BARRIE — Dylan Johnston, Chris Briand, Jordan Potter and Brennan Wark are bringing home some hardware from the 2024 Everest Curling Club Championships.
The Fort William Curling Club rink won a bronze medal for Northern Ontario in the men's event on Sunday afternoon as they defeated Quebec's Stéphane Brabant by a score of 9-5.
The game was tied at three after four ends, but Johnston stole three points in the fifth and sixth ends to put the game out of reach.
After finishing second in Pool B play with a record of 4-2, the Northern Ontario team lost their opening game of the double knockout playoffs to Manitoba's Zachary Wasylik by a score of 5-1.
They bounced back with a 6-4 win over Nova Scotia's Travis Stone and followed that up with a dramatic 9-8 quarterfinal triumph over New Brunswick's Jeff Lacey that was decided by a four-ender in the eighth and final end.
Johnston's run at the title ended on Sunday in a back-and-forth 7-5 semifinal contest with eventual champion Jordan Keon of Ontario.
This was the second straight national event for Briand.
He curled at the Canadian Mixed in St. Catharines earlier this month with Jordan Chandler (who filled in for Johnston who was unable to participate), Samantha Morris and Marcy Barry.
Kim Beaudry of the Curl Fort Frances Community Centre represented Northern Ontario in the women's competition in Barrie this week.
Her team, which included Barbara Roy, Victoria Beaudry and Taylor Sopotiuck, dropped a heartbreaking 8-7 quarterfinal contest to Quebec's Gabrielle Lavoie after building up a six-point advantage through four ends.