PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – Sherry Middaugh will live to fight another day, but the veteran curler has a tough fight on her hands.
Competing Wednesday at the Canadian Curling Association Olympic pre-trials in Prince George, B.C., Middaugh’s Coldwater and District Curling Club rink defeated Michelle Englot from Regina by a 10-4 score.
It was a must win for Victoria Harbour resident Middaugh, who suffered back-to-back losses to Crystal Webster from Calgary and Marie-France Larouche from Quebec in the triple-knockout event.
Against Englot, Middaugh and her team of Kim Moore, Andra Harmark and Kirsten Wall roared out to a 4-0 lead after three ends, before Englot scored two in the fourth end to narrow the gap to 4-2.
Middaugh secured the win by scoring single points in the fifth and eighth ends, while adding three in the ninth end.
In need of another win to stay alive in the event, Middaugh will face Heather Rankin from Calgary on Friday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Sherry’s husband, Wayne, rebounded from his opening-round loss to Saskatchewan’s Pat Simmons, scoring an 11-6 win over Greg McAulay from B.C. on Wednesday.
The win improved Wayne Middaugh’s record to 1-1, with a game against Bob Ursel from B.C. scheduled for Thursday evening.
Middaugh beat McAulay by scoring two points in the first end and another two in the fifth. Middaugh and his St. George’s Golf and Curling Club team closed out the win with four big points in the 10th and final end.
The top four teams in each of the men’s and women’s divisions in Prince George will advance to the 2009 Olympic trials, to be held in Edmonton in early December.
Midland native Glenn Howard and his Coldwater and District Curling Club team has already secured one of the four berths in Alberta, as have rinks skipped by former world champions Kevin Martin and Randy Ferbey.


