MCI News

Winners Katja Kiiskinen (centre) and Sean Becker (right) with plate winners Kim Forge (top) and Jay Merchant (left). Photo © Katja Kiiskinen

20 Mar 2016 – It was no surprise to see the experienced internationals of Sean Becker (New Zealand) and Katya Kiiskinen (Finland) win the season-opening MCI Doubles in Naseby.

But their opponents in the final would not have been the bookmaker's favourites at the start of the weekend.

The Junior pairing of Anton Hood and Youth Olympian Courtney Smith finished second in their group behind the eventual winners. They were not fazed lining up against 2015 NZ Champions Bridget Becker and Scott Becker in their semi-final, winning in an extra end

Simon's Smoothies

5 Jul 2014 – “Simon’s Smoothies” had the best possible lead-in to the National Junior championship with a clear win in the recent McLarens Tournament at MCI Naseby. Simon Neilson skipped brother Matthew, Ben Smith and Hunter Walker to 4 wins and so become the youngest team to claim the title.

Runners up with 3 wins were Peter’s Perfectionists (skip Peter Becker), while Rudd’s Rascals (skip Ken Gillespie) finished on 2 wins.

29 Mar 2014 – Experienced triumphed at the MCI Open Doubles, the opening event of the 2014 New Zealand curling season last weekend. Peter and Wendy Becker went through their pool undefeated, and then won a tight final 6-5 against Peter de Boer and Jessica Smith.

Speaking the day after their win Peter said, "Yes, we had a pretty good run and a bit of luck. But most of the talk this morning has been the aches and pains and tiredness!"

For the Beckers this was an ideal warm-up for their respective World Senior Championships in April, where Peter will skip the NZ Men's side while Wendy will play with the Women's team. And it adds to a full mantelpiece, after Peter's team for Scotland won not only the 2013 NZ Senior Men's title but the Open championship as well.

All concentration from 2013 champions Warren Dobson and Kenny Thomson

21 Mar 2013 – High scoring ends and plenty of stones in play can make Doubles an exciting game for both players and spectators, and so it proved at the season-opening MCI Open Doubles tournament in Naseby last weekend.

Teams played in 2 pools through the weekend, and the two unbeaten sides met in the final on Sunday afternoon. And it was the pairing of Kenny Thomson and Warren Dobson who eventually prevailed over the NZ Mixed Doubles team of Hans Frauenlob and Natalie Thurlow.