Deciding relatively late to enter a team in the 2024 NOCA U18 Boys & Girls Provincial Championships in Long Lac, the newly-formed quintet of Kameron Tellier, Kelton Tellier, Samantha Digiglio, Karleigh McNaughton and Gilliane Nadon are returning home awfully happy that they did.

Representing the Idylwylde Golf & Country Club and the only local entry across a field of 16 combined boys and girls teams, the Tellier rink advanced to the finals before losing a hard fought 6-5 battle to the Claire Dubinsky foursome from Kakabeka Falls.

But with Northern Ontario having two entries to nationals, Team Tellier will be accompanying their northwestern Ontario counterparts to Canadians scheduled to take place from February 5th to the 10th at the Hunt Club and R.A. Centre in Ottawa.

Competing in a modified triple knockout format, the local girls were down to just one life remaining by Friday night, opening with a 9-4 win over Skye Bergounhon (McIntyre) but bumped to the "B" draw with a 9-4 setback at the hands of Deanna Chilton (McIntyre).

Victories over Aili Chabot (Fort Frances - 6-1) and Emma Tucker (Fort Frances - 7-4) moved Team Tellier a little further along before a 7-6 loss to Amy Stroud (Kakabeka Falls) slid the Sudbury squad into "win or go home" territory.

But close triumphs over both Chabot (7-4) and Tucker (5-3) were enough to secure the "C" spot in the playoffs, with the resilient Team Tellier spotting Team Chilton a 7-3 advantage after four ends of play, storming back with a 3-1-1-1 run to secure a 9-7 win and a trip to nationals.

Meanwhile in North Bay, a Sudbury presence at nationals in Chicoutimi in April was confirmed, even if the NOCA championship team were donning the colours of the Community First Curling Centre in Sault Ste Marie.

The Harnden rink of Bruce Munro (skip), Al Harnden (vice), Mark Borgelli (second) and Duncan Bell (lead) trimmed the Jamie Graham North Bay Granite Club quartet 5-4 in the final, with all but Harnden calling Sudbury home in the NOCA champions lineup.

Team Harnden eliminated another Sudbury hope in the semi-finals, downing Robbie Gordon, Ron Henderson, Dion Dumontelle and Doug Hong (Northern Credit Union Community Centre) 7-5 Sunday morning.