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Final 2008/09 CTRS StandingsApril 24, 2009- Article by Brad Norman The 2008/09 curling season is in the books. It was a great season that relived some of the greatest curling rivalries of our time. And although the usual suspects topped the CTRS standings, there were a few surprises breaking into the top ten this season. The men's CTRS was a back and forth battle between two teams. Kevin Martin and Glenn Howard were clearly the two most dominant teams in the world all season. At season's end, almost 100 CTRS points separated the two leaders from the rest of the herd. Thanks to his Brier win and great showing at the World Championship, Kevin Martin was ahead of Howard heading into the Players' Championship. But Glenn Howard's rink from Ontario poked ahead of Martin due to his second placed finish at the Players' Championship, giving the Howard team a 312.150 final score. Martin will settle for second place with an impressive 307.250 score. The third placed men's team, Randy Ferbey, comes in a mile behind the Howard and Martin rinks, with just 207.800 points. But that third place finish is good enough to secure Ferbey a berth into next season's Olympic trials, bypassing the "Road to the Roar" pre-trial event. For the women, it looked like a one-horse race all season long. Right from the first event back in September, Shannon Kleibrink's team from Alberta led the way. Kleibrink held on to the top spot all season long, refusing to give up first place for even a single week. Kleibrink closed out the season with 239.750 points, a comfortable 36 points lead over second place. Second place belongs to Jennifer Jones. Though Jones is one of the most famous curlers of the modern era, this second place finish is a bit of a surprise considering how the Jones rink started the year. After a few poor showings at some early tournaments, Jones and her team from Manitoba were off the radar. But after winning the Tournament of Hearts and the Players' Championship, Jones soared up the CTRS standings and finished with 203.400 points, second only to Kleibrink. One of the biggest surprises of this season was Rachel Homan. The rookie from Ontario took everyone by surprise, qualifying for several Grand Slams and playing very well. Homan toppled some of the top teams in the world, beating world champs like Jennifer Jones and Kelly Scott. Her team raked in 89.900 CTRS points, making them the tenth placed women's team in the country. Despite coming up short against Kaitlyn Lawes in the Canadian Juniors championship match, this was pretty much the perfect rookie season for the Homan rink. They'll be a team to watch out for next season. Click to refresh commentsJord said: I think there should be more emphasis put on the Players' Championship in terms of CTRS value. To even QUALIFY for the event, you need to be top 16... so to win the event, you need to be the best of the best. Based on this, I think Ferbey had a better season than Martin/Howard. posted: April 24, 2009, 6:01:25 pm MST Phil M said: I wouldn't say Ferbey had a better season than Howard or Martin... the CTRS standings speak for themselves. Howard/Martin were waaaay ahead of everyone else. Though I agree that the Players Champ needs more attention. Not in terms of more CTRS points, but just in more TV coverage. The Players Champ is essentially curling's equivalent to the World Series, or Stanley Cup Playoffs, or Wimbledon. This event has more and better teams than the Brier... yet all we get to see on TV in the championship posted: April 25, 2009, 8:10:14 am MST © Copyright 2008-2009, Scoops Media. Some rights reserved. To reproduce or distribute, visit: scoopsmedia.icopyright.com 
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