Team Gushue

The Telegram - St. John’s - Brad Gushue, Julia Howard the cream of the crop in 2005

Skip Brad Gushue delivers a rock against Team Peachey in during the Canadian curling trials in Halifax in this December file photo. Gushue, whose team earned a berth at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy, is the St. John’s male Athlete of the Year. This is the second consecutive Athlete of the Year honour for Gushue.
The Canadian Press

Saturday, January 28, 2006
The Telegram

Olympic-bound Brad Gushue was the unanimous male choice and up-and-coming track star Julia Howard took female honours as the St. John’s Molson Athletes of the Year for 2005 were announced Friday night at City Hall.
Gushue takes home the Tom ‘Dynamite’ Dunne Memorial Award, while Howard wins the Marg Davis Memorial Award.

It was Gushue’s second straight athlete of the year award and Howard’s first, snapping a three-year reign by Jenine Browne, who was a finalist this year.

Deputy Mayor Dennis O’Keefe announced the female winner, while Molson Canada sales manager Dan Crummell announced the male winner.

Molson has sponsored the St. John’s Athlete of the Year banquet for the past 38 years. Last night’s proceedings marked the event’s 55th year.

Gushue led his rink of Mark Nichols, Russ Howard, Jamie Korab and Mike Adam to the Canadian Olympic curling trials championship in December.

The Gushue rink went 9-1 in the round robin and defeated Jeff Stoughton’s Manitoba team in the final to earn a berth in the 2006 Winter Olympics next month in Italy.

Last spring, Gushue reached the final of the PharmAssist Players Championship at Mile One Stadium, losing 6-3 to Edmonton’s Kevin Martin before 5,500 fans in the championship game.

Gushue advanced through a tough field to pocket $30,000. Of the 16 teams entered, seven would go on to play in the Halifax Olympic trials.

He also skipped Newfoundland and Labrador’s team at the 2005 Brier in Edmonton where it went 6-5.

Howard competes for Simon Fraser University of Burnaby, B.C., a member of the U.S.-based National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

She won two individual NAIA championships in 2005: the 5,000 metre cross-country title in a time of 17:24.15 and the 1,500-metre outdoor event.

In the process, Howard also helped SFU to a pair of NAIA team titles.

Howard also competed for Canada at the World University Games in Izmir, Turkey, advancing to the semifinals in the 800 metres.

And she finished fifth in the 800 metres, her specialty, at the Canadian track and field championships to go with an eighth-place finish in the 1,500 metres.

Howard, one of the fastest middle distance runners in the Canadian university ranks in both indoors and outdoors, is on the radar as a potential Athletics Canada national senior team member.

Voting was conducted by members of the St. John’s Molson Athlete of the Year Committee.

Five points were awarded for first place, three for second and one for third.

Howard edged out Browne, the MUN basketball star, by 44 points to 34. Howard totaled seven first-place votes and three seconds, while Browne had three firsts, six seconds and one third-place vote.

Runner Caroline McIlroy was third in voting with one first-place vote and two seconds for 11 points.

Also receiving consideration was soccer player Laura Breen, who took eighth third-place votes, and basketball player Katherine Quackenbush and all-round athlete Katie Woodford, who each picked up a third-place vote.

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CANOE - 2006 GAMES TURIN ITALY - Curling - Gushue aims for first gold

January 25, 2006
BILL GRAVELAND

Team Gushue skip Brad Gushue from St. John’s, N.L., will represent Canada at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin.(CP PICTURE ARCHIVE/Andrew Vaughan)

(CP) - Canada may have been the undisputed powerhouse in men’s curling for decades but that has not yet paid off in Olympic gold.

It has been an ongoing source of frustration for Canadian curling fans. Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., will attempt to remedy the situation when he takes to the ice at Turin, Italy, in nearby Pinerolo. He knows the pressure he will be operating under. “We expect it too. We know winning the trials makes us going into Torino as the favourite or one of the favourites,” said Gushue, who along with his team of Mark Nichols, Russ Howard and Jamie Korab prevailed at the Olympic curling trials in Halifax in December.

“You know we’ve already played a lot of the teams we’re going to be playing there and have had some success. If we keep playing the way that we’ve been playing I like our chances.”

Canada has picked up silver medals in the men’s competition in the two Olympics since curling became an official sport. Mike Harris was second in 1998 to Switzerland’s Patrick Huerlimann while Kevin Martin was runner-up to Norway’s Paal Trulsen in 2002.

Trulsen will be one of the other favourites going into these Games, along with former world champion Peja Lindholm of Sweden and Ralph Stckli of Switzerland, who won the silver medal at the world championships in 2003.

Rounding out the field is David Murdoch of Britain who lost the final to Randy Ferbey at the 2005 world championships in Victoria.

“We’re going to do everything possible to win gold,” said Gushue. “That’s been our dream for a long time, but sometimes Canadians fail to realize how good some of the other countries are.

Like hockey, says Gushue, Sweden, Finland and Russia can all ice good curling teams.

“Sweden and Switzerland don’t have the depth that Canada has but they do have some top teams. I like our chances but we’re going to have to play good - we’re not going to win by showing up that’s for sure.”

One of the strengths of the Gushue team is it has had success internationally. Gushue won the 2001 world junior championship and entered a couple of events in the past year, including one in Norway, to get some extra experience.

“We wanted to get over and play some of those guys and that helped. We played Lindholm and Stockli before,” Gushue said.

Howard, who was added as an extra body prior to the curling trials, has two Brier championships and two gold medals from the world championships in 1987 and 1993. The veteran, who will turn 50 while at the Olympics, said there’s always some additional pressure on Canadian curlers.

“When I went over in 1987 we had to win because we were the best country but things have changed,” said Howard. “I don’t want to come up with any excuses but Peja Lindholm and whoever they send from the other countries, those guys can play. A guy like Lindholm could play in this and make the playoffs if he gets it rolling.”

The addition of Howard has given the young Canadian rink additional confidence. Howard throws second stones but has been calling the games, leaving Gushue to focus solely on making his final shot.

“He’s incredible,” Gushue said. “A guy like that joining the team is pretty special. You look at our stats without Russ and our stats without Russ and you can tell the difference that he makes.”

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> Canadian men’s Olympic curling team primer

(CP) - A look at the Canadian men’s Olympic curling team:

Skip: Brad Gushue, 25, born in St. John’s, N.L. Skipped at three Briers and won the 2001 world junior curling championship. Throwing final stones while Russ Howard calls the games.

Third: Mark Nichols, 25, born in Labrador City, N.L. Played with Gushue at all three Briers as well as the 2001 world juniors.

Second: Russ Howard, 49, born in Midland, Ont. Two Brier championships for Ontario in 1987 and 1993. Two gold medals at world championships in 1987 and 1993. Thirteen Brier appearances (eight for Ontario and five for New Brunswick). Calling the game while Gushue throws skip stones.

Lead: Jamie Korab, 26, born in Harbour Grace, N.L. Played in three Briers with Gushue and was alternate in 2001 gold medal world junior team.

Outlook: Should be a heavy favourite going into the event along with Sweden, Norway and Switzerland. Gushue has won a world junior championship while Howard is a two time world champion.

History: Canada has never won the men’s Olympic gold medal. Mike Harris (1998) and Kevin Martin (2002) won silver medals.

Quote: “We expect to go in as a favourite but sometimes Canadians fail to realize how good some of the other countries are. They don’t have the depth that Canada has but they do have some great teams.” - Canadian skip Brad Gushue.

Copyright © 2006, Canoe Inc. All rights reserved.

TSN.ca - Curling - Canada’s Sports Leader - Ashley Howard following father’s footsteps

Canadian Press
1/19/2006 1:47:22 PM

THUNDER BAY, Ont. (CP) - There’s another Howard on the Canadian curling horizon.

Ashley Howard, daughter of Olympic-bound Russ Howard, plays second on the New Brunswick team at the Canadian junior curling championship starting Saturday.

When her father’s team won the Olympic curling trials in Halifax on Dec. 11, Ashley and brother Steve tried to get over the boards and onto the playing surface to congratulate Russ.

Steve was nabbed by security, but 16-year-old Ashley made it to her father to give him a hug.

Three weeks later, it was Russ rushing the ice when Ashley’s team, skipped by Mary-Jane McGuire, stole three points in the last two ends against Canadian junior champ Andrea Kelly to win a provincial title.

”When we won, dad was the first over the boards,” Ashley said. ”It’s all that sweeping he’s doing now, he’s in great shape.”

Said Russ: ”I’m pretty fast. There wasn’t any security around but I don’t think they would have stopped me anyway.”

McGuire’ twin sister Megan plays third and Sarah Berthelot throws lead stones on Ashley’s team. New Brunswick opens against Quebec on Saturday.

The M&M Meat Shops Canadian Junior Curling Championship marks Ashley’s national curling debut and Russ plans to be there to watch some of it.

”It’s more nerve-wracking to watch than play, even at the trials,” Russ said. ”Watching is scary. When you compete you have some sort of control over the situation or at least you think you do.”

Russ, who will turn 50 during the Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, next month, plays second for Brad Gushue’s team from St. John’s, N.L.

Gushue brought Russ on board just before the trials and handed the veteran the broom while continuing to throw fourth stones. The move paid off with an Olympic berth.

Steve Howard skipped the Prince Edward Island team to a 6-6 record in the 2005 Canadian junior championship. He plays second for his dad’s Moncton team, which is now looking for a replacement skip for provincial playdowns since Russ booked his ticket to Turin.

Russ is a former Canadian and world champion at skip, but he is as well known for calling his sweepers on with a loud growl that degenerates into a whispy rasp by the end of a tournament.

”I plan to be the only Howard not to lose my voice in a national event,” Ashley said.

The Canadian junior championship features 13 men’s teams and a dozen women’s teams.

The women’s final is Jan. 28 and the men’s championship is Jan. 29.

The men’s and women’s champs represent Canada at the world junior curling championships March 11 to 19 in Jeonju, Korea.

© 2006 Bell Globemedia All Rights Reserved

Calgary Curlers Going for Gold in Torino, Italy!

The Calgary Winter Club is pleased to announce that it is hosting an Olympic Send Off Party for Canada’s Olympic Women’s Curling Team (Team Kleibrink) on Tuesday, January 24, 2006 at 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm. This is a unique opportunity to cheer on Team Canada before they embark on the most exciting journey of their lives!

Calgary area curling fans will be able to share a beverage and hors d’oeuvres with Olympic hopefuls Skip: Shannon Kleibrink; Third: Amy Nixon; Second: Glenys Bakker; Lead: Christine Keshen; and Alternate: Sandra Jenkins. As a part of the Send Off, a 10 day silent auction will be touring various curling clubs around Calgary and will close at the event, and a fast-paced, live auction will also be held. One hundred percent of all funds raised from this event will be presented to Team Kleibrink to assist them in their quest for Olympic gold!

Tickets are $10 each and include your admission to the event, an auction number, as well as a large assortment of hors d’oeuvres donated by The Calgary Winter Club.

Available tickets are going fast and can be purchased at the following locations:

The Calgary Winter Club
The Calgary Curling Club
The Glencoe Club
Huntington Hills Community Centre
Inglewood Golf & Country Club
North Hill Community Curling Club

We invite the Calgary curling community and all Calgarians to join us in wishing Team Canada well and letting them know that we’re all behind them and will be cheering them on throughout the Olympics.

When: Tuesday, January 24, 2006 - 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm
Where: The Calgary Winter Club, 4611 - 14 Street NW, Calgary, Alberta

Contact:

Glenda Marr
Marketing Manager
Calgary Winter Club
4611 -14 Street NW
Calgary, Alberta
Phone: (403) 338-2416

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Source: Dawn Stirling
Provided to us by way of our Contact Form

Just a memo, that I posted the final results of the 2006 International Damen-Cup on the Curling Blog ..

HART