As a result of performances over the past two (2) seasons, four (4) women's teams have already qualified for the 2009 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings.

Jennifer Jones has earned the reputation as the "drama queen" of Canadian women's curling. And it all began with a seemingly impossible last rock in-off takeout to count four and win the 2005 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. In the curling world it has come to be known as "The Shot".

The flair for the dramatics continued at the 2008 Scotties as the Jones team representing Manitoba, rebounded from a slow start to reel off eight consecutive wins to clinch the title. And at the 2009 Scotties, competing as Team Canada, they made it to a tiebreaker and then won out in the playoffs for another Tournament of Hearts crown. The 2008/09 champions include third Cathy Overton-Clapham, second Jill Officer and lead Dawn Askin.

In all Jones has been to the Scotties six times, won a gold medal at the Ford World Women's Curling Championship and topped the field at the Canada Cup of Curling in 2007.

After representing Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics, Shannon Kleibrink has her sights set on the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings and the opportunity to move up the podium in Vancouver next year. Kleibrink and teammates third Amy Nixon, second Glenys Bakker and lead Christine Keshen came home with a bronze medal.

Kleibrink was on the verge of the Olympic experience dating all the way back to 1997, losing in the final of the Canadian Curling Trials to the Sandra Schmirler team that ultimately moved on to win Canada’s first gold medal in curling.

A three-time representative for Alberta in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Kleibrink's current squad includes third Amy Nixon, second Bronwen Webster and lead Chelsey Bell. Kleibrink also won the Canada Cup of Curling in 2005 and 2009 - and has a place in our country's curling history as the first woman to skip a team to the Canadian Mixed Curling Championship title.

The trip to the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings will be a short one for Calgary's Cheryl Bernard, Alberta's representative at the 2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Playing with third Susan O'Connor, second Carolyn Darbyshire and lead Cori Bartel, Bernard finished just one game out of the playoff round.

A veteran of the women's competitive curling scene, the Scotties in Victoria marked her fourth quest for the Canadian women's championship. The first came in 1992 with a return performance in 1996 that resulted in loss in the final to Ontario's Marilyn Bodogh.

Bernard also led her team to the 2007 Scotties advancing to a three-way tiebreaker. The Albertans won their first and then dropped the next match to Prince Edward Island’s Suzanne Gaudet to miss the playoffs by a single point.

Saskatoon's Stefanie Lawton played her way onto the Canadian women's competitive circuit after a promising apprenticeship in the junior ranks. Lawton represented Saskatchewan in the Canadian Juniors Curling Championship three separate times. In 2000 the team won it all and finished the year with bronze at the World's.

Lawton moved to the major stage in 2005 at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. In their rookie appearance the Lawton team advanced to the playoff round. In 2008 they lost to Michelle Englot in the provincial finals with the berth to the Scotties on the line. But the team rebounded with an impressive victory over Kelly Scott to win the Canada Cup of Curling.

With Lawton's sister Marliese Kasner at third, second Sherri Singler and lead Lana Vey, the Saskatchewan four returned to the Scotties in 2009, going down in the playoffs to eventual champion Jennifer Jones.

Calgary's Crystal Webster has been on the verge of joining the country’s curling elite for a number of years.  Based on the team’s success at the Road to the Roar – and the comfort of a berth in the Roar of the Rings – it appears the moment has arrived.

The Webster team has been knocking at the door for some time with appearances at the Canada Cup, the Players Championship and Alberta Scotties Tournament of Hearts.  By earning the right to compete in the Canadian Curling Trials in Edmonton, the foursome has realized its greatest achievement to date.

Webster earned the final spot in the Road to the Roar pre-Trials event, nudging out B.C.s Marla Mallett by a single point in the Canadian Team Ranking System qualification process.

 The Calgary skip is supported by third Lori Olson-Johns, second Sam Preston and lead Stephanie Malekoff. Olson-Johns was an off-season recruit following the 2008 season, adding valuable experience based on her previous role as third for Cathy King representing Alberta in the 2005 and 2006 Scotties Tournament of Hearts.

Kelly Scott has been a force on the Canadian women’s curling scene for the better part of a decade.  And prior to that, she excelled as a junior winning the Canadian and World championships in 1995.

Scott captured the women’s national championship in 2006 and 2007.  After the first Scotties title the team went on to the Ford World Women’s Curling Championship and came away with the bronze medal.  However, they returned the following year and this time went all the way to win gold.

The Kelowna team includes third Jeanna Schraeder, second Sasha Carter and newcomer Jacquie Armstrong at lead.  After missing out in the B.C. Scotties Tournament of Hearts playdowns in 2008, the Scott team has come back strong this year – including an October win over Jennifer Jones in the final of the Manitoba Lotteries Women’s Curling Championship.

Krista McCarville was the Northern Ontario skip in three Canadian Junior Curling Championships between 2000 and 2002.  The next year her Lakehead University team represented Canada at the Winter Universiade in Italy bringing home a silver medal.

In 2006 McCarville moved on to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts wearing Ontario colours.  She defended the title in 2007 - losing in a tie-breaker to Alberta’s Cheryl Bernard - and returned to the national stage at the 2009 Scotties in Victoria.

Over the past decade, McCarville’s curling career has been characterized by steady growth and constant improvement.  Now, with third Tara George, second Kari MacLean and lead Lorraine Lang, the Thunder Bay team has truly arrived - joining the elite eight who will compete for our country’s ultimate honour at the Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings.

Amber Holland skipped her Saskatchewan team to a Canadian Junior’s Curling Championship in 1992, moving on the next year to win a silver medal at the World Junior’s Championship.

In 2001 she curled her way into an elite field at the Canadian Curling Trials in Regina.  And that experience may pay off this year – heading to Edmonton after earning the final women’s berth in the 2009 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings.

Holland and her teammates – third Kim Schneider, second Tammy Schneider and lead Heather Kalenchuk from the Kronau Curling Club near Regina – got out of the hacks to a strong start to the season. In September the team went undefeated at Regina’s Schmirler Curling Classic, defeating Kelly Scott in the final.

Always a contender on the Women’s World Curling Tour, Holland was the winner of the prestigious 2008 Players Championship.