Saskatoon's Renee Wood Clinches Historic U18 Curling Gold for Saskatchewan
Saskatoon's Renee Wood has described winning Saskatchewan's first-ever gold medal at the U18 female curling championship as "exhilarating." The historic victory marks a significant milestone for the province in youth curling competitions.
Team Saskatchewan's Championship Performance
Wood, alongside her Sutherland Curling Club teammates Edie Jardine (third), Amelia Whiting (second), and Winnie Morin (lead), defeated Ontario No. 1's Charlotte Wilson with a decisive 8-3 score on Saturday at the McIntyre Curling Club in Timmins, Ontario. Abby Hogeboom served as the team's alternate, with coach Dwayne Yachiw guiding the squad to their remarkable achievement.
After finishing the week with an impressive 8-1 record, Wood admitted in a Sunday interview that becoming a Canadian champion hasn't "fully sunk in" yet. "I saw my teammates who were just on the ice and it was like any other game at first," she recalled. "But then we had the trophy and the medal set up next to us on the sheet beside us. We got to look over at that, and it was just really nice being surrounded by my teammates and some of my best friends."
Historic Significance for Saskatchewan Curling
This gold-medal victory brings Saskatchewan's total female Canadian U18 medal count to two. The previous medallist from Saskatchewan at this event was Moose Jaw's Skylar Ackerman, who secured silver in 2018. The championship, which began in 2017, saw its first male gold medal from Saskatoon Nutana's Matthew Drewitz in 2022.
"The whole experience was amazing," Wood reflected. "It was such a great environment, and I'm so proud that we got to represent Saskatchewan and bring home the gold."
The young curler has received overwhelming support following her victory, with numerous texts and calls flooding her phone. She has also noticed significant traction on social media platforms celebrating the team's achievement.
Future Prospects for the Championship Team
Although this marks Wood's final year competing at the U18 level, she expressed hope that the team will remain together as they transition to U20 competition. "We'll definitely have to figure that out with some of us aging out and one of us not," Wood explained. "I think we're all pretty committed to continue curling on our journeys, and we'll have to see what the next few years hold."
Additional Saskatchewan Performances
On the men's side, Saskatoon Nutana's Quinn Snow and Esterhazy's Brandon Weiss both reached the playoff round with records of 3-3 and 4-2 respectively, though both teams dropped their first games in the playoff stage.
The victory represents not only a personal triumph for Wood and her teammates but also a landmark achievement for Saskatchewan's curling community, demonstrating the province's growing strength in developing young curling talent at the national level.
