Manitoba sweeps its way to double gold at Canadian Junior Curling Championships

Sport Star: Junior curlers looking to win CTV's Pat McKay reports on the team of young women built to win when representing Manitoba at nationals.

WINNIPEG — It was a big weekend for curling in the province, as both the men's and women's team representing Manitoba won gold at the Canadian Junior Curling Championships in Langley, B.C.

Not only did the win secure both teams a gold medal, but now they will represent Canada at the 2020 World Junior Curling Championships, which are being held in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.

Mackenzie Zacharias, who is the skip of the women's team, said it was an incredible feeling winning the championship.

"When we all realized at that moment that we're Team Canada and we're going on to Russia, and we just won the Canadian juniors, it was just indescribable," she said.

Zacharias, who is from Altona, Man., said the team has been together since August, and despite not being together long, they have built good chemistry.

"We just kind of clicked right away."

"It has worked out really well because we all love the sport so much and we love playing together."

(Source: Curling Canada/Michael Burns)

The skip for the men's team, Jacques Gauthier, said he still can't believe his team won.

"It's an incredible honor, a once in a lifetime opportunity, really and I think once we get our jackets in and all of our off ice gear it's really going to hit us. I mean, right now, kind of still feels like we're living a fairy tale," said Gauthier.

He added that the men's team is also fairly new and they tried to spend as much time together as possible to build up chemistry.

Zacharias, along with Karlee Burgess, Emily Zacharias, Lauren Lenentine and coach Sheldon, will represent Canada on the women's side, while Gauthier, Jorden Peters, Brayden Payette, Zack Bilawka and coach John Lund, will wear the red and white for the men's side.

The two teams will be competing for gold in Russia from Feb. 15-22.