Saskatchewan's Jolene Campbell earns 1st win as a skip at Scotties in a decade

Jolene Campbell has experienced the joy of winning the Scotties Tournament of Hearts as an alternate.

Now she wants to do it again as a skip.

Wearing Saskatchewan colours at the national women's curling championship for the first time in a decade, Campbell guided her rink to an 8-5 victory over B.C.'s Taylor Reese-Hansen on Sunday to even her round-robin record at 1-1.

"We just wanted to come out and throw the rock like we're real curlers again," Campbell said.

Campbell, 44, has longtime skip Robyn Silvernagle at vice with Rachel Big Eagle and Dayna Demmans playing on the front end for the first time at the Scotties.

After opening with an 11-3 loss to Nova Scotia's Taylour Stevens, the Saskatchewan rink appeared more settled in the afternoon draw at Paramount Fine Foods Centre.

Campbell threw 81 per cent and Silvernagle led all back-end players at 89 per cent.

"I think if we just keep building off of this game, keep reading the ice better, throwing better, getting more comfortable out there, it's a curling game and you never know who could win," Silvernagle said.

Campbell was a fifth on Amber Holland's team that won the Scotties crown in 2011. She was 6-5 as skip at the 2016 national playdowns and returned to the Scotties in 2022 at third on a wild-card entry skipped by Chelsea Carey.

"I was fortunate to be a wild-card team and it's different to wear the green jacket when you're from Saskatchewan," Campbell said. "There's so much pride in it. There is so much support and love from back home."

Silvernagle, who's making her fourth career appearance at the event, won Scotties bronze in her debut in 2019. She played third for one season over a decade ago and also played the position at times as a junior.

"Overall it has been