The Altona Curling Club held its annual meeting this past Tuesday and the big crowd in attendance heard from the board of directors and their plans for the 2022-23 curling season; they saw four sheets of ice being prepared for the start of the curling season and they were also witness to an unveiling of a championship banner.

Mackenzie Zacharias, Karlee Burgess, Emily Zacharias and Lauren Lenentine captured the 2022 Provincial Scotties Tournament of Hearts last December in Carberry and their CurlManitoba Provincial Women’s Championship banner was unveiled at the club.

"It was exciting to see your team and your children's name up on the wall,” said Team Zacharias coach Sheldon Zacharias. “They've earned a few banners over the years but this was their first women's banner so that was kind of special. It takes a little more effort and a little more work to earn a women's banner so just knowing that and being able to be part of that unveiling - it was pretty special to see that up on the wall."

It’s been an amazing journey for dad and his daughters, and it began when Mackenzie and Emily competed in and qualified for the playoffs in their first Provincial Junior Championship back in 2016 in Rivers with teammates Morgan Reimer and Jenessa Rutter.

The Zacharias sisters, who made the playoffs with their respective teams in every Provincial Junior Championship they played in, won back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020 which was Mackenzie’s last year of eligibility.

"It's a little bit surreal,” coach Zacharias said. “They have thrown thousands of rocks. They have worked very hard, but it hasn't felt like a lot of work. It's just been fun. We've always said to the girls when they were young, 'If we're not enjoying this why are we doing this. Why are we driving to the clubs three, four, five nights a week if we don't enjoy it.' They always said we love it, and this is our passion. Yes, they've thrown thousands of rocks and it's been quite a journey to get there but it has been just a wonderful experience. It's been so much fun to be part of with them and watch them grow up on the curling ice. It's really special."

Zacharias, Burgess, Zacharias and Lenentine won gold at both the 2020 Canadian Championship in Langley, B.C. and the World Championship in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.

Sheldon Zacharias says the success his daughters worked so hard for has inspired a generation of young curlers and probably more than the two of them realized.

"Last winter they came out one day to be part of the Altona Junior program as part of their windup. You could tell that it impacted Mackenzie and Emily, just how much those kids were impressed by them and how much they admired them. They're starting to realize now that they are the role models to this next generation that Jennifer Jones was to them. I think that's pretty cool that they're seeing that now and that they're able to be that role model and I think they're doing a fantastic job. They really embraced that role and they're excited to be part of that.”

“I know we've noticed it as parents,” added Zacharias. “We go uptown and we see all kinds of people and they're so proud. They're so proud that the girls are from their community and they're representing their community so well. It's really neat to see them be such positive role models for the community and youth."

Jennifer Jones approached the 2022 Provincial Scotties champions this past March and asked them about the 2022-23 curling season. The champs quickly agreed to join forces with the two-time World champion and 2014 Olympic champion.

"I was just ecstatic,” said Sheldon Zacharias. “I was so happy for them. I knew they we're growing as a team and that their skills were growing, and they need to take another step forward to advance their curling if that's what they wanted and they certainly did. So, when Jen reached out it opened that door for them. I couldn't have been more excited. I said to Mackenzie, 'I get to be a parent now.' I've enjoyed being their coach and I enjoyed helping them on their journey but I'm also happy to see them grow and learn from new people and be able to sit back and enjoy and watch that now for them. It was very exciting."

Earlier this month Team Jones, who captured the Saville Shoot-Out tour event in Edmonton and the PointsBet Invitational in Fredericton in September, welcomed four-time Brier & World champion Glenn Howard as their coach.


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