Beckers do it better

Peter Becker takes a hard look as his son and opposing skip, Sean, calls in a stone during a...
Peter Becker takes a hard look as his son and opposing skip, Sean, calls in a stone during a match at the National Curling Championships, held at Maniototo Curling International's Naseby rink over the weekend. Photo by Gerard O'Brien.
The Becker family has added its golden touch to the National Curling Championships.

Six members of the Maniototo family entered the event, staged at their ''home rink'' - Maniototo Curling International's Naseby rink - and four came away with gold medals.

Sean and his brother Scott were in the winning men's team, along with Rupert Jones, of Dunedin and Brett Sargon, of Auckland, while Sean and Scott's mother Wendy and Sean's wife Cass made up half of the winning women's team, together with Liz Matthews, of Auckland, and Kathy-Jo Dobson, of Dunedin.

Another Becker sibling, Bridget, was in the third-placed women's team, while her father Peter Becker was in the fourth-placed men's team.

The nationals began on Friday and finished yesterday and attracted six men's teams, three women's teams and a junior mixed team, New Zealand Curling Association secretary Murray Petherick, of Alexandra, said.

''There was a good smattering of national representatives from juniors through to seniors.

''The mixed junior team wasn't eligible for medals but they acquitted themselves well, in that they were outgunned but not overawed, '' he said.

The team, made up of Hamish Walker (14), Bailey Dowling (12), Courtney Smith and Tash Whyte (both 14), all of the Maniototo, played in the women's draw.

The winning men's team beat Dan Mustapic (Dunedin), Lorne De Pape (Hamilton), Iain Craig (Auckland) and Derek Jansen (Wellington) 6-3 in the final.

''It was pretty tight going in through the round robin play and the only match Dan's team had lost was to Sean's team. It was close in the final and then Sean's team took a two on the seventh end so that put the pressure on,'' Mr Petherick said.

The women's final was also close, with Wendy Becker's team coming up against Chelsea Farley, Thivya Jeyaranjan,

Tessa Farley and Eleanor Adviento, all of Auckland, in a 10-end match and winning 9-8.

The under-21 national championships will be held in Dunedin this weekend.

 

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement