Kayla Skrlik's rink among top seeds off to winning start at Alberta women's curling championship

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Kayla Skrlik got off Wednesday on the right foot to recapturing the Alberta women’s curling crown she lost a year ago.

The 2023 queen of the provincial championship got past Sherwood Park’s Michelle Hartwell in her first A-side test of the triple-knockout event at the Rimbey Curling Club on Wednesday night.

Skrlik and her Calgary crew won 7-5 with deuces in the second, fourth and fifth ends.

The Glencoe Club team was one of three top seeds to win their opening games at the Curling Alberta Women’s Provincial Championship Presented by Sentinel Storage.

The others saw: Robyn Silvernagle and her Sexsmith Curling Club jump out strong by counting eight over the first five ends to down Grande Prairie’s Janais DeJong 8-2; and Edmonton’s Gracelyn Richards doubling up Edmonton’s Hannah Phillips 6-3 thanks to a three-ender in the fifth.

The upset came in the game between Calgary’s Kayleigh Shannon and Edmonton’s Myla Plett. Shannon stole two runs in the 10th end to pull out the 9-7 victory — that after putting up three-enders in each of the fifth and ninth.

Earlier Wednesday in A-side action: DeJong topped Edmonton’s Nicky Kaufman 8-6; Shannon beat Calgary’s Keelie Duncan 8-5; Phillips knocked off Elliot Martens 7-6; and Hartwell defeated Edmonton’s Claire Booth 8-5.

Day 2 of provincials goes Thursday with draws at 9 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. (A-side qualifier).

The winner of the five-day event moves on to represent Alberta at the 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Feb. 14-23 in Thunder Bay, Ont.