Competing at the 2010 Ontario Curling Association bantam girls championships, the teenager and her Coldwater and District Curling Club rink compiled a 4-3 mark in round-robin play.
“I was pretty proud of the way Carly and her team played,” said father Glenn Howard, a three-time world champion. “The experience they picked up playing in a provincial final will definitely help them going into the future.”
The Howard team finished third, just missing a spot in the 2010 Ontario Winter Games.
In the midst of winning the Ontario men’s curling championships, Glenn Howard made the 40-minute drive to Gananoque from nearby Napanee on Feb. 5 to watch his daughter and her team of Kerilynn Mathers, Holly Donaldson and Joan Moore.
Carly Howard and her rink concluded play Saturday with a 6-1 loss to Lauren Horton from the Huntley Curling Club.
Glenn Howard and his Coldwater rink, meanwhile, captured a fifth straight provincial title, defeating Bryan Cochrane from Ottawa 5-3 in Sunday’s final in Napanee.
In the middle of a busy week on the ice, Glenn Howard said he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see his daughter in action at her own provincial final.
“It’s so cool to watch. My kids have been travelling all over the country for years to watch me play, so now it’s a chance for me to come out and watch them,” he said. “It is a proud moment for me.”
Howard and her team captured the OCA zone title at their home club in Coldwater on Jan. 10. The foursome then went on to capture the A final at the OCA regional championships, held Jan. 16-17 in Bradford.
Having learned how to play the game at the Midland Curling Club, Carly Howard has improved her skills with each passing year.
“She has worked hard to improve and she loves the sport, which is great to see. We never pushed either of our kids to get into the sport,” said Glenn Howard. “They are playing because they enjoy it. It’s great to see that.”
A Penetanguishene Secondary School student, Carly Howard is just the latest member of the family to qualify for a provincial final. Older brother Scott previously played on a rink that reached the Ontario championships.
mdodd@simcoe.com
