Coldstream curler fifth at nationals; VSS football player earns Bowl invite

Published 6:00 pm Monday, April 13, 2026

Losing the final two games of the round robin cost Team B.C. a women’s division playoff spot at the Pomeroy Hotel Canadian Masters Curing Championships in Grande Prairie.

B.C., skipped by Diane Mychaluk of Langley, with Coldstream’s Penny Shantz at third, and the front end of second Victoria Murphy of New Westminster and lead Janet Suter of Parksville, ended up with a 5-4 record in the 10-team round-robin to miss the playoffs by one game.

The top-four rinks qualified for the semifinals.

Sitting at 5-2 after the first seven draws, B.C. dropped its final two contests, 6-4 to Team Ontario, and 9-3 to Team Alberta.

Ontario defeated Alberta 7-4 to win the national championship. Team Saskatchewan defeated Team Manitoba 8-4 to win bronze.

All four of B.C.’s defeats came at the hands of the teams that qualified for the playoffs.

Wes Craig of Duncan and his Vancouver Island rink won the bronze medal in the men’s tournament, defeating Team Manitoba 8-6. Team Alberta defeated Craig 6-2 in a semifinal to advance to the final, where the Albertans lost 7-6 to Team Ontario.

Former Panther to play in Bowl Game

Vernon Panthers alumnus Joe Murphy will get to show his talent in front of CFL personnel.

Murphy, a running back from the University of Alberta Golden Bears, will play in the U-SPORTS East-West Bowl Saturday, May 9, at the University of Waterloo.

The game features the top 107 Canadian university football players eligible for the 2027 CFL Draft as they look to showcase their skills to coaches, general managers, and personnel from the Canadian Football League.

A minimum of three players in their third or fourth year from each of the 27 U SPORTS football programs will attend the game.

Murphy helped lead the Panthers to the B.C. Senior Varsity AA final four in 2022, where they lost to the John Barsby Bulldogs of Nanaimo.

In his final year of high school, Murphy rushed for 774 yards in six games played (129 yards per game) and a staggering 12.09 yards per carry. He was an obvious choice for Interior Conference and Provincial AA Offensive Most Valuable Player.

Murphy also played for Team B.C., with VSS teammate Braden Khunkhun, at the U18 Football Canada Cup at the Kelowna Apple Bowl in July 2022.