The Province from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • 16

BEST COPT UfAlLABU 16 The Province Monday, Feb. 11,1985 1 11 jiaJWk Mil til 5 0 sir uo ots who isn't worried the three-week layoff between now and the start of the Brier will hurt his hot streak. "Right now we're only curling once a week (in the Super League), but we'll play two or three games a week between now and the time we leave. And we'll throw rocks. "We're certainly going to go down there prepared." LAST STRAWS Devlin hopes to add Jim Topley, currently curling with Barry Naimark in the seniors' playdowns, as his fifth man.

Topley will be used as a replacement if any of the other team members gets hurt or sick. Devlin went through the Northern Alberta playdowns three years in a row without losing a game. Lepine, in his first year as a skip in men's competition, will be looking for a new third next year. His third here, Syrvain Parent, is moving back to Montreal. held the lead or was tied at the midway point, stole one on the second end to go up 2-0 and basically that was it.

"I feel most games are lost in the first four ends, when you really don't know the ice," said Devlin. "I don't think this team (compared to his Alberta champions) plays any differently. We try to stay out of trouble early and if' we're going to lose we want to make sure it's in the last end or two." Devlin says the thrill of going back to the Brier in Moncton March 3-10 is just as good as it was in Ottawa in 79. "The first one was a real thrill, but you don't lose the taste to come back." Devlin, who was 6-5 and tied for third behind Winnipeg's Barry Fry in '79, says that's another reason he is pumped up to go back. "I think if we play the way we are capable, we can curl with anybody," said Devlin, PAUL DEVLIN IIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIItlllMIIIIII Illl IIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII llllllllllllllllllltlllHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKIIIMIIIllllt llllllillMIMIIIItlHUIIIIIIIIIItlltlKltltllllllllllltlllllllOIIIKtlll I to loadl fid) WfBW 2 By KENT GILCHRIST Sports Editor KIMBERLEY Paul Devlin, the smooth-shooting lefthander, is the 1985 B.C.

men's curling champion. The 38-year-old office computer systems salesman for Remgon is only the second person to skip champions from two different provinces. Devlin, who culminated his drive to the Labatt Brier with a 7-1 win over Vancouver Curling Clubmate Craig Lepine in yesterday afternoon's B.C. final, won the Alberta title out of Edmonton in 1979. John David Lyon won the Manitoba and Newfoundland titles in 1960 and '61, respectively, and is the only other skip to win in different provinces.

Devlin, with teammates Doug Meger, Ken Watson and Dale Reiben, struggled with his Vancouver Club Super League rink most of the year, but in the last three weeks he has been on a roll. His only loss in the last three weekends of playdowns was to clubmate Lepine in Saturday's event final in the eight-rink triple knockout event Devlin began his weekend here with straight wins Friday, beating Kelow-na's Bert Gretzinger 7-6 in the A final. He then lost the final, 10-3 to Lepine, but bounced back yesterday morning to nip Kamloops' Eric Wiltzen 4-3 in the final to give Wiltzen his third loss. With a win against Devlin, Lepine could have forced a deciding game last night "They were the best team today," said the 26-year-old Lepine. "Actually they were the best team the last three weeks.

They really curled well today, though; we just couldn't get anything going." Devlin, who didn't lose a game here if he Ontario curler a triple threat News Services In addition to Paul Devlin's B.C. victory, curling champions were declared in four other provinces on the weekend. At Kingston, Ottawa Navy skip Earl Morris captured the Ontario title with a 7-4 win over Jim Sharpies of Toronto Dixie. Morris, who skipped a Manitoba rink at the 1980 Brier and played third on a Quebec rink in 1982, became the first player to play on champions from three provinces. At Calgary, Pat Ryan of Edmonton won the Alberta crown with a 3-2 extra-end victory over Ed Lukowich of Calgary.

At Dauphin, John Bubbs of Winnipeg stole two in the ninth end to defeat Ron McMillan of Winnipeg 6-3 to win the Manitoba championship. And at Weyburn, Eugene Hritzuk of Saskatoon defeated Alvin Welychko of North Battleford 7-3 in the C-event final to complete a sweep in Saskatchewan. Hritzuk defeated Regina's Ron Brucker in the A and finals. Only an upset can stop Victoria's Georgina Hawkes from claiming the B.C. junior women's championship today in Prince Rupert.

Hawkes, 8-0 in round-robin play, can clinch the title by beating Melissa Soligo of Trail. mm 1- vvf- -I 'V' i News Services MONCTON, NJ3. Brian Orser, who won his fifth straight men's title at the Canadian figure skating championships Saturday night, will head Canada's 15-member team to the world championships in Tokyo next month. The Canadian Figure Skating Association named its team yesterday and decided to stick with senior medal winners, avoiding any controversy that might have been stirred by the selection of a junior winner over a second or third place senior. Orser, 23, of Penetanguishene, Ont, is ranked No.

1 in the world. Last year he was runner-up to Scott Hamilton of the U.S., who has since turned professional. Neil Paterson of North Vancouver arid Gordon Forbes of Brockville, Ont, who finished second and third, respectively, also were named to the national team, as were women's champion Elizabeth Manley of Ottawa, and runner-up Cynthia Coull of Greenfield Park, Que. Tracy Wilson of Port Moody and Robert McCall of Halifax, who won their fourth straight ice-dancing title here, will now hope to improve on their sixth-place world ranking. Silver medallists Karyn and Rod Garossino of Calgary also were selected.

Pairs winners Coull and Mark Rowsom of Comber, Ont, seventh in the world last year, will be one of three Canadian entries in that competition. Melinda Kunhegyi of Burlington, Ont, and Lyndon Johnston of Hamiota, also were named. Katherina Matousek of New Westminster and Lloyd Eisler of Seaforth, Ont, were unable to defend their pairs title when Matousek aggravated an ankle injury. However, they go to Tokyo because of their fifth-place finish in the 1984 world CP photo Tracy Wilson and Rob McCall try for world medal in ice dancing in Tokyo. MimiMMHIMtlllllHmllllllHmillMIMIIIMIMMIIMIMIMIIIMIHMIIIIIIItMMMMMIMIMIIIH.