Sarah Slywka of Yorkton was part of the women's curling team that won the finals of the SaskPower Scotties Tournament of Hearts Jan. 25-29 in Humboldt.
Now she and her team are heading to the Scotties nationals set for this weekend in Red Deer.
Slywka, who leads off for Michelle Englot was contacted Monday morning regarding both her team's finals victory in which they won 9-7, and their qualification for this weekend's national championship taking place in Alberta.
"I'm just really excited," she said over the phone Monday morning.
She said the Saskatchewan Scotties was full of "close games" but they "found ways to win". Her team finished the round robin play in pool 'B' with a record of 5-0. The next best team in the pool, Shumay, finished the round robin at 3-2. Slywka's team faced Stephanie Lawton in the finals and won, 9-7.
"The final was a great game," she said, adding that a momentum switch (to her side) midway through, helped her team secure the win and advance to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Canadian Women's Curling Championships.
That starts this weekend in Red Deer.
"There's going to be a lot of good teams," Slywka acknowledges.
"We just have to play our game, stick to the game plan."
Slywka said she will be playing in her first national championship.
The playing field includes: Amber Holland, who is playing as Team Canada, Saskatchewan's Michelle Englot, BC's Kelly Scott, Alberta's Heather Nedohin, Manitoba's Jennifer Jones, Ontario's Tracy Horgan, Quebec's Marie-France Larouche, New Brunswick's Andrea Kelly, Nova Scotia's Heather Smith-Dacey, N/L's Heather Strong, PEI's Kim Dolan and the NWT's Kerry Galusha. Slywka and Englot are scheduled to play in the second draw against Nova Scotia on Feb. 18. A complete schedule is at http://www.curling.ca/championships/scotties/draw-schedule/
