Six months after moving back to the province where she was born and raised, Brette Richards has her first B.C. ·É´Ç³¾±ð²ÔÎÚÑ»´«Ã½™s curling title.
Richards, who now lives in Kelowna, helped the Marla Mallett rink to the 2017 B.C. ³§³¦´Ç³Ù³Ù¾±±ð²õÎÚÑ»´«Ã½™ title on the weekend in Nanaimo.
²Ñ²¹±ô±ô±ð³Ù³ÙÎÚÑ»´«Ã½™s Walnut Grove foursome defeated Diane Gushulak 6-3 in ³§³Ü²Ô»å²¹²âÎÚÑ»´«Ã½™s championhip game.
Richards, who grew up in Prince George, spent the previous 10 years in Winnipeg, winning a Manitoba ·É´Ç³¾±ð²ÔÎÚÑ»´«Ã½™s title in 2009 with Barb Spencer.
Still, Richards said winning a title in her home province carries a meaning all its own.
ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½œT³ó¾±²õ one was pretty ²õ±è±ð³¦¾±²¹±ô,ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ said Richards who plays second for Mallett. ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½Àá always wanted a B.C. crest when I was here. I got close in juniors and juvenile, but never quite got there. Even having played in Manitoba for 10 years, I still consider myself a B.C.er, so to get this is really ²Ô¾±³¦±ð.ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½
Richards, a psychologist with the Central Okanagan school district, had lived in Kelowna once before, spending the 2003-04 season with the Sherry Heath rink.
²Ñ²¹±ô±ô±ð³Ù³ÙÎÚÑ»´«Ã½™s third, Shannon Aleksic, played with °±ð±ô´Ç·É²Ô²¹ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½™s Kelly Scott rink for the 2014-15 season.
The fourth member of the team is ¸é¾±³¦³ó²¹°ù»å²õÎÚÑ»´«Ã½™ sister, Blaine DeJager, from Prince George. The team is coached by °±ð±ô´Ç·É²Ô²¹ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½™s Gerry Richard.
Mallett, who last won the provincial title in 2009, will represent B.C. at the Feb. 18 to 26 in St. Catharines, Ont.