Clean sweep for Saskatoon Nutana rinks: Kleiter, Martin win provincial curl championships

Saskatchewan curling champions have been crowned in Kindersley.

Saskatoon’s Nutana Curling Club is home to both of them.

Team Rylan Kleiter defeated Team Steve Laycock 8-5 in the Saskatchewan SaskTel Tankard provincial men’s curling championship Sunday night to advance to the upcoming Montana’s Brier Feb. 28 to March 9 in Kelowna, B.C.

Kleiter’s Saskatoon Nutana rink — featuring the skip Kleiter, third Joshua Mattern, second Matthew Hall and lead Trevor Johnston, who, together, are coached by Dean Kleiter — counted three in third end and again in the fifth end to build up a sizeable lead.

“These have been my best buddies for a long time — we’ve played together for a while — so it’s means a lot just to have all the hard work pay off and go to the Brier,” said Kleiter, who will be joined by his dad as coach for the Brier.

“It’ll be awesome having him out there, keeping us in check. He’s been doing a few of them so he has a little bit of experience for us.”

Earlier, on Sunday afternoon, Team Nancy Martin defeated Team Jolene Campbell 9-7 to capture the Viterra Prairie Pinnacle provincial women’s curling championship.

Martin and her Saskatoon Nutana Curling Club squad — featuring third Chaelynn Stewart (Kitz), second Kadriana Lott, lead Deanna Doig and alternate Colleen Ackerman — advance to the upcoming 2025 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Feb. 14-23 at the Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay, Ont..

Martin’s shot clock was running out of time at the end but she managed to pull out the win.

“Oh my god, my team played amazing,” said Martin. “I tried to give the game away twice — three times I think — but they were determined. And I just had to make a couple. Colleen stepped in for us (as alternate) when we needed her. This team played all season mostly without me to get us here. We got here by a point and a half, I think. And I just said, ‘it’s a long week and this is our format’ and they stayed with me and I can’t think thank them enough and our families, all of our sponsors, the committee has been amazing.”

Martin, a four-time provincial runner-up, was appearing in her third straight provincial championship final.

Earlier Sunday, Martin defeated Team Ashley Thevenot 15-8 to advance to this year’s final. On Saturday, Campbell downed Martin 9-2 to earn her spot in Sunday’s final.

Earlier Sunday, Kleiter scored a deuce in the 10th end to edge Team Kalthoff 7-5 and advance to Sunday’s final.

On Saturday night, Kleiter put up three in the 10th with the hammer to down Team Kanpp 8-6 while Laycock, with back-to-back three’s in the fifth and sixth ends, edged Kalthoff 9-8.

Kleiter was the runner-up a year ago to Team McEwen in the Tankard final at the Saskatoon Nutana Curling Club.

The 2025 World Men’s Curling championship will be held March 29 to April 6 in Moose Jaw.

dzary@postmedia.com

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