Rachel Homan rebounded from a rare setback with a 12-5 victory over Selena Sturmay in Monday’s afternoon draw at the 2025 Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials.
Homan improved to 3-1 in Halifax, returning to her winning ways after an extra-end loss to Kayla Skrlik on Sunday ended her 32-game winning streak against Canadian opponents.
The Ottawa-based team took control of the match against Edmonton’s Sturmay with a five-point third end that gave it an 8-2 lead.
Homan, the two-time defending Canadian and world women’s champion, moved into sole possession of second in the women’s standings, behind unbeaten Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Man.
Einarson improved to 4-0 with a 6-4 win over Winnipeg’s Kaitlyn Lawes.
In other afternoon results, Christina Black of Halifax won 9-4 over Corryn Brown of Kamloops, B.C., and Skrlik scored two in the 10th end for a 7-6 victory over Kate Cameron of St. Adolphe, Man.
Lawes, Sturmay, Black and Skrlik were part of a logjam at 2-2.
Brown fell to 1-3 while Cameron is still chasing her first win at 0-4.
In men’s competition earlier Monday, Brad Gushue improved to 3-0 at the 2025 Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials with a 5-3 win over John Epping in Monday’s opening draw.
Gushue’s team from St. John’s, N.L., won the low-scoring contest by stealing a point in the third and sixth ends. Gushue’s rink also took care of the rock with the hammer by not giving up a steal to Epping’s Toronto-based team.
Gushue, the 2006 Olympic champion, is hoping to represent Canada at the Winter Games once again in his final competitive season.
He also led Canada to bronze at the 2022 Olympics.
Winnipeg’s Matt Dunstone also improved to 3-0 with a 7-3 win over Saskatoon’s Ryan Kleiter. Dunstone went up 5-1 after five ends and cruised to victory from there.
The winners of the men’s and women’s competitions at the curling trials will represent Canada at the 2026 Games in Milan and Cortina, Italy.
In other early draw results, Calgary’s Kevin Koe scored three in the ninth end in an 8-7 win over Winnipeg’s Jordon McDonald, and 2014 Olympic champion Brad Jacobs and his Calgary squad beat Saskatoon’s Mike McEwen 6-3.
Koe and Jacobs were tied for third at 2-1, while Epping and McEwen fell to 1-3, and Kleiter and McDonald dropped to 0-3.
A women’s draw was set for Monday afternoon, with another men’s draw capping play in the evening.
Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Man., entered the day leading the women’s standings at 3-0.
