It was a magical curling year in 2008 for Manitoba's Jennifer Jones and her team of Cathy Overton-Clapham, Jill Officer and Dawn Askin.
Jones, a lawyer for Wellington West, battled her way through a tiebreaker and three playoff games to win the 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Regina. The team from the St. Vital Curling Club in Winnipeg then capped off the season by capturing the women's world championship in Vernon.
Jones hopes to build on that momentum when the Scotties begins Feb. 21 at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. There will be 11 others teams trying their best to unseat the favoured Jones and her Team ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ mates.
"This will be my second time wearing the Team ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ colours at a Scotties but it really hasn't made any difference if I'm the Manitoba champion or Team ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½,'' said Jones, who will be playing in her sixth Scotties, including five in a row.
Jones said she doesn't feel any added pressure as the defending champion.
"About the only difference for our team is that we didn't have to win the Manitoba playdowns,'' said Jones. "The beauty of curling is that there is so much respect among the teams. Whoever plays the best in any given game will likely win.''
Jones said the Scotties is the best women's sporting event in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ and she wants to make sure that her team experiences everything.
"When we come to Victoria, we want to soak up everything at the event. For some teams, the Scotties is a once-in-a-lifetime experience but we have been fortunate to get back so many times.''
Jones said there is always a "great field'' at the Scotties and that it is getting better every year.
"The calibre of women's curling in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ has really improved. Everyone who wins their province or the territories, has done something special to get here. I'm expecting another tough grind at this year's Scotties.''
In this year's field, Jones is expecting some hard-fought battles from the likes of Marie-France Larouche from Quebec, Saskatoon's Stefanie Lawton, Calgary's Cheryl Bernard and Krista McCarville from Ontario.
Jones and her team have been busy on the bonspiel circuit, playing in nine events, plus the Continental Cup of Curling in Camrose, Alta. Jones won the Wayden Transportation Ladies Classic in Abbotsford, which was a Grand Slam event, and the recent Braehead Ladies International in Glasgow, Scotland.
"This year we started playing a little later than usual and it was hard not to be on the ice. This team likes to play and we like being together. We have such good chemistry on this team. Other than starting a little late and not having to play in the Manitoba playdowns, our season has been pretty normal.
"Right now, we are playing well and we just want to keep improving with each game. Last year was amazing for us and we just want it to continue.''
After the Scotties, the Jones foursome will travel to Yorkton, Sask., for the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ Cup of Curling (March 18-22) and the Players' Championship from April 14-19 in Grande Prairie, Alta.
Because of their outstanding performances over recent years, the Jones foursome is the only women's team to have already locked up one of eight spots in the 2009 Olympic Trials in Edmonton.
"Our team is committed to staying together until after 2010. After that, we'll just sit down as a group and see where we are at. Our long-term goal is to be in Vancouver [2010 Winter Olympics] and win the gold medals.''
The Olympic gold medal is just about the only curling accomplishment missing from Jones' resume. The Jones team was at the last Olympic Trials in Halifax and just missed out on the playoffs.
The winner of this year's Scotties will have a berth in the 12-team Pre-Trials at Prince George.
IN THE HOUSE -TEAM CANADA
Home: St. Vital Curling Club, Winnipeg.
Skip: Jennifer Jones, age 34.
Third: Cathy Overton-Clapham, 39.
Second: Jill Officer, 33.
Lead: Dawn Askin, 28.
Coach: Janet Arnott.
Last Scotties Appearance: 2008 at Regina. Finished round robin with 7-4, won tiebreaker and went to win the championship with a 6-4 victory over Alberta's Shannon Kleibrink. Jones then won the worlds at Vernon.
