Nanaimo’s Van Osch sisters were right there with the best in Canada, and only narrowly missed the chance to curl for a national championship.
Skip Kesa Van Osch and her teammates Kalia Van Osch, Marika Van Osch and Brooklyn Leitch lost 8-7 in the semifinals Saturday at the Canadian Curling Association’s junior championships in Napanee, Ont. Playing eventual-champion Jocelyn Peterman of Red Deer, Alta., Team B.C. led 6-4 after eight ends but Alberta counted four in the ninth end. Kesa’s single in the 10th end wasn’t quite enough.
The Van Osch rink went 8-4 in the round robin. Kalia was chosen a first-team all-star at nationals and Kesa and Marika were second-team all-stars.
ICE CHIPS … In other curling news, Nanaimo’s Steve Waatainen and his team started with a win, but were eventually eliminated from contention at Curl B.C.’s men’s championships in Parksville last week. Waatainen and teammates Kevin Weinreich, Sean Krepps, Keith Clarke and Gord Twanlow went 1-3 at the event.