
By Jonathan Brazeau
It'll be a tight turnaround for Team Homan and Team Jacobs after the Tour Challenge, but they're up for the task.
Curling Canada announced Tuesday that Homan and Jacobs will represent the nation in the Pan Continental Curling Championships, Oct. 19-26 in Virginia, Minn.
The teams will head straight to the tournament from the Tour Challenge, the second Grand Slam of Curling event of the season, running Oct. 14-19 in Nisku Alta. Although the dates of the events overlap, Jacobs and Homan's match schedules do not, allowing them to play in both.
The Ottawa-based Team Homan — skip Rachel Homan, third Tracy Fleury, second Emma Miskew and lead Sarah Wilkes — ran the table once again at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts last season and successfully defended the gold medal at the World Women's Curling Championship.
Homan announced Monday that Heather Nedohin will coach the team this season.
"We don’t take these occasions to wear our national uniform lightly, and we’re already working hard to be ready to play in Minnesota in October," Homan said in a Curling Canada release. "It’s always an honour and a privilege, and we’re very excited to be able to do it again this fall."
The Calgary-based Team Jacobs — skip Brad Jacobs, third Marc Kennedy, second Brett Gallant and lead Ben Hebert — captured the Montana's Brier and earned bronze at the World Men's Curling Championship.
Homan also took gold in last season's Pan Continental Curling Championships, while Jacobs will make his event debut. Team Gushue represented Canada on the men's side last season and just missed the podium, finishing fourth.
Both Homan and Jacobs will aim to ensure it's not the only time they represent Canada this season, with the Olympic trials on the horizon in November.
“We know there’s a great responsibility that goes along with representing Canada in international curling events,” Jacobs added in the release. “This is a terrific opportunity for us to not only get the job done for Canada, but also get some high-stakes games in for the lead-up to the Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials in Halifax.”
The Pan Continental Curling Championships is a qualifying event for the world championships. Although Canada already has a spot secured at the 2026 World Women's Curling Championship as the host nation, Homan will look to become the first on the women's side to win consecutive gold medals in the Pan Continental Curling Championships.