BARRIE—Heather Heggestad, originally from Gore Bay, will be taking part in the upcoming provincial Ontario Scotties ladies’ curling championships.
Ms. Heggestad and her rink, which includes third Ginger Coyle, second Michelle Smith and lead Lauren Harrison, has qualified for the Ontario Scotties Tournament of Hearts 2017. The Heggestad rink is based out of Thornhill Club.
The Heggestad rink qualified in the East provincial qualifier B-side recently. The team played seven games. They dropped their second game but rebounded to win their next five games, including the final to win one of the two spots available (for provincials) from the 17 teams in total who were competing in Oshawa.
“I’m so excited to be going to the provincials,” stated Ms. Heggestad on Tuesday. “We have such a great bunch, the girls are awesome. We get along so well and this is part of being a strong and cohesive team.”
Her team, “has had a great year,” Ms. Heggestad told the Recorder. “We’re part of the World Curling Tour, and we had five spiels we took part in (2016) winning one and reaching the semi-finals in the other five events. We had a great year, and this is only our first year curling together.”
For Ms. Heggestad, this is the first time she will be taking part in the ladies’ team provincial championship, having had a lot of success already playing on the mixed team provincial side, and having been in the junior provincials as a youth with her sister Jennifer Graham, and Deanne and Sue Jackson.
Ms. Heggestad and her then boyfriend and now husband, Cory Heggestad, won two straight provincial mixed championships, in 2013 and 2014 events, and won the 2013 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship as a member of Team Ontario. She also played on the Ontario team at the 2014 Canadian Mixed Curling championship, finishing second.
She currently skips with her team on the World Curling Tour. On the World Curling Tour, she has won two career bonspiels, the 2013 Stroud Sleeman Cash Spiel and the 2016 CookstownCash presented by Comco Canada Ltd.
The Ontario Scotties Tournament of Hearts will take place in Cobourg, Ontario January 30 to February 5. The winner there goes on to represent the province at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts national championship, being held in St. Catharines February 18-26.
Ms. Heggestad was in Gore Bay this past weekend for the Gore Bay Curling Club annual ladies’ championships. “It was so great to be back to see everyone. It’s been a long time since I’ve played in the Gore Bay Curling Club.”
