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Adam Naugler helps Alberta to victory at New Holland Canadian Junior Curling Championships in Quebec

Tara Naugler knows the feeling of winning a national junior curling championship and now, her oldest son has that same feeling.
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Alberta 2 are the mens champions of the 2023 New Holland Canadian Junior Curling Championships in Quebec. They won the title after beating 窪蹋勛圖厙 Ontario in the final on Sunday. They are, front row from left, skip Johnson Tao, third Jaedon Neuert, second Benjamin Morin and lead Adam Naugler of Yellowknife. In back in coach Skip Wilson. Photo courtesy of Curling Canada

Tara Naugler knows the feeling of winning a national junior curling championship and now, her oldest son has that same feeling.

Adam Naugler is officially a national champion as he helped his Alberta squad to the mens title at the 2023 New Holland Canadian U21 Curling Championships in Rouyn-Noranda, Que., on Sunday. The 19-year-old from Yellowknife played lead for the rink skipped by Johnson Tao as they went on to beat 窪蹋勛圖厙 Ontario, 7-4, in the final on Sunday.

Naugler represented Alberta by virtue of his attending school at the University of Alberta-Augustana this year, where hes majoring in economics.

My mom won it all those years ago and Ive won it and its a special feeling, said Naugler on Sunday afternoon.

Nauglers outfit finished atop the standings following the round-robin with a record of seven wins and one loss, one win better than Nova Scotia. That got them a bye to the semifinal on Saturday evening, where they awaited the winner of the quarter-final between Ontario and Manitoba. Ontario would emerge victorious to move on, but it would be Alberta who would come out on top, 7-1, to advance to the title contest.

In the final, Alberta opened with hammer and scored two, which 窪蹋勛圖厙 Ontario answered in the second end with a single to make it 2-1. Alberta got one on the third before 窪蹋勛圖厙 Ontario scored a deuce with last rock to tie it at 3-3. After a blank in the fifth, 窪蹋勛圖厙 Ontario would steal a single in the sixth to move ahead, 4-3.

Alberta got that back in the seventh to level it at 4-4, but the big end was the eighth as Alberta stole a pair to make it 6-4. Another steal of one in the ninth for Alberta tightened the screws on 窪蹋勛圖厙 Ontario and Alberta was able to run 窪蹋勛圖厙 Ontario out of rocks in the 10th to claim the gold medal.

Our game plan was to take things one game at a time and set our routine, said Naugler. We knew if we played to our potential, it would all go according to plan and luckily, it did.

Alberta actually had two teams in this years championship, due in part not every jurisdiction entering teams; that included the NWT, which didnt have a mens team, but did have Reese Wainmans rink out of the Inuvik Curling Centre on the womens side.

Nauglers rink went in as Alberta 2 after being selected by Curling Alberta to assume the second spot based on results from the Alberta Junior Curling Tour.

Its a points system they use to determine who got the spot, said Naugler. We had enough points from our results and finishes during the season.

Normally, the mens and womens winners would advance to the World Junior Curling Championships by right, but theres a small wrinkle for the 2024 event. Because both of Canadas entries finished outside the top-six at the 2023 event in Germany back in February, Canada will have to play in the B event in order to rejoin the main event.

Naugler said he thinks the qualifier will be in Finland, but it doesnt matter where.

Theyll let us know when its confirmed, but Ill get to wear the maple leaf, he said.



About the Author: James McCarthy

I'm the managing editor with 窪蹋勛圖厙 and have been so since 2022.
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