UPEI staff and alumni rock at PEI women’s curling championship
The UPEI community will be well represented by both alumni and staff at the national women’s curling championship, the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, taking place in Calgary, Alberta from February 16–25, 2024.
The Jane DiCarlo curling team, which includes Veronica Mayne, Sabrina Smith, and Whitney Jenkins, defeated the Amanda Power rink twice on Sunday, January 28, to win the PEI Scotties Tournament of Hearts Provincial Women’s Curling Championship in Summerside, earning them the right to play in the national women's curling championship.
Jane DiCarlo, who skips the team, is a student advisor and recruiter with UPEI Recruitment and First-Year Advisement, while Whitney Jenkins, who throws lead stone, is the manager at the UPEI Bookstore. All four women, who curl out of the Crapaud Community Curling Club, are UPEI alumni and former Panther student-athletes. They each represented UPEI in curling at the Atlantic University Sport and U SPORTS championships.
DiCarlo and Mayne curled in four AUS championships together (2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016) and played at three U SPORTS championships (2013, 2014, and 2015). Their top national finish was fourth in 2015.
Smith, who is an early childhood educator, represented UPEI in 2017 at the AUS championship, and Mayne, who is a grade 2 teacher at Englewood School, joined her in 2018. Jenkins represented UPEI at the national university championship in 2010.
DiCarlo said about their win, “There is no place I'd rather be on a winter weekend than with these teammates. We kept the fans and the spectators on the edge of their seat all weekend right down to the final shot to win the whole event!”
She added, “We've all been curling for over half of our lives, and we've worked really hard to get to this place. We have had the honour to represent PEI and UPEI on the national stage before, but never all together as this team. It means everything to us!”
Congratulations and good curling to Jane, Veronica, Sabrina, and Whitney from UPEI!
