After completing her Grade 11 exams, Bella McCarville is now focused on supporting her mother and new team in their quest to win the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Making her debut at the Canadian women’s curling championship as an alternate for Northern Ontario skip, McCarville’s mother, Krista Scharf, expressed her joy in sharing this experience with her daughter.
Decked in the green Northern Ontario attire, McCarville observed attentively as Scharf, Kendra Lilly, Ashley Sippala, and Sarah Potts secured a 7-4 victory against Alberta’s Kayla Skrlik. Learning from the sidelines alongside coach Rick Lang, the 16-year-old from Thunder Bay, Ont., absorbed valuable insights into game strategy.
In a tight match, Skrlik briefly led in the eighth end, but Scharf responded with a two-point score in the ninth before clinching the win in the 10th. Other results included Nova Scotia’s Christina Black overpowering Nunavut’s Julia Weagle and Alberta’s Selena Sturmay dominating Prince Edward Island’s Amanda Power.
In the subsequent round-robin session, Canada’s Kerri Einarson secured a 7-6 victory over Ontario’s Hailey Armstrong, while Manitoba’s Kaitlyn Lawes triumphed over Quebec’s Jolianne Fortin. Additionally, Nova Scotia’s Taylour Stevens and Nicky Kaufman from the Northwest Territories emerged victorious in their matches.
Having won the provincial championship, Scharf proposed adding McCarville to the team, a suggestion that was met with immediate approval from teammates and the coach. The school also accommodated McCarville’s absence due to the national competition, showing support for her participation.
McCarville, who is involved in two junior teams, may be called upon to play in case of emergencies or imbalanced scores. Scharf, a seasoned curler, emphasized the competitive nature of the tournament in the absence of five-time champion Rachel Homan, now focused on the upcoming Milan Cortina Olympics.