Cailey Locke and her Memorial University women's curling team won the school's first national collegiate championship at the USports Curling Championships in Regina. The Sea-Hawks defeated McMaster University in a tense final decided by a measurement in the last end. Locke described the victory as surreal, marking a historic achievement for the team from Newfoundland and Labrador.
The USports Curling Championships concluded with Memorial University's women's team claiming the national title, a first for the institution in St. John's. Skip Cailey Locke, along with third Hayley Gushue, second Emily Neary, lead Sitaye Penney, and coach Jeff Thomas, overcame a challenging final against McMaster University's Marauders.
Heading into the last end tied, McMaster held the hammer, putting Memorial at a disadvantage. The Sea-Hawks battled to secure shot rock, forcing McMaster skip Evelyn Robert to attempt a winning shot. A measurement confirmed Memorial's one-point victory. "It was hard because we didn’t have the last rock," Locke said. "Her rock came down. It was really close, and we ended up having to measure." Despite the drama, Locke remained confident, noting, "I think, that in that moment, we knew that we did everything we could to try and get the win."
The team entered the final with a strong 6-2 record, including three initial wins that built their momentum. "We just had to play our game, and that’s what we did, and it worked out for us," Locke reflected. This success follows their earlier AUS championship, also a first for a Memorial women's team.
Meanwhile, Memorial's men's team finished 4-5 and exited in the semifinals, though coach Glenn Goss earned coach of the year honors. The win secures Hayley Gushue and her teammates a spot to represent Canada at an international event in China in January 2027.
Locke, still hoarse from the week's intensity, expressed disbelief: "I can’t really fit into words how it felt... It’s just kind of surreal." This achievement cements the team's place in Memorial's athletic history.
