FREDERICTON — Jennifer Jones and Reid Carruthers were the winners of the first PointsBet Invitational on Sunday with their Manitoba curling teams each pocketing $50,000 in prize money.

Jones beat Casey Scheidegger’s side, with Kristie Moore replacing Scheidegger’s absence, in the women’s final 7-4.

Carruthers doubled Matt Dunstone 8-4 in the Men’s Championship game at Willie O’Ree Place in Fredericton.

Both teams have won four straight games to collect the winners’ checks.

Jones, an Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion, and Carruthers are both jumping new teams this season.

Jones, 48, leads a team of under-25 curlers that won national and world junior titles just two years ago.

Karlee Burgess, Mackenzie Zacharias, Lauren Lenentine and alternate Emily Zacharias complete the Jones rink.

“We felt (chemistry) instantly, and I wasn’t sure because they were already an existing team, and I’m only a few years older than them, so I didn’t know how it would all work. “Jones joked. .

“Honestly, I feel like it’s so easy. They’re easy to be around and I feel like we’ve just become a united team, which is crazy because it’s only September. .

Jones is working on a 12-game winning streak with his new team that dates back to the Saville Shoot-Out in Edmonton earlier this month.

The team went 8-0 and beat Rachel Homan in the final there.

Carruthers, vice Jason Gunnlaugson and forward Derek Samagalski and point guard Connor Njegovan picked up their first victory of the 2022-23 season.

Carruthers couldn’t remember a bigger payday in his curling career.

“It’s unreal,” Carruthers said. “New quadruple (Olympic), new team and we win our third ‘spiel, and beat some of the top teams, and our provincial rival, a great team in Dunstone, oh yeah, that’s a confidence booster.”

Jones was the No. 5 seed against No. 6 Scheidegger in Sunday’s final.

After shutting out the first end, Jones scored two goals in the second and added two in the fourth and eighth ends, while holding Moore to singles with a hammer.

“They made a lot of good shots and I just didn’t finish in a few ends, most definitely,” Moore said.

“The last two games I had opportunities later on. But Jen just wouldn’t let us get back into that.”

Jones’ vice Zacharias, who was previously skip and now throws second rocks, says she and her teammates are thriving with Jones leading the charge.

“She’s been such a great leader for our team and we’re so privileged to have the chance to play with her,” Zacharias said.

“We’re all having fun there too, which is the icing on the cake.”

Carruthers took control of the men’s final by scoring twice in the fourth and sixth ends and stealing a point in the seventh for a 6-2 lead.

Dunstone scored his first two in the eighth, but Carruthers replied with a two in the ninth.

Dunstone had a chance to score three goals in the seventh and draw, but wrecked on a guard to give up the steal.

“I let the guys down today with that shot,” Dunstone said. “It sucks. The guys only gave me chances today and I couldn’t take advantage of them.

“I just threw some light. You can’t do that over there. Just a bad throw.”

This report from The Canadian Press was first published on September 25, 2022.

The Canadian Press