Heather Strong

Heather Strong
Curler
Born Heather Strong
November 9, 1976
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Team
Curling club Bally Haly G&CC
St. John's, NL
Skip Heather Strong
Third Stephanie Korab
Second Jessica Cunningham
Lead Kathryn Cooper
Alternate Noelle Thomas-Kennell
Career
Hearts appearances 12 (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2015)
World Championship
appearances		 0
Top CCA ranking 12th (2005-06)
Grand Slam victories 0

Heather Strong (born November 9, 1976 in St. John's, Newfoundland) is a Canadian curler. She currently skips her own team out of the Bally Haly Golf and Curling Club in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Career

Juniors

Strong made her first national debut at the of 15, at the 1992 Canadian Junior Curling Championships, playing lead stones for Cheryl Cofield. The team would have a difficult run at the event, finishing round robin with a 4-7 record. [1]

Strong would return to the Canadian Junior Curling Championships in 1995, this time skipping her own team. She would only win two games, finishing round robin in last place with a 2-9 record. [2]

The following year Strong would return to the Junior Championships, this time coming out with a better record. The team would finish round robin in a four-way tie for third. The team would end up losing the tiebreaker to Saskatchewan's Cindy Street. [3]

Strong's final junior appearance would be at the 1997 Canadian Junior Curling Championships. Her sister Laura Strong would join the team at lead, however it would be a disappointing event for Strong, only finishing round robin with a 5-7 record. [4]

1998-2001

Strong would make an easy transition from Juniors to Women's play. In 1998, Strong would win her first provincial women's championship, which earned her the right to represent Newfoundland at the 1998 Scott Tournament of Hearts. She would not find success at the event, finishing 4-7 in round robin play. [5]

In 1999 Strong would repeat as provincial champion and represent Newfoundland and Labrador at the 1999 Scott Tournament of Hearts. There she would improve upon her previous record, finishing round robin with a 5-6 record, just missing the playoffs. [6]

In 2000, for a third year in a row, Strong would return to the National championship representing Newfoundland and Labrador. At the 2000 Scott Tournament of Hearts, Strong would have another difficult time, finishing round robin with a 3-8 record. [7]

In 2001, Strong would reunite with her sister, and together would represent Newfoundland and Labrador at the 2001 Scott Tournament of Hearts. This was Strong's fourth consecutive appearance at the event. Strong failed to make the playoffs, finishing round robin with a 4-7 record. [8]

2005-2009

Strong would not qualify for another national championship until 2005, when her team would represent Newfoundland and Labrador at the 2005 Scott Tournament of Hearts. This was Strong's worst showing to date. The team finished round robin with a last place record of 1-10. [9]

In 2006 Strong would again qualify for the Scott Tournament of Hearts, this time she would finish round robin, tied for fourth place with a 7-4 record. She would face Quebec's Ève Bélisle in the tiebreaker game, but would come up short, losing the match 2-8. [10]

Strong would make a third appearance in a row at the 2007 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. She would again fail to qualify for the playoffs, finishing round robin with a 5-6 record. [11]

In 2008, Strong would make changes to her team. She would add Cathy Cunningham and Peg Goss, two former rivals to her lineup. The team would again qualify for the 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Strong's fourth consecutive appearance. They would finish round robin tied for fourth place, where they would meet Manitoba's Jennifer Jones in the tiebreaker match. The team would eventually lose the match 3-6, missing out on the playoffs. [12]

2009 would find Strong qualifying for her fifth consecutive trip to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Once again Strong would find herself in the middle of the pack after round robin play, finishing with a 5-6 record. [13]

2010-Current

At the 2010 Newfoundland and Labrador Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Strong was looking to capture her sixth consecutive title, but this was not to be. Strong would lose the final to Shelley Nichols. Cunningham and Goss would retire from competitive curling following the season.

In 2011, Strong would add Cunningham's daughter Jenn Cunningham and Stephanie Korab to the team. At the 2011 Newfoundland and Labrador Scotties Tournament of Hearts Stong would again make the playoffs, but lost the semi-final to Nichols.

At the 2012 Newfoundland and Labrador Scotties Tournament of Hearts Strong found success, finishing round robin in first place, and defeating Laura Phillips in the final. At the 2012 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Strong would have a disappointing run, finishing 4-7 in round robin play. After the season, Strong added Erica Trickett to her team, replacing Cunningham.

Strong lost in the final of the 2013 Newfoundland and Labrador Scotties Tournament of Hearts to Stacie Devereaux, but managed to win the 2014 Newfoundland and Labrador Scotties Tournament of Hearts with new teammates Jessica Cunningham and Katrhyn Cooper playing front-end. At the 2014 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Strong led Newfoundland and Labrador to another 4-7 record.

In 2015, Laura Strong moved to Saskatchewan, and was replaced at third with Korab. Losing her sister did not prevent Heather from winning her 12th provincial title at the 2015 Newfoundland and Labrador Scotties Tournament of Hearts. At the 2015 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Strong posted another 4-7 record.

Personal Life

Strong is the current Provincial Director of the Terry Fox Foundation and an avid curler and participated in two Canada Games in the sport of synchronized swimming.

Grand Slam record

Key
C Champion
F Lost in Final
SF Lost in Semifinal
QF Lost in Quarterfinals
R16 Lost in the round of 16
Q Did not advance to playoffs
DNP Did not participate in event
N/A Not a Grand Slam event that season
Event 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15
Autumn Gold DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
Colonial Square N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A DNP DNP Q
Masters N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A QF DNP DNP
Players' DNP Q DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP

Former Events

Event 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11
Sobeys Slam N/A Q Q N/A Q
Manitoba Lotteries Q DNP Q Q DNP

References

  1. ↑ http://cdn.curling.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Juniors_Women_1992.pdf?e81271
  2. ↑ http://cdn.curling.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Juniors_Women_1995.pdf?e81271
  3. ↑ http://cdn.curling.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Juniors_Women_1996.pdf?e81271
  4. ↑ http://cdn.curling.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Juniors_Women_1997.pdf?e81271
  5. ↑ http://cdn.curling.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/1998_Scott_Tournament_of_Hearts.pdf
  6. ↑ http://cdn.curling.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/1999_Scott_Tournament_of_Hearts.pdf
  7. ↑ http://cdn.curling.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/2000_Scott_Tournament_of_Hearts.pdf
  8. ↑ http://cdn.curling.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/2001_Scott_Tournament_of_Hearts.pdf
  9. ↑ http://cdn.curling.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/2005_Scott_Tournament_of_Hearts.pdf
  10. ↑ http://cdn.curling.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/2006_Scott_Tournament_of_Hearts.pdf
  11. ↑ http://cdn.curling.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/2007_Scotties_Tournament_of_Hearts.pdf
  12. ↑ http://cdn.curling.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/2008_Scotties_Tournament_of_Hearts.pdf
  13. ↑ http://cdn.curling.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/2009_Scotties_Tournament_of_Hearts.pdf?e81271

External links