The University of Regina Cougars men’s and women’s curling teams are looking forward to this year’s national tournament after sweeping gold at the Canada West conference championships.
“I never thought [conference champion] would be a title given to us,” women’s team skip Chloe Johnston said.
“It’s just super exciting,” men’s team skip Josh Bryden told CTV News. “And it’s the first time [the U of R] has won both.”
The title is the second for the Regina women in four years, after winning their first ever conference banner in 2022.
“I got to do it in my hometown,” Johnston said. “Getting to do it and seeing my family and having everybody there for me, it was really super exciting. And it was so much fun to play with the girls.”
“We really wanted [the sweep] for Regina,” she added.
Meanwhile, the Cougar men earned a bit of redemption after finishing as league runners-up a season ago for their first conference title since the 1969-70 season.
“We were joking, ‘We won the nationals, but we hadn’t won the West,” Bryden said. “So, we wanted to go win the West this year. And it worked out.”
The victories are extra special for both teams as both final draws were being played at the exact same time.
Members of both squads say they were making sure to look over at the other scoreboard.
“There was a couple times Carter [Williamson] had to hold me on the shoulder and say, ‘Hey, like, focus on our game here. We’ll celebrate with them after we win,” men’s lead Ayden Whittmire joked. “But it was super cool. I was definitely peeking over when I could.”
“I caught myself checking their score [a few times] or seeing a pretty important shot happening,” women’s third Chantel Hoag said. “I think it’s human nature to want to cheer for your team.”
The women won with a commanding 6-0 score over Thompson Rivers to clinch the Balmoral Ladies CC Trophy while the men had a much tougher battle against a previously undefeated University of Calgary team.
“It put some pressure on us a little bit to close out a win,” Whittmire said.
“It was stressful [for us] because you’re looking over at them and you’re like, ‘Okay, come on guys,” said Johnston. “And you’re also trying to focus on your own game.”
“We were all rooting for each other,” she added.
And in the end, they lifted their respective trophies together.
“It was just super neat to see the Cougar sweep,” said Bryden.
Double runback?
Now both Team Bryden and Team Johnston are looking ahead to the U Sports National Championships at the end of the month.
For the men, they’re looking to defend their 2024 national title.
Byrden said his team had an underdog mentality last year, but things are different at this year’s tournament.
“It’s always tough to win it again,” he said. “A lot of teams are going to be gunning for us.”
Team Bryden has had plenty of opportunity against stiff competition as of late. Last month, they represented Canada at the FISU World University Winter Games where they finished fourth place.
An experience they hope to lean on at nationals.
“Whenever you play in a tournament like that, it makes it better,” Bryden said.
“Our communication has improved over time,” Whittmire added. “More time spent playing together and learning each other’s little quirks and everything. I think it might pay off for us at nationals and help us out.”
On the women’s side, the Cougars are looking for retribution of their own.
They last won a national championship in 2010. But two years ago, they lost in the championship game to the University of Alberta, the very team they just beat at the Canada West finals.
Hoag was on that 2022 Cougar squad.
“There’s just such tough competition,” she said. “We’ll take it one rock at a time. But it would be so amazing to bring that back home, especially in my last year [on the team].”
For Johnston, it will be her first appearance in a national championship tournament.
For her, the gameplan is simple.
“We just have to keep it relaxed,” she said. “And just play the same game we’ve been going with.”
“It’s just going to help us progress more at nationals,” Johnston added.
And the idea of the green and gold taking home the double again is in the back of their minds.
“You never know what’s going to happen,” Johnston said. “We’re hopeful.”
The 2025 U Sports National Curling Championships run Feb. 24-28 in Lethbridge, Alta.
