Jill Thurston (born December 2, 1971) is a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

curler. She skipped her own team out of the Granite Curling Club in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

Career

Juniors

Thurston would represent Manitoba at the 1991 Canadian Junior Curling Championships. Her team consisting of

Jennifer Jones Jennifer Jones (born Phylis Lee Isley; March 2, 1919 – December 17, 2009), also known as Jennifer Jones Simon, was an American actress and mental-health advocate. Over the course of her career that spanned more than five decades, she was nomin ...

, Kristie Moroz and Kelly MacKenzie would finish first place in round robin play, with a 10-1 finish. The team would get a bye into the final, however they would end up losing to New Brunswick's Heather Smith.

1997–2007

Thurston was a participant at the

1997 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials The 1997 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials were held from November 22 to 30, 1997 at the Keystone Centre in Brandon, Manitoba. They were held to determine the Canadian National men's and women's Teams for the 1998 Winter Olympics. Men Teams Fin ...

, which was won by

Sandra Schmirler Sandra Marie Schmirler (June 11, 1963 – March 2, 2000) was a Canadian curling, curler who captured three Canadian Curling Championships (Scott Paper Company, Scott Tournament of Hearts) and three World Women's Curling Championship, World Cu ...

. She would make her first

Scott Tournament of Hearts The Scotties Tournament of Hearts ('; commonly referred to as the Scotties) is the annual Canadian women's curling championship, sanctioned by Curling Canada, formerly called the Canadian Curling Association. The winner goes on to represent Cana ...

appearance was in

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

, playing as the alternate for

Connie Laliberte Connie Laliberte (born October 21, 1960) is a Canadian retired curler from Manitoba and world champion. In 2019, Laliberte was named the tenth greatest Canadian curler in history in a TSN poll of broadcasters, reporters and top curlers. Field ...

. The team finished first place in round robin, with an 8-3 record. They would lose the 1-2 game to Nova Scotia's

Colleen Jones Colleen Patricia Jones (born December 16, 1959) is a Canadian curler and television personality. She is best known as the skip of two women's world championship teams and six Tournament of Hearts Canadian women's championships, including an un ...

. In the semi-final the team would lose to Team Canada's Cathy Borst. In 2000 Thurston would move to play third for

Cathy Overton-Clapham Cathy Overton-Clapham (born Cathy Overton, July 19, 1969) nicknamed "Cathy O" is a Canadian curling, curler. Overton-Clapham is one of Manitoba's most decorated female curlers, with one world championship, five national championships, and thirte ...

, when Laliberte became pregnant. The team would win the Manitoba provincial, however before Thurston would play in the National championship, Laliberte returned to the team, throwing third and skipping the game, with Overton-Clapham throwing fourth stones, and Thurston back to alternate. At the 2000 Scott Tournament of Hearts, the team would finish second place with a 9-2 record in round robin play. They lost the 1-2 game to Ontario's Anne Merklinger and lost the semifinal to British Columbia's

Kelley Law Kelley Law (born January 11, 1966, in Burnaby, British Columbia), Atkins, formerly Owen, is a Canadian curler from Coquitlam, British Columbia. She grew up in Maple Ridge, British Columbia. Career Law is most notable for winning a bronze medal ...

who would go on to win the tournament. Thurston's next Scott appearance was in

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

, this time playing third for Janet Harvey. The team would finish with a 4-7 record. Thurston would leave the team and take time off from curling at the end of the 2006/2007 season. Jill Thurston 2013 Liquor Classic

2009–current

After a two-year break from the game, Thurston returned to curling in 2009. Forming a team with Kristen Phillips, Leslie Wilson and

Raunora Westcott Raunora Westcott (born May 1, 1976) is a Canadian curler from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Career Juniors Westcott played lead for Team Manitoba (skipped by Kristy Jenion) at the 1996 Canadian Junior Curling Championships. The team finished with a 5-7 ...

. The team would win the 2010 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts and the right to represent Manitoba at the

2010 Scotties Tournament of Hearts The 2010 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the Canadian women's national curling championship, was held from January 30 to February 7 at the Essar Centre in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The event was described as having a weaker field than normal, as ...

This would be Thurstons first time skipping a team at the event. The team finished round robin play with a 7-4 record. This was enough to clinch a tiebreaker. Thurston's team would fall short, and she would lose the tie breaker 3-10 to Ontario's

Krista McCarville Krista Lee McCarville (born Krista Lee Scharf on November 10, 1982) is a Canadian curler from Thunder Bay, Ontario. McCarville is a four-time Northern Ontario junior champion, the 2003 Winter Universiade silver medallist, a four-time Ontario p ...

. At the end of the 2009/2010 season, Thurston would drop Wilson and Westcott from the team, (both of whom would end up playing for

), and would add

Jenna Loder Jenna Loder (born July 11, 1988) is a Canadian curler from Winnipeg, Manitoba. She is currently the alternate on Team Beth Peterson. She is a two-time Canadian junior champion and two-time world junior medallist (2008, 2009), playing third for ...

and Kendra Georges to the team. The team would qualify for the 2011 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts, where they would finish with a disappointing 2-5 record. Following the 2010/2011 season, Thurston would again change her lineup, replacing Phillips and Loder with

Kerri Einarson Kerri Einarson (; born Kerri Flett; October 3, 1987) is a Canadian Métis curler from Camp Morton, Manitoba, in the Rural Municipality of Gimli. Einarson is a four-time women's national champion in curling, skipping her team to victory in the , , ...

and Sarah Wazney. For the third consecutive year Thurston would qualify for the

2012 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts The 2012 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Manitoba's women's provincial curling championship, was held from January 25 to 29 at the Portage Credit Union Centre in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. The winning team of Jennifer Jones (curler), Je ...

, where she finished round robin tied for second place. She would face

in the tiebreaker game, where the team would lose 5-8. For the 2012/2013 curling season, Thurston has once again changed her lineup, reuniting with Kirsten Phillips, and adding Brette Richards to the team.http://www.worldcurlingtour.com/teams.php?teamid=60009

Grand Slam record

Former events

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thurston, Jill 1971 births Canadian women curlers Living people Curlers from Winnipeg Canada Cup (curling) participants