'Amazing': Two Maritimers celebrate world women's junior curling title

Two Maritimers are part of the top junior women's curling team in the world.

Truro's Karlee Burgess and Lauren Lenentine of New Dominion, P.E.I., represented Canada on the Manitoba team skipped by Mackenzie Zacharias.

They beat South Korea 7-5 in the gold-medal game at the world junior women's curling championship on Saturday in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. South Korea was undefeated entering the final game.

It's the third world junior title for the 21-year-old Burgess, who was playing third stone, and the second for Lenentine, the lead.

In a text message from Russia, Lenentine, a student at the University of Manitoba, said "the entire event was amazing."

"The arena was like nothing I have every competed in before, it was absolutely breathtaking. Without a doubt, the best event I have every attended."

Without a doubt, the best event I have every attended.— Lauren Lenentine

Lenentine's parents, Robbie and Jennifer Lenentine, were in Krasnoyarsk for the final and celebrated with the team afterward. Though the celebration was quick, she said.

"When the game was over, the closing ceremonies [were] immediately after so we got our medals then, which was amazing. Then, the closing banquet was immediately after that, so we haven't had much time to let it sink in."

Burgess won six Nova Scotia junior women's titles and two world championships playing out of Nova Scotia. She was a member of the gold-medal team skipped by Mary Fay in 2016 in Denmark and Kaitlyn Jones in 2018 in Scotland.

She moved west this year to join the Manitoba-based team. They won the national championship in January, marking a record third national junior women's title for Burgess.

Lenentine was the alternate on the 2018 world title team.

'Sounds pretty amazing'

"World champion? That sounds pretty amazing," Mackenzie Zacharias said in a Curling Canada media release. "It was a fantastic game, Korea played great. We struggled a little in the first half, but we played a great second half. It's incredible and I'm so happy."

It was a 4-4 game after six ends before Canada came on late.

"Everybody made a lot of shots in the second half and we were able to have a really good last two ends and that's what made the difference today.  I wouldn't say we were in complete control but we knew we could force the extra (end) if we needed to," she said.

The team, which also includes Emily Zacharias, returns to Canada on Monday.

The Canadian junior men's team defeated Switzerland 7-2 in the final for a gold-medal sweep.

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