The 2018 Canola Manitoba Junior Curling Championships begin Boxing Day at the Millennium Exhibition Centre in Altona.

16 junior men's teams and 16 junior women's teams will compete for the right to represent our province at the Nationals in Shawinigan, Quebec.

The top seeds are reigning champion JT Ryan of the Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club in Winnipeg and Mackenzie Zacharias of the Altona Curling Club.

"It's so exciting," said Zacharias who along with third Gaetanne Gauthier, second Emily Zacharias and lead Ashley Groff qualified for the provincials by going undefeated at CurlManitoba's Fall Berth Bonspiel in Morris. "I've been counting down the days for a long time. Probably since last year, actually, since we found out it was going to be in Altona. We're so excited to be able to play in front of our home crowd, in front of our family and friends. We're just over the top excited."

"I've never been the number one seed for provincials before, so that was definitely exciting," added Zacharias. "We've all been working towards that all season. We're honoured that the teams would place us at the top."

Gauthier and Groff joined the team last January.

"We've been growing as a team, and getting to know each other better," Zacharias said. "We've gotten to the point where we all consider each other friends, and it's been great. We can go out there, throw some rocks, have some fun and the results come with it because we're enjoying each others company, and doing the best we can for each other."

The Altona skip qualified for the page playoffs at her first championship which was in Rivers in 2016, and in 2017 at the St. Vital Curling Club in Winnipeg.

But home cooking and being the number one seed doesn't automatically make you a shoe-in for the playoffs when this weekend rolls around.

"We have to be focused every game," said Zacharias. "None of the games are going to be easy, so we have to go out and do our best. Everything we've been working towards is coming down the line here."

When the Zacharias sisters teamed up with Gaetanne Gauthier and Ashley Groff, they also added a coach who owns three Canadian Championship titles, and a couple of years back, captured the World Senior Championship.

That's a pretty impressive resume for a Manitoba Curling Hall of Famer who played front end for two legendary skips, Connie Laliberte and Jennifer Jones.

Zacharias says it's pretty remarkable to be able to talk strategy with Cathy Gauthier.

"She has so much knowledge of the game. If she calls a timeout we almost always change the call because it's like, 'Oh yah, that makes a lot of sense.' Cathy knows what she's doing, and to be able to ask her anything is incredible. She is so willing to help us out with anything."

Provincial Junior Women's draw & results

Provincial Junior Men's draw & results