Luke Saunders
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Luke Malicah Saunders (born November 17, 1993) 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 and
tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...
player from Halifax,
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
. He currently plays
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on Team Owen Purcell. He is a two-time defending Nova Scotia Tankard champion and former
NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...
tennis player.


Curling career


Juniors

Saunders qualified for one Canadian Junior Curling Championship in
2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
, playing second for
Stuart Thompson Stuart Robert Thompson (born 15 August 1991) is an Irish cricketer. Thompson is left-handed batsman who bowls right-arm medium-fast. He was one of the eleven cricketers to play in Ireland's first ever Test match, against Pakistan, in May 201 ...
. At the provincial championship, the team of Thompson, Scott Babin, Saunders and Alex MacNeil went undefeated to claim the title. Representing Nova Scotia in
Fort McMurray Fort McMurray ( ) is an urban service area in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in Alberta, Canada. It is located in northeast Alberta, in the middle of the Athabasca oil sands, surrounded by boreal forest. It has played a significa ...
,
Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
, the team went through the round robin and championship pools with an 8–2 record, earning a spot in the playoffs. They then lost to Manitoba's
Matt Dunstone Matthew Dunstone, nicknamed "the Sheriff" (born June 25, 1995) is a Canadian curler originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Career Dunstone won the Canadian Junior Curling Championships in 2013. He represented Canada at the 2013 World Junior Curli ...
9–4 in the semifinal, earning the bronze medal.


Men's

After juniors, Saunders moved to
Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...
, for university and did not curl competitively again until the 2017–18 season, joining the team of
Mark Dacey Mark Dacey (born June 22, 1966) is a Canadian curler originally from Saskatchewan. He was based at the Mayflower Curling Club in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Dacey is a former Canadian men's curling champion skip, having won the 2004 Nokia Brier. He ...
, Andrew Gibson and Stephen Burgess. On tour, the team won the
Dave Jones Mayflower Cashspiel The Dave Jones Stanhope Simpson Insurance Mayflower Cashspiel is an annual bonspiel, or curling tournament, held at the Mayflower Curling Club in Halifax, Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canad ...
, defeating Chad Stevens in the final. They also qualified for the playoffs at the
Challenge de Curling de Gatineau The Challenge de Curling de Gatineau (formerly the Challenge Chateau Cartier de Gatineau and the Challenge Casino Lac Leamy) is an annual bonspiel, or curling tournament, on the World Curling Tour. It is held annually in late October in the City ...
and the Jim Sullivan Curling Classic before losing in the quarterfinals. After qualifying for the 2018 Deloitte Tankard through the last chance qualifier, Team Dacey finished 5–2 through the round robin and earned a playoff spot. They then beat Saunders' former skip Stuart Thompson in the semifinal before coming up short against Jamie Murphy in the final, finishing second. Team Dacey disbanded the following season after not qualifying for the 2019 Deloitte Tankard. For the 2019–20 season, Saunders joined the newly formed
Matthew Manuel Matthew "Matt" Manuel (born October 28, 1997) is a Canadian curler from Halifax, Nova Scotia. He currently skips his own team out of the Halifax Curling Club. He is the two-time defending Nova Scotia Tankard champion skip and a four-time Nov ...
rink at third with second
Adam Cocks Adam is the name given in Genesis 1–5 to the first human. Adam is the first human-being aware of God, and features as such in various belief systems (including Judaism, Christianity, Gnosticism and Islam). According to Christianity, Adam sin ...
and lead Jeff Wilson. The team immediately found success with playoff appearances at The Curling Store Cashspiel and the Bud Light Men's Cash Spiel. They also qualified for the
2020 Deloitte Tankard The 2020 Deloitte Tankard, the provincial men's curling championship of Nova Scotia, was held from January 20 to 26 at the Dartmouth Curling Club in Dartmouth. The winning Jamie Murphy rink represented Nova Scotia at the 2020 Tim Hortons Brier ...
. There, Team Manuel finished 4–3 through the round robin, qualifying for a tiebreaker. They then lost 9–6 to Chad Stevens to eliminate them in fifth place. Cocks and Wilson left the team after just one season and were replaced by
Jeffrey Meagher Jeffrey may refer to: * Jeffrey (name), including a list of people with the name *Jeffrey's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada *Jeffrey City, Wyoming, United States *Jeffrey Street, Sydney, Australia *Jeffreys Bay, Western Cape, South Africa Art ...
and Ryan Abraham. In their three events played during the abbreviated 2020–21 season, the team had a notable second-place finish at the Stu Sells 1824 Halifax Classic where they lost to the
Brad Gushue Bradley Raymond Gushue, ONL ( ; born June 16, 1980) is a Canadian curler from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Gushue, along with teammates Russ Howard, Mark Nichols, Jamie Korab and Mike Adam, represented Canada in curling at the 2006 ...
rink in the final. Abraham only stayed with the team for one season and was replaced by
Nick Zachernuk Nick Zachernuk (born September 17, 1997) is a Canadian curler from Halifax, Nova Scotia. He currently plays lead on Team Matthew Manuel. He is a two-time defending Nova Scotia Tankard champion and a four-time Nova Scotia junior champion. Care ...
. During the 2021–22 season, Team Manuel qualified in two of their five events. After a quarterfinal finish at the Dave Jones Mayflower Cashspiel, the team made it to the final of the
Superstore Monctonian Challenge The Superstore Monctonian Challenge (men's event) or the Superstore Lady Monctonian (women's event) is an annual bonspiel, or curling tournament, held at Curl Moncton in Moncton, New Brunswick. The Lady Monctonian Invitational Spiel ran from 19 ...
where they lost to James Grattan. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Nova Scotia, the 2022 provincial championship was cancelled. The Nova Scotia Curling Association then decided to appoint Team
Paul Flemming Paul Flemming (born October 8, 1968, in Halifax, Nova Scotia) is a Canadian curler. In April 2024 Flemming's senior rink won the 2024 World Senior Curling Championships. Curling career Flemming's junior team was successful in Atlantic Can ...
to represent Nova Scotia at the
2022 Tim Hortons Brier The 2022 Tim Hortons Brier, Canada's national men's curling championship, was held from March 4 to 13 at the ENMAX Centre in Lethbridge, Alberta. In the final, the defending Olympic bronze medallist Brad Gushue Wild Card #1 team, which also inclu ...
. The following season, the Manuel rink continued to build on their success from the previous year, reaching the final of the New Scotland Brewing Men's Cash Spiel and the semifinals of the Stu Sells 1824 Halifax Classic and the Superstore Monctonian Challenge. At the 2023 Nova Scotia Tankard, the team lost their first game before rattling off seven straight victories to become both the B and C qualifiers. They then lost the first playoff game against Owen Purcell, forcing a sudden death final. Tied 4–4 in the tenth, Team Manuel stole a single point for the 5–4 victory and their first provincial men's title. This qualified the team of Manuel, Saunders, Meagher and Zachernuk for the
2023 Tim Hortons Brier The 2023 Tim Hortons Brier, Canada's national men's curling championship, was held from March 3 to 12 at the Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario, London, Ontario. The defending champion Team Canada rink, skipped by Brad Gushue won the event, and ...
where they finished with a 3–5 record, earning wins against the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Saskatchewan. Throughout the 2023–24 tour season, the Manuel rink only qualified in three of seven events and did not reach any finals. They had two semifinal finishes in Halifax and Moncton and a quarterfinal result at the Challenge de Curling Desjardins. Despite this, the team dominated at the 2024 Ocean Contractors Tankard, winning all five of their games. This included three victories against the Purcell rink who were ranked higher before the event began. This sent the team to the
2024 Montana's Brier The 2024 Montana's Brier, Canada's national men's curling championship, was held from March 1 to 10 at the Brandt Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan, Regina, Saskatchewan. Team Canada, who was skipped by Brad Gushue won their third straight Brier Tan ...
in
Regina, Saskatchewan Regina ( ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 Canadian census, ...
. After struggling out of the gate with three consecutive losses, the team found their footing, rallying off wins against higher seeds Alberta's
Aaron Sluchinski Aaron Sluchinski (born March 24, 1987) is a Canadian curler from Airdrie, Alberta. He currently plays third on Team Kevin Koe. Career Juniors Sluchinski made his first national appearance at the 2008 Canadian Junior Curling Championships skippi ...
, Saskatchewan's Mike McEwen and Alberta's
Kevin Koe Kevin Koe ( ; born January 11, 1975) is a Canadian curling, curler. Koe is a two-time World champion and four-time Canadian champion. He was the skip (curling), skip of the Canadian men's team at the Curling at the 2018 Winter Olympics - Men's to ...
. They then lost to Nunavut in their penultimate game, eliminating them from contention. They ended on a high note with a victory over Quebec to finish with an even 4–4 record. At the end of the event, Saunders won the Ross Harstone Sportsmanship Award which is voted on by fellow peers as the curler who best represented Harstone's high ideals of good sportsmanship, observance of the rules, exemplary conduct and curling ability. After five seasons with Team Manuel, Saunders left to team to join the Owen Purcell rink for the 2024–25 season.


Mixed

In 2019, Saunders won the 2019 Nova Scotia mixed championship playing with his mother
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 ...
,
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and Lindsey Burgess. This qualified the foursome for the 2020 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship in
Jonquière Jonquière (; ; Canada 2021 Census, 2021 population: 60,250) is a List of boroughs in Quebec, borough (arrondissement) of the city of Saguenay, Quebec, Saguenay in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada. It is located on the Sag ...
, Saguenay where they finished in tenth place with a 4–5 record. He qualified for his second mixed championship in
2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
with Jones,
Paul Flemming Paul Flemming (born October 8, 1968, in Halifax, Nova Scotia) is a Canadian curler. In April 2024 Flemming's senior rink won the 2024 World Senior Curling Championships. Curling career Flemming's junior team was successful in Atlantic Can ...
and fiancé Marlee Powers. This squad had much more success, finishing 7–3 through the round robin and championship pools and qualifying for the playoffs. They then lost to Saskatchewan and Ontario in the semifinal and bronze medal game, respectively, finishing fourth.


Mixed doubles

Saunders began playing mixed doubles with his mother Colleen, but now plays with fiancé Marlee Powers. In 2024, Powers and Saunders won the Nova Scotia mixed doubles championship, qualifying for the 2024 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship in
Fredericton Fredericton (; ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of New Brunswick. The city is situated in the west-central portion of the province along the Saint John River (Bay of Fundy), Saint John River, ...
. There, the pair had a strong start with wins in four of their first five games. They then lost both of their last two games on the final day of round robin, eliminating them with a 4–3 record. Powers and Saunders returned to the 2025 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, where they would improve on their previous year's appearance, finishing second, losing to Kadriana Lott and
Colton Lott Colton Lott (born July 21, 1995) is a Canadian curler. He currently plays third on Team Matt Dunstone, and also curls with Kadriana Lott in mixed doubles. Career Juniors Lott's first curling success came with representing Manitoba at the 2011 ...
9–8 in the final.


Personal life

Saunders is employed as a department manager at Waegwoltic Club. He is engaged to fellow curler Marlee Powers who he plays
mixed doubles Mixed doubles or mixed pairs is a form of mixed-sex sports that consists of teams of one man and one woman. This variation of competition is prominent in curling and racket sports, such as tennis, table tennis, and badminton (where it is known ...
with. His mother is six-time Scotties champion and two-time World champion,
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 ...
and his father is one-time Canadian mixed champion, Scott Saunders. He attended the
University of King's College The University of King's College is a public university, public Liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia.Roper, Henry. "Aspects of the History of a Loyalist College: King's College, Windsor, and ...
until 2013 before moving to
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
to attend the
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UT Chattanooga, UTC, or Chattanooga) is a public university in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1886 and is part of the University of Tennessee System. History UTC was founde ...
.


Teams


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saunders, Luke 1993 births Living people Canadian male curlers Chattanooga Mocs athletes Curlers from Halifax, Nova Scotia University of King's College alumni University of Tennessee at Chattanooga alumni 21st-century Canadian sportsmen