Lotts one shot short at Canadian mixed doubles curling trials

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This article was published 02/01/2025 (282 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Kadriana Lott delivered the big shots all week.

One came Thursday, down by four in the eighth end and holding the weight of her and husband Colton’s Olympic dreams in her right hand. Kadriana executed an angled double takeout that scored the four points the Lotts needed to stay alive, narrowly losing the shooter, which would’ve completed an improbable comeback victory.

Nevertheless, the Gimli couple (formerly of Winnipeg Beach), needing a win over the undefeated duo of Brett Gallant and Jocelyn Peterman to qualify for the Canadian mixed doubles curling trials playoffs, had new life heading into the extra end.

Four rocks later, Kadriana needed to come up big again with a draw to the button to sit shot stone with one rock to come.

This time, it wasn’t meant to be. Stumbling out of the hack, her shot was a touch heavy and a bit wide, leaving Peterman with a routine takeout that earned a 9-6 victory and eliminated the Lotts from playoff contention.

The Lotts controlled their destiny entering the day and, despite losing, could still reach the knockout rounds with losses from father-daughter duo Jaelyn and Jim Cotter, and Jennifer Armstrong and Tyrel Griffith. The latter obliged, falling 9-5 to Lisa Weagle and John Epping, but the Cotters did not, edging out Riley Sandham and Brendan Craig 8-7 to earn the final playoff berth in Pool B.

The Cotters joined Gallant and Peterman, who finished the round robin as the only undefeated team in the tournament, and Weagle and Epping (5-2) in the knockout rounds.

Pool A produced similar theatrics, as four teams were still alive for three playoff spots when the day began.

Rylan Kleiter and Brittany Tran’s 8-6 victory over Paige Papley and Evan Van Amsterdam confirmed their place atop the group. Behind them, also finishing the round robin 6-1, were Rachel Homan and Brendan Bottcher, who defeated Winnipeg-born curling legend Jennifer Jones and her husband Brent Laing 6-4.

Despite their loss, Jones and Laing (4-3) got the help they needed to clinch the final playoff spot by tie-breaker, as Laura Walker and Kirk Muyres fell 7-5 to Nancy Martin and Steve Laycock.

The playoffs began Thursday afternoon, with Weagle and Epping defeating Kleiter and Tran 10-5 to advance to the 1-2 page playoff against Peterman and Gallant, who needed seven ends to knock off Homan and Bottcher 8-4.

Tran and Kleiter will play Jones and Laing at noon CT on Friday, while Homan and Bottcher play the Cotters at the same time.

The playoffs continue into the weekend, with the championship draw taking place Saturday at noon CT at Queens Place Emera Centre. Games are broadcast on the Curling Canada YouTube channel and TSN+.

The winner will play in the world championships from Apr. 26 – May 3 in Fredericton, where a top-eight finish would punch its ticket to Milan-Cortina, Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

As for the Lotts, they leave Liverpool, N.S., surely disappointed with their play after going 4-3. The reigning Canadian champions, and No. 5-ranked duo in the country, had high hopes for their first Olympic trials together but never quite managed to find their groove.

They have played in two events together this season, but have shown an ability to knock off the rust quickly. They won in Morris in August and, despite a four-month layoff from competition, reached the finals in Banff, Alta. in December.

The strong competition at the trials proved too great to overcome, however, and now they will look toward the 2030 Winter Olympics in France.

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca