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World Curling Tour Award Winners

- Article by Brad Norman

Each year during the Players' Championship, the World Curling Tour hands out their year end awards. As always, this year's awards show saw the best players in the world be recognized for their efforts. Kevin Martin was awarded the men's MVP, while Marie-France Larouche took the honour for the women.

This is the second straight year that a member of Team Martin wins the men's MVP. Last year, Martin's second, Marc Kennedy, won the award. This year, it's the skipper himself was was named the Tour's move valuable male player.

"This is one award that you just have to cherish because you don't get it very often," Martin said about the honour in the press release.

The women's most valuable players was Marie-France Larouche. The Quebec skip was one of the most consisten female players on the tour all season. Larouche, along with her team mates, won an amazing five World Curling Tour events this season, including one Grand Slam.

"It's a great honour," said Larouche in a press release. "It's not just for me. It's for my team . . . I think we have a great team and I want to congratulate my team since I could not win this award without them."

The rookie of the year award was little surprise to anybody. Rachael Homan from Ontario won the award after having one of the most dominate World Curling Tour debuts in the Tour's history. The 20-year old skip claimed titles at two World Curling Tour events this season and came in second place at the national junior event. The Homan rink may not be done just yet, as the rookie team qualified for the playoffs of the Players' Championship with their win today over Crystal Webster.

Shannon Kleibrink's rink from Alberta was named the women's team of the year. Again, this came as no shock to anybody. The Kleibrink team has been the top women's team on the Tour ever since the first week of the season. They have been the CTRS leaders the whole way and have already qualified for the Olympic Trials next year.