Jennifer Jones won the women’s title at the inaugural PointsBet Invitational Sunday with a 7-4 win over Casey Scheidegger in the final.
The victory was worth $50,000 for Jones, Karlee Burgess, Mackenzie Zacharias, Lauren Lenentine and alternate Emily Zacharias at Willie O’Ree Place in Fredericton.
Jones and company strung together four straight wins to claim the title and take home the winner’s cheque.
They’re a new team this season with 48-year-old Jones, a 2014 Olympic champion and two-time world champion, skipping under-25 teammates, who won Canadian and world junior titles two years ago.
“We felt [chemistry] instantly, and I wasn’t sure because they were already an existing team, and I’m just a couple of years older than them, so I wasn’t sure how that would all work,” joked Jones.
“I honestly feel like it’s so easy. They’re easy to be around, and I feel like we’ve just become one united team, which is crazy because it’s only September.”
Jones was the No. 5 seed taking on No. 6 Scheidegger on Sunday, although Kristie Moore filled in at skip for the absent Scheidegger.
After blanking the first end, Jones scored two in the second and added deuces in the fourth and eighth ends, while holding Moore to single points with hammer.
“They made a lot of great shots and I just didn’t finish in a couple of ends, most definitely,” Moore said.
“In the past couple of games, I got opportunities later. But Jen just didn’t let us get back in there.”
WATCH l Catch up on a new season with That Curling Show:
Hosts Devin Heroux and Colleen Jones kick off a new curling season by catching you up on all the new teams and chatting with Rachel Homan, Jennifer Jones, Brett Gallant and Brad Gushue.
Jones is working on a 12-game winning streak with her new team dating back to the Saville Shoot-Out in Edmonton earlier this month.
The team went 8-0 and beat Rachel Homan in the final there.
Jones’ vice-skip Zacharias, who throws second stones, says she and her teammates are thriving with Jones calling the shots.
“She’s been such a great leader for our team and we’re so privileged to have a chance to play with her,” Zacharias said.
“We’re all just having fun out there as well, which is the icing on top of the cake.”
The 23-year-old switched to front end after previously skipping the team.
“I’ve had a couple of tournaments now to kind of figure it out,” Zacharias said. “There wasn’t a whole lot that’s changed, but sweeping was probably the biggest thing for me.
“I hadn’t really swept before, but I’m on a team with some amazing sweepers. They were able to give me some good pointers, and we’ve had a few people come out and teach me as well.”
Sunday’s men’s final featured an all-Manitoba matchup of Matt Dunstone versus Reid Carruthers.
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