Lund Mixed Curling Rink (1979)
Lund Mixed Curling Rink (1979) was a mixed curling team from Dryden that became the first rink from Northwestern Ontario to win a national mixed title. The team was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1986.[1]
Overview
Season
The Dryden-based rink, skipped by Roy Lund, achieved a historic milestone in 1979 by becoming the first representatives from Northwestern Ontario to secure a Canadian Mixed Curling Championship. This victory also marked the first time in the fifteen-year history of the national event that a team from east of Winnipeg claimed the title. The squad entered the 1978-1979 season following a fourth-place performance at the previous year's national championships in Saskatoon. Their preparations were complicated by the loss of their home curling club to a fire, which forced the team to overcome significant practice limitations.[1]
During the regional qualification process, the team traveled to Terrace Bay for the Northwestern Ontario playdowns. They reached the final but were defeated by the Rick Lang rink representing the Fort William Curling Club. The competition continued at the Northern Ontario playdowns in Espanola, where the two rinks met again. Although Lang won their initial encounter 6–3, the Lund rink emerged victorious in the final with a 7–4 score, earning the right to represent the region at the national level.[1]
The 1979 Seagram’s National Mixed Curling Championship took place in Prince George, British Columbia. The Dryden team nearly clinched the championship during the round-robin stage but finished with a 9–2 record after a narrow 11th-end loss to Lowell Goulden of Nova Scotia. This record tied them with the Bob Widdis rink from Ontario, necessitating a sudden-death playoff game to determine the national champion.[1]
In the championship final, the Lund rink took control in the ninth end by scoring two points with the hammer. During the tenth end, the front-end players successfully cleared the house to maintain their advantage. When Widdis overthrew his first stone, the victory was secured, and Roy Lund was not required to throw his final rocks. The match concluded with a 7–5 victory for the Northwestern Ontario representatives.[1]
Roster
The names below come from the Hall of Fame profile and its team photograph caption.[1]
| Name | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Roy Lund | skip | |
| Nancy Lund | third | |
| Ron Apland | second | |
| Marsha Kerr | lead | Listed as Marsha (Kerr) Apland in roster |
Honours and achievements
- First team from Northwestern Ontario to win the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship
- First team from east of Winnipeg to win the national mixed title
- 1979 Seagram’s National Mixed Curling Champions
- 1979 Northern Ontario Mixed Champions[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "Lund [Roy] Mixed Curling Rink", team profile, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/team-profile/9ef0aaaf-7795-4b85-ac8b-c9da370fb45e (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.