents the Twin River’s Curling Club in North Battleford, consists of hometown skip Robyn Silvernagle, mate Jolene Campbell from Regina, second stone Dayna Demers of Meadow Lake and Kara Thevenot of Prince Albert will be once again competing at the Viterra Scotties Women’s Provincial Curling Championships in Melfort Jan. 2 to 7 at the Northern Lights Arena.  

For Campbell, getting a chance to play at the provincials this year is gratifying; especially considering her curling future was up in the air as the 2016-17 season began to wind down.

“I wasn’t really sure what was going to happen curling-wise for me this season,” said Campbell. “The team I was on for the past few years had a few players go in different directions so things were kind of up in the air for me.”   

It was a chance conversation with Team Silvernagle’s Dayna Demers at a mixed curling event last year that sparked Campbell’s interest in possibly joining the team.  

“I have been friends with Dayna for a few years and she had mentioned that Cristina (Goertzen) may not be returning, so I immediately told her to throw my name out there to join if an opening became available,” she added. “Luckily for me, it worked out and I was thrilled to be asked to join the team.”

She said she had always admired the Silvernagle foursome especially after competing against them at the provincials two years ago.

“Robyn is a terrific skip and this team was fun to watch last year,” she said. “I think we have a chance to do something special this year.”

Campbell’s love of curling began when she was nine and with a family entrenched in the sport it was a natural progression.

“I have three older sisters who curl and my parents were both involved in the sport as well so it really was kind of in my blood,” Campbell added. “Growing up in Davidson I was a rink rat, I played ringette and curled so I was always at the rink.”

This curling season has presented its share of challenges for the Silvernagle rink especially at the start of the curling season when ice availability was limited. However she feels the team has finally got their game on track.

“Being scattered across the province means we don’t get to practice together that often so we had a few blips at the start of the season,” she noted. “The curling season seems to start earlier and earlier every year and when some areas don’t have ice until October it takes a bit longer for you to hit your stride.”

The veteran said the team seemed to start gaining confidence during the Red Deer Curling Classic in mid-November, which culminated in the rink capturing their first championship the following week in Lloydminster at the Boundary Ford Classic.

“Our team is getting ready for Melfort,” she said. “We are getting the reps in, training and doing the hard work so we will be prepared for the provincials for sure.”

 

roger.white@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @RJWtheReporter