Lauren Lenentine Explained

Lauren Lenentine
Birth Date:24 June 2000
Birth Place:Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Curling Club:Altona CC,
Altona, MB[1]
Skip:Chelsea Carey
Third:Karlee Burgess
Second:Emily Zacharias
Lead:Lauren Lenentine
Member Association: (2013–2018)
(2018–2019)
(2019–present)
Hearts Appearances:4
Top Cca Ranking:2nd (2023–24)
Grand Slam Victories:1 (2023 Tour Challenge)

Lauren Lenentine (born June 24, 2000) is a Canadian curler originally from Cornwall, Prince Edward Island and currently from Winnipeg, Manitoba.[2] She currently plays lead on Team Chelsea Carey.

Career

Lenentine curled out of her home province of Prince Edward Island for most of her junior career before moving to Nova Scotia for the 2018–19 season to join the Kaitlyn Jones rink, replacing Kristin Clarke who aged out of juniors and had joined Mary-Anne Arsenault's rink. The team was invited to play in the 2018 Masters Grand Slam of Curling event as the sponsors exemption. Despite this, they finished the round robin with a 3–1 record, beating Rachel Homan, Kerri Einarson and Silvana Tirinzoni with their only loss coming to Tracy Fleury. They couldn't continue their momentum into the playoffs however, falling to Chelsea Carey in the quarterfinals. They lost the semifinal of the 2019 Canadian Junior Curling Championships to BC's Sarah Daniels. The following season, she and teammate Karlee Burgess moved to Manitoba to join the Zacharias siblings Mackenzie and Emily to try to return to the World Juniors.[3] When the team won the Manitoba Junior Provincials, it made Lenentine the first female junior curler to represent three provinces at the Canadian Junior Curling Championships. The team went on to win the 2020 Canadian Junior Curling Championships and later the 2020 World Junior Curling Championships.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, many provinces had to cancel their provincial championships, with member associations selecting their representatives for the 2021 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Due to this situation, Curling Canada added three Wild Card teams to the national championship, which were based on the CTRS standings from the 2019–20 season.[4] Because Team Zacharias ranked 11th on the CTRS[5] and kept at least three of their four players together for the 2020–21 season, they got the second Wild Card spot at the 2021 Scotties in Calgary, Alberta.[6] At the Hearts, they finished with a 3–5 round robin record, failing to qualify for the championship round.[7]

Team Zacharias won their second event of the 2021–22 season, going undefeated to capture the Mother Club Fall Curling Classic.[8] They later had a semifinal finish at the Stu Sells Toronto Tankard after losing to eventual winners Team Hollie Duncan. Because of their successes on tour, Team Zacharias had enough points to qualify for the 2021 Canadian Olympic Curling Pre-Trials.[9] At the Pre-Trials, the team finished the round robin with a 4–2 record.[10] This qualified them for the double knockout round, where they lost both of their games and were eliminated.[11] Elsewhere on tour, the team reached the quarterfinals of the Red Deer Curling Classic and won the MCT Championships in November 2021.[12] At the 2022 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts in December 2021, Team Zacharias finished with a 3–2 record in their pool, enough to advance to the championship pool. They then won three straight games to finish first overall and earn a bye to the provincial final.[13] In the final, they faced the Kristy Watling rink which they defeated 7–5, earning the right to represent Manitoba at the 2022 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.[14] At the Hearts, the team finished the round robin with a 5–3 record.[15] This qualified them for a tiebreaker against the Northwest Territories' Kerry Galusha, which they lost 8–6 and were eliminated.[16] Team Zacharias played in their first Grand Slam event at the 2022 Players' Championship. There, they posted a 2–3 record, missing the playoffs. They wrapped up their season at the 2022 Best of the West event where they lost in the semifinals to Corryn Brown.

On March 17, 2022, Team Zacharias announced that they would be joining forces with Jennifer Jones for the 2022–23 season. Jones would take over the team as skip, with the four Zacharias members each moving down one position in the lineup.[17] The newly revised Jones lineup found immediate success on tour, winning the 2022 Saville Shoot-Out after an undefeated run.[18] The team then competed in the 2022 PointsBet Invitational single elimination event where they won all four of their games to claim the title.[19] They had three semifinal finishes in a row at the 2022 Curlers Corner Autumn Gold Curling Classic, 2022 Stu Sells 1824 Halifax Classic and the DeKalb Superspiel, losing to Michèle Jäggi, Christina Black and Nancy Martin respectively. At the 2023 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Team Jones went undefeated to win their first provincial title as a new squad.[20] This qualified the team for the 2023 Scotties Tournament of Hearts where after an opening draw loss, they went on a ten game winning streak to qualify for the final where they faced the three-time defending champions in Team Kerri Einarson. Tied 2–2 in the fifth, Jones pulled up light on her final draw which gave Team Canada a steal of two. In the ninth, Jones missed a pivotal freeze which left Einarson with an open hit to count five to secure the win.[21] In Grand Slam play, Team Jones reached the playoffs in four of six events but never made it past the quarterfinal round. Following the season, Mackenzie Zacharias announced she would be stepping back from competitive curling with the remaining Jones members remaining intact.[22]

Team Jones had a strong start to the 2023–24 season, finishing second at the 2023 Saville Shootout after losing to Heather Nedohin (skipping Team Homan) in the final.[23] Jones did not play with the team for the event, however, being replaced by Chelsea Carey. At the 2023 PointsBet Invitational, they could not defend their title, losing in the quarterfinal round to Christina Black.[24] In October, the team played in the first Slam of the season, the 2023 Tour Challenge, where they qualified for the playoffs with a 2–2 record. They then upset the higher seeded Silvana Tirinzoni and Anna Hasselborg rinks in the quarters and semis to reach their first Slam final as a team.[25] Facing Kaitlyn Lawes, the team won the game 7–4, giving Lenentine her first career Slam.[26] In their next event, Carey substituted for Jones again and led the team to another second-place finish at the Stu Sells 1824 Halifax Classic, losing to Tirinzoni in the final.[27] At the next three Slams, the team had two semifinal finishes and one quarterfinal appearance.

New qualifying rules for the Scotties Tournament of Hearts allowed Team Jones a pre-qualifying spot at the 2024 Scotties Tournament of Hearts without having to play in the 2024 playdowns.[28] Days before the event began, Jones announced that at the conclusion of the season she would be retiring from four person curling.[29] At the Hearts, Jones led the team to a 6–2 round robin record, followed by a championship round victory over Alberta. After dropping the 1 vs. 2 game to Rachel Homan, they defeated Kate Cameron in the semifinal to advance to their second straight Scotties final. After Jones got two in the tenth to tie the game at four all, Homan counted one in an extra end for the 5–4 victory.[30] In their final event, Team Jones went 1–4 at the 2024 Players' Championship.[31] After the season, it was announced Chelsea Carey would take over the team as their full-time skip for the 2024–25 season.[32]

Personal life

As of 2023, Lenentine is a psychology student at the University of Manitoba.[33]

Teams

Season Skip Third Second Lead
2013–14[34] Lauren Lenentine Rachel O'Connor
2014–15 Lauren Lenentine Kristie Rogers Breanne Burgoyne Rachel O'Connor
2015–16 Lauren Lenentine Kristie Rogers Breanne Burgoyne Rachel O'Connor
2016–17 Lauren Lenentine Kristie Rogers Breanne Burgoyne Rachel O'Connor
2017–18 Lauren Lenentine Kristie Rogers Breanne Burgoyne Rachel O'Connor
2018–19 Lauren Lenentine Lindsey Burgess
2019–20 Karlee Burgess Lauren Lenentine
2020–21 Mackenzie Zacharias Karlee Burgess Emily Zacharias Lauren Lenentine
2021–22Mackenzie Zacharias Karlee Burgess Emily Zacharias Lauren Lenentine
2022–23Karlee Burgess Mackenzie Zacharias Emily Zacharias / Lauren Lenentine
2023–24Jennifer Jones Karlee Burgess Emily Zacharias Lauren Lenentine
2024–25Karlee Burgess Emily Zacharias Lauren Lenentine

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lauren Lenentine Profile. Curling Canada. January 24, 2020.
  2. Web site: 2021 Scotties Tournament of Hearts Media Guide. Curling Canada. February 16, 2021.
  3. Web site: PEI's Lauren Lenentine to play on Manitoba junior team next season. Curl PEI. 21 February 2019 . January 24, 2020.
  4. News: Three wild-card teams added to Scotties, Brier. TSN. January 13, 2021. February 27, 2021.
  5. Web site: 2019–20 CTRS Standings. Curling Canada. February 27, 2021.
  6. News: Wild Card teams set!. Curling Canada. February 1, 2021. February 27, 2021.
  7. Web site: Scotties Tournament of Hearts: Scores, standings, schedule. Sportsnet. February 27, 2021.
  8. News: Weagle/Epping clinch!. Curling Canada. September 20, 2021. February 21, 2022.
  9. News: 2021 Trials proceess revised. Curling Canada. February 4, 2021. February 21, 2022.
  10. News: Still in the chase!. Curling Canada. October 29, 2021. February 21, 2022.
  11. News: Qualified!. Curling Canada. October 30, 2021. February 21, 2022.
  12. News: Zacharias and Wiebe win Manitoba tour titles. thecurler. November 28, 2021. February 21, 2022.
  13. News: Team Zacharias Advances to Provincial Scotties Final. PembinaValley. Clayton Dreger. December 18, 2021. February 21, 2022.
  14. News: Mackenzie Zacharias to represent Manitoba at Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Sportsnet. Jonathan Brazeau. December 19, 2021. February 21, 2022.
  15. Web site: 2022 Scotties Tournament of Hearts: Standings, schedule and results. Sportsnet. January 28, 2022. February 21, 2022.
  16. News: Playoff quest realized!. Curling Canada. February 4, 2022. February 21, 2022.
  17. News: Jennifer Jones announces the new curling team she will join. CTV News Winnipeg. March 17, 2022. June 21, 2022.
  18. News: Jones edges Homan to capture Saville Shoot-Out, first win with new team. TSN. September 11, 2022. July 22, 2023.
  19. News: Jennifer Jones, Reid Carruthers win PointsBet curling titles. CBC Sports. September 25, 2022. July 22, 2023.
  20. News: Jennifer Jones returns to Canadian women's curling championship in Manitoba colours. CTV News Winnipeg. January 30, 2023. July 22, 2023.
  21. News: Team Einarson use five-ender to crush Manitoba's Jones, win fourth straight Scotties. TSN. February 27, 2023. July 22, 2023.
  22. News: M. Zacharias taking "step back" from Team Jones next season. TSN. April 10, 2023. April 25, 2024.
  23. News: Around Curling: With fill-in skips, Homan defeats Jones to win Saville Shootout. TSN. Ryan Horne. September 11, 2023. April 25, 2024.
  24. News: Bracket-Bustin' Black!. Curling Canada. September 29, 2023. April 25, 2024.
  25. News: Lawes, Jones to meet in HearingLife Tour Challenge women’s final. Grand Slam of Curling. Jonathan Brazeau. October 21, 2023. April 25, 2024.
  26. News: Jones tops Lawes to claim HearingLife Tour Challenge women’s title. Grand Slam of Curling. Jonathan Brazeau. October 22, 2023. April 25, 2024.
  27. News: World No. 1 Tirinzoni keeps rolling with win in Halifax. TSN. November 5, 2023. April 25, 2024.
  28. News: Early Scotties qualifiers!. Curling Canada. July 4, 2023. April 25, 2024.
  29. News: Canadian curling great Jennifer Jones announces retirement from team curling. CBC Sports. Donna Spencer. February 13, 2024. April 25, 2024.
  30. News: Homan beats Jones for 4th Scotties title as retiring legend falls short of history. CBC. February 25, 2024. April 25, 2024.
  31. News: Jennifer Jones bids farewell following final GSOC game in Princess Auto Players' Championship. Grand Slam of Curling. Jonathan Brazeau. April 12, 2024. April 25, 2024.
  32. News: Carey replaces Jones as skip for the 2024 Scotties finalists. TSN. April 24, 2024. April 25, 2024.
  33. Web site: 2023 PointsBet Invitational Media Guide. Curling Canada . September 2023 . 2023-09-24.
  34. Web site: Lauren Lenentine Past Teams. CurlingZone. January 24, 2020.