McEwen Wins MCT Championship & Safeway Berth

Mike McEwen's team from Assiniboine Memorial Curling Club became the first back-to-back winner of the Manitoba Curling Tour Championships in Morris tonight (Sunday).

McEwen has now won 10 straight games without a loss in the crowning event of the Manitoba tour over two seasons.  With solid support from B.J. Neufeld, Matt Wozniak, and B.J.'s brother Denni Neufeld, McEwen defeated Terry McNamee of Brandon 7-4 in the men's division final.

The McEwen foursome earned $7,000 in prize money plus the MCT berth in the 2009 Manitoba Safeway Championship, to be held in Selkirk
February 18th to 22nd.  McNamee's team, with Steve Irwin, Travis Taylor and Travis Saban, had earned its berth in Selkirk by winning the MCA Southern Berth Bonspiel in Carberry in November.  They received the MCT runner-up cash of $4,000.

Brendan Taylor of West Kildonan and David Bohn of Assiniboine Memorial picked up $2,000 apiece for reaching the semi-finals, while Doug
Riach and Reid Carruthers, both of West Kildonan, each earned $1,500 as losing quarter-finalists (24 teams-6 qualifiers).