Jim Cotter’s daughter is joining dad at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Canadian Women’s Curling Championships which begin Friday, Feb. 16, in Calgary.
Vernon’s Jaelyn Cotter, 23, has been added as the fifth player for the Corryn Brown rink out of Kamloops, which father Jim coaches.
“I’m so excited to experience my first Scotties with this amazing team,” said Jaelyn on social media. “I have looked up to them ever since I first started competing against them. I’m so excited for this opportunity.”
Jaelyn is a former B.C. Junior and Mixed Doubles provincial champion, currently playing on the Mixed Doubles Tour with her dad. She also filled in for a member of Brown’s rink at the Kamloops Crown of Curling bonspiel, helping Brown claim the women’s championship.
Dad Jim is a 10-time B.C. Men’s champion. He is attending his first Canadian Women’s finals.
Brown and company begin their quest for a Canadian title Friday night against Krista McCarville of Northern Ontario, whose rink won the bronze medal at the 2023 Scotties.
The Brown rink is in one of two, nine-team pools that will play a complete eight-game round robin within their pools. From there, the top three teams in each pool advance to the playoffs.
Among the other teams in Pool A with Brown is Team Canada, skipped by Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Man. Einarson is looking for a record fifth straight Scotties national championship.
Pool B includes the likes of top-ranked Rachel Homan of Ontario; second-seeded Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg (who has announced the 2024 tournament will be her last in four-person curling. Jones is seeking a record seventh Scotties title. She won a World Women’s championship in Vernon at Kal Tire Place in 2008) and B.C. champion Clancy Grandy of Vancouver is seeded 10th.
Brown’s rink – which lost the provincial final to Grandy – is ranked eighth. She is one of four teams who qualified for the event based on Canadian Team Ranking System standings.
Thirteen provincial/territorial champions (Nunavut withdrew from the event last month) and Team Canada round out the field.