Selena Njegovan

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Selena Njegovan
Curler
Selena Njegovan 2018 Masters.jpg
Njegovan at the 2018 Masters
Born
Selena Kaatz

(1992-01-22) January 22, 1992 (age 30)
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Team
Curling clubEast St. Paul CC,
East St. Paul, MB
SkipTracy Fleury
ThirdSelena Njegovan
SecondLiz Fyfe
LeadKristin MacCuish
AlternateRobyn Njegovan
Mixed doubles
partner		Reid Carruthers
Career
Member Association Manitoba
Hearts appearances5 (2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022)
Top CTRS ranking2nd (2019–20)
Grand Slam victories3 (2016 National, 2019 Masters, 2021 Masters)
Medal record
Women's Curling
Canadian Olympic Curling Trials
Silver medal – second place 2021 Saskatoon
Representing Manitoba Team Wild Card
Scotties Tournament of Hearts
Silver medal – second place 2018 Penticton

Selena Njegovan (born January 22, 1992 as Selena Kaatz) is a Canadian curler from Winnipeg, Manitoba.[1] She currently plays third on Team Tracy Fleury.[2]

Career[]

Juniors and University (2011–2013)[]

Njegovan threw fourth rocks for Team Manitoba at the 2012 Canadian Junior Curling Championships, on a team skipped by Shannon Birchard. The team finished first after the round robin, but lost in the final to Team Alberta, skipped by Jocelyn Peterman. The next season, Njegovan skipped her own team at the Manitoba Junior provincials where she lost to Shannon Birchard's team in the final.[3]

Njegovan played second for the University of Manitoba women's curling team at the 2013 CIS/CCA Curling Championships, on a team skipped by Breanne Meakin. The team went undefeated en route to the championship.

Early women's (2013–2015)[]

Njegovan joined the Kerri Einarson rink in 2013. In their first season, they played in one slam, the 2013 Colonial Square Ladies Classic (not qualifying) and the 2014 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts, losing in the final to Team Chelsea Carey. The next season the team again lost in the final of Manitoba Hearts, losing this time to Team Jennifer Jones.

Breakthrough season and Olympic pre-trials (2015–2018)[]

The 2015–16 season would be the breakthrough year for the Einarson rink. The team begun the season by winning the Tier 2 event of the 2015 Tour Challenge. The team finally won the Manitoba Scotties in 2016, and represented Manitoba at the national 2016 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. There, the team would make the playoffs, but would end up losing in the bronze medal game, settling for fourth place. Elsewhere on the World Curling Tour, the team would play in four slams, making it to the semifinals at three events.

The team played in their first Canada Cup in 2016, losing in the semifinals. On the Tour, the team played in five Grand Slams, and would win their first title at the 2016 National. At the 2017 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the team failed to make the playoffs.

The Einarson rink qualified for the 2017 Canadian Olympic Pre-Trials, but would lose in a tiebreaker game. On the tour, the team would win the 2017 Icebreaker at The Granite and would make it to the finals of the 2017 Masters. They also won the 2017 Tour Challenge Tier 2 event once again. They qualified for the first ever Wild Card game at the 2018 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, where they beat Chelsea Carey for the right to represent "Team Wild Card" that year at the Scotties. They finished the round robin and championship pool with a 9–2 record which qualified them for the 1 vs. 2 page playoff game. They lost to Team Manitoba (Jennifer Jones) but rebounded against Nova Scotia's Mary-Anne Arsenault in the semifinal. They couldn't get by Jones in the final, settling for a silver medal. They finished their season with a semifinal finish at the 2018 Players' Championship and a runner-up finish at the 2018 Champions Cup.

Tracy Fleury joins the team (2018–present)[]

Njegovan would stay with Liz Fyfe and Kristin MacCuish for the 2018–19 season but would bring on a new skip, Tracy Fleury for the 2019–2022 Olympic quadrennial.[4] Fleury is from Sudbury and would play as their designated out-of-province curler.[5] The team had a nearly full schedule in Grand Slam events, beginning the season at the Elite 10, where they missed the playoffs after winning just one game. Next, they made it to the quarterfinals of the 2018 Masters, which they followed up by making it to the finals of the 2018 Tour Challenge, where they lost to Rachel Homan.[6] Outside of the Grand Slam tour, they were invited to represent Canada at the second leg of the Curling World Cup, which they finished with a 4–2 record, narrowly missing the final.[7] The following week they were back into a Grand Slam event, the 2018 National, where they won just one game.[8] The following month, the team played in the 2019 Canadian Open, again missing the playoffs. The team found success in provincial playdowns, winning the 2019 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts defeating her old skip Kerri Einarson 13–7 in the final to represent Manitoba at the 2019 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.[9][10] A week after provincials, the team played in at the 2019 TSN All-Star Curling Skins Game where they lost to Jennifer Jones by $4,000 in the final.[11] The team did earn $32,500 during the tournament.[12] At the Hearts, Manitoba went 4–3 in pool play, but lost to British Columbia's Sarah Wark rink in a tiebreaker to get into the championship pool, which eliminated the team from contention.[13] They finished the season off by making it to the quarterfinals of the 2019 Players' Championship.[14]

To start the 2019–20 season, Fleury and her team finished fourth at the 2019 Hokkaido Bank Curling Classic.[15] Later that month, they won the 2019 Cargill Curling Training Centre Icebreaker.[16] Next they played in the 2019 AMJ Campbell Shorty Jenkins Classic where they once again had a successful weekend, losing in the final to Jennifer Jones.[17] Two weeks later, they played in the 2019 Colonial Square Ladies Classic where they went undefeated until the final where they came up short to Homan.[18] Team Fleury had two more playoff finishes at the 2019 Curlers Corner Autumn Gold Curling Classic and the 2019 Canad Inns Women's Classic, where they lost in the semifinals and quarterfinals respectively.[19][20] Their next event was the first Grand Slam of the season, the 2019 Masters where they qualified for the playoffs with a 3–1 record. With wins over Elena Stern in the quarterfinals and Anna Hasselborg in the semifinal, Team Fleury made their second Grand Slam final since forming. They would be successful this time, defeating Sayaka Yoshimura to claim the Grand Slam title.[21] The next week, they had a quarterfinal finish at the second Slam of the season, the 2019 Tour Challenge. At the Canada Cup, the Fleury team once again had a successful run, qualifying for the playoffs with a 5–1 record. They downed Chelsea Carey 9–4 in the semifinal before coming up short to Rachel Homan in the final.[22] Team Fleury capped off the 2019 part of the season with a semifinal finish at the 2019 Boost National Grand Slam. This meant they qualified for the playoffs in all ten of the events they played in to start the season. To start 2020, the Fleury rink along with five other Canadian rinks, represented Canada at the 2020 Continental Cup. Team Canada did not have a good week, losing to the European's by fifteen points.[23] They missed the playoffs for the first time during the season when they were knocked out of the triple knockout format at the 2020 Canadian Open. At the 2020 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the provincial championship, Team Fleury lost the semifinal to Jennifer Jones.[24] They did have another chance to qualify for the 2020 Scotties Tournament of Hearts through the Wild Card play in game which they also lost to Jones.[25] It would be the team's last event of the season as both the Players' Championship and the Champions Cup Grand Slam events were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[26]

Team Fleury added longtime skip and 2013 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials silver medallist Sherry Middaugh to coach the team for the 2020–21 season.[27] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Manitoba, the 2021 provincial championship was cancelled. As the reigning provincials champions Team Kerri Einarson were already qualified for the Scotties as Team Canada, Team Jennifer Jones was given the invitation to represent Manitoba at the 2021 Scotties Tournament of Hearts as they were the 2020 provincial runners-up.[28] However, due to many provinces cancelling their provincial championships as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, Curling Canada added three Wild Card teams to the national championship, which were based on the CTRS standings from the 2019–20 season.[29] Because Team Fleury ranked 2nd on the CTRS[30] and kept at least three of their four players together for the 2020–21 season, they got the first Wild Card spot at the 2021 Scotties in Calgary, Alberta.[31] Tracy Fleury would, however, not compete at the Hearts, as she wanted to stay home with her baby daughter, who was diagnosed with infantile spasms, a rare form of epilepsy.[32] In her place was two-time Scotties champion Chelsea Carey who was left without a team for the season. At the Hearts, Carey led the team to a 6–6 eighth-place finish.[33] Njegovan curled 80% at the tournament, and was named to the second all-star team as a result.[34] A month later, Njegovan was back in the Calgary bubble to compete with Reid Carruthers at the 2021 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship. The pair finished the round robin with a 4–2 record, just missing the playoffs on their last stone draw.[35][36] Fleury returned to skip the team at the 2021 Champions Cup, held in the same Calgary bubble in April 2021. It was the first time Njegovan, Liz Fyfe and Kristin MacCuish had seen her in over a year.[37][38] At the Champions Cup, Fleury led the team to a 4–0 round robin record before losing in the semifinal to Switzerland's Silvana Tirinzoni. Fleury left the bubble after the event, and was once again replaced by Chelsea Carey for the 2021 Players' Championship. There, Carey led the team to a 2–3 round robin record, missing the playoffs.[39]

Personal life[]

Njegovan is married to fellow curler Connor Njegovan. She currently owns her own company called Selena Njegovan Virtual Solutions.[1] Previously at the University of Manitoba, Njegovan majored in accounting.[40]

Grand Slam record[]

Key
C Champion
F Lost in Final
SF Lost in Semifinal
QF Lost in Quarterfinals
R16 Lost in the round of 16
Q Did not advance to playoffs
T2 Played in Tier 2 event
DNP Did not participate in event
N/A Not a Grand Slam event that season
Event 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22
Masters SF Q F QF C N/A C
Tour Challenge T2 Q T2 F QF N/A N/A
The National Q C Q Q SF N/A F
Canadian Open DNP Q Q Q Q N/A
Champions Cup SF Q F DNP N/A SF
Players' SF DNP SF QF N/A Q

Former events[]

Event 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19
Elite 10 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Q
Colonial Square Q DNP N/A N/A N/A N/A

Teams[]

Season Skip Third Second Lead
2009–10[41] Selena Kaatz Kristin MacCuish
2010–11 Selena Kaatz (fourth) Alyssa Calvert (skip) Kristin MacCuish Lindsay Baldock
2011–12 Shannon Birchard Selena Kaatz Kristin MacCuish
2012–13 Selena Kaatz Briane Meilleur Kristin MacCuish
2013–14 Kerri Einarson Selena Kaatz Liz Fyfe Kristin MacCuish
2014–15 Kerri Einarson Selena Kaatz Liz Fyfe Kristin MacCuish
2015–16 Kerri Einarson Selena Kaatz Liz Fyfe Kristin MacCuish
2016–17 Kerri Einarson Selena Kaatz Liz Fyfe Kristin MacCuish
2017–18 Kerri Einarson Selena Kaatz Liz Fyfe Kristin MacCuish
2018–19 Tracy Fleury Selena Njegovan Liz Fyfe Kristin MacCuish
2019–20 Tracy Fleury Selena Njegovan Liz Fyfe Kristin MacCuish
2020–21 Tracy Fleury Selena Njegovan Liz Fyfe Kristin MacCuish
2021–22 Tracy Fleury Selena Njegovan Liz Fyfe Kristin MacCuish

References[]

  1. ^ a b "2021 Scotties Tournament of Hearts Media Guide" (PDF). Curling Canada. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  2. ^ "Selena Njegovan Profile". CurlingZone. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  3. ^ "Kaatz hopes winning tradition holds". Winnipeg Sun. January 3, 2013. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
  4. ^ "Fleury ready for new chapter skipping new Manitoba team". Grand Slam of Curling. February 17, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  5. ^ "Sudbury curler ready to compete at the Scotties with Team Manitoba". CBC Sports. January 29, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  6. ^ "Homan claims Tour Challenge to win 8th GSOC title". Grand Slam of Curling. November 11, 2018. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  7. ^ "Curling World Cup Second Leg - Teams". Curling World Cup. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  8. ^ Jonathan Brazeau (December 13, 2018). "Fleury fends off Fujisawa for first win at Boost National". Grand Slam of Curling. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  9. ^ "Fleury tops Einarson for Manitoba title after furious rally". Sportsnet. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  10. ^ "2019 Manitoba Scotties Tournament of Hearts". Curl Manitoba. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  11. ^ "2019 TSN All-Star Curling Skins Game". TSN. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  12. ^ "Jones wins third straight TSN Skins Game". TSN. February 3, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  13. ^ "British Columbia's Wark readjusting goals after qualifying for Scotties championship pool". Curling Canada. February 21, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  14. ^ Jonathan Brazeau (April 13, 2019). "Einarson fends off Fleury in Players' Championship quarterfinals". Grand Slam of Curling. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  15. ^ "2019 Hokkaido Bank Curling Classic". CurlingZone. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  16. ^ "2019 Cargill Curling Training Centre Icebreaker". CurlingZone. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  17. ^ Jonathan Brazeau (September 15, 2019). "Jennifer Jones, John Epping win Shorty Jenkins Classic titles". Sportsnet. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  18. ^ "WCT Recap: Team Homan win Colonial in Saskatoon". TSN. October 1, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  19. ^ "Team Fleury 2019 Curlers Corner Autumn Gold Curling Classic Semifinalists". Facebook. Team Tracy Fleury. October 15, 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  20. ^ "Team Fleury 2019 Canad Inns Women's Classic Quarterfinalists". Facebook. Team Tracy Fleury. October 20, 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  21. ^ Jonathan Brazeau (October 27, 2019). "Fleury fearless in securing 1st Grand Slam title at Masters". Grand Slam of Curling. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  22. ^ "Homan, Epping headed to Olympic trials after capturing Canada Cup titles". TSN. December 1, 2019. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  23. ^ Kyle Brebner (January 13, 2020). "Europe wins the 2020 Continental Cup of Curling". 106.9 The X. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  24. ^ "Eight-time champion Jones knocks off top seed Fleury to reach Manitoba women's curling final". Winnipeg Sun. February 2, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  25. ^ "Jones edges Fleury to make main draw at Scotties". TSN. February 14, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  26. ^ "GSOC cancels remaining events of 2019–20 season". Grand Slam of Curling. Grand Slam of Curling. March 13, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  27. ^ Gregory Strong (October 20, 2020). "Team Tracy Fleury adds longtime skip Sherry Middaugh as coach". CBC Sports. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  28. ^ Devin Heroux (December 21, 2020). "Ontario, Manitoba cancel playdowns for Scotties, Brier". CBC Sports. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  29. ^ "Three wild-card teams added to Scotties, Brier". TSN. January 13, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  30. ^ "2019–20 CTRS Standings". Curling Canada. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  31. ^ "Wild Card teams set!". Curling Canada. February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  32. ^ Devin Heroux (February 1, 2021). "Family first: Manitoba skip Tracy Fleury confidently passes the reins to Chelsea Carey". CBC Sports. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  33. ^ "Scotties Tournament of Hearts: Scores, standings, schedule". Sportsnet. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  34. ^ "All-stars, Award-winners named!". Curling Canada. February 28, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  35. ^ "2021 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship: Pool C Standings". Curling Canada. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  36. ^ "2021 Canadian Mixed Doubles Curling Championship: LSD Totals" (PDF). Curling Canada. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  37. ^ "Fleury elated to finally see teammates again at GSOC Champions Cup". Sportsnet. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  38. ^ Randy Pascal (April 23, 2021). "Fleury returns in impressive fashion in Calgary". The Sudbury Star. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  39. ^ Jonathan Brazeau (April 23, 2021). "Sharpshooting Team Einarson secure bye to Players' Championship semis". Grand Slam of Curling. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  40. ^ "UM Today | Asper School of Business | Asper Co-op Q&A: Selena Kaatz". news.umanitoba.ca. Retrieved 2018-01-28.
  41. ^ "Selena Njegovan past teams". CurlingZone. Retrieved February 3, 2018.

External links[]

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