Curling

CALGARY — Krysten Karwacki is in a spotlight not of her own making at the Canadian women's curling championship.

CALGARY — A host-province rookie versus a decorated curler in her national women's curling championship swan song gives Friday's playoff game between them a sense of occasion.

CALGARY — A change-up and a settling into new roles has Rachel Homan's curling team extending a stellar season into the Canadian women's curling championship.

CALGARY — They may meet again in the Canadian women's curling championship playoffs, but the intense on-ice battles between Rachel Homan and Jennifer Jones are coming to an end.

CALGARY — The honour system is in play at the Canadian women's curling championship when it comes to hog-line violations. A curler delivering a stone must release it before it reaches the hog line.

CALGARY — Colleen Jones has a front-row seat on teams trying to break her curling records. The six-time Canadian champion skip has returned to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts as Nova Scotia's coach 11 years after she last played in it.

CALGARY — Thirty-four years have passed since the last time an all-rookie team won the Canadian women's curling championship. So 22-year-old Skylar Ackerman and her unbeaten team of Saskatchewan first-timers might be due.

CALGARY — Manitoba's Jennifer Jones opened her 18th and final Scotties Tournament of Hearts with a 7-5 victory Saturday over Nova Scotia's Heather Smith.

CALGARY — Kerri Einarson opened her bid for a record fifth straight Canadian women's curling championship with a victory, but minus lead Briane Harris whose absence went unexplained.

Kerri Einarson agrees with a saying in sport that it is more difficult to stay on top than to get there. Winner of four straight Canadian women's curling championships, the Manitoba skip says each title has been progressively harder to claim.