CAMROSE IMPERIALS (1973-1979) – INDUCTED 2004
*Photo Not Available*
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Cheryl Bichel
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Terri Burkard
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Val Fleming
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Donna French
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Lynn Graftaas
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Val Greenwall
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Cindy Hogg
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Mavis Kartz
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Sherry Knutsvig
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Deanna Majeski
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Sheila Peters
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Janet Solverson
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Susan Taylor
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Jody Tetz
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Sue Wilcox
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Laurie Wright
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Grant Taylor
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Donna Shantz
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Merrill Taylor
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Jim Graftaas
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Mary Shields
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A number of years ago a group of young ladies from Camrose pulled together to play competitive softball against teams from other centers in Alberta.
When first formed, the original idea was to give the girls a chance to play against some good competition, improve their caliber of play, and have a good time. Well, this team went on to win four straight provincial crowns in four different age categories.
After going through a change in management as well as a name change from the Camrose Canadians to the Camrose Imperials, the team won the provincial Jr. ‘A’ Ladies championship and earned the right to attend their first Canadian Championships in Newfoundland in 1978. The result was a less than impressive 10 th place finish.
Intent on improving on their performance in Newfoundland, the Imperials lost the Provincial Championships to the Calgary Raiders, but earned a spot as the host team for the Championship in Edmonton. The Imperials went on to put Camrose on the map by winning eight games and losing only one. Camrose would avenge their Provincial Championship loss to the Calgary Raiders in two straight games in what turned out to be an all Alberta final. Cheryl Bichel, Val Fleming, Lynn Graftas, and Val Greenwall would all be named to the tournament All-Star Team. The Imperial’s shortstop Bichel took home MVP honors for the Championship, and Greenwall took home Top Pitcher honors.
It was the pitching of Deanna Majeski and Val Greenwall, who alternated games during the playoffs that led the team to the Canadian crown posting an impressive 0.34 earned run average over the nine games. Sherry Knutsvig and Cheryl Bichel led all Camrose hitters with .429 and .414 tournament batting averages.
The final games against Calgary Raiders were indeed close. Calgary had provided Camrose with their only loss of the tournament and the final two games both went into extra innings. The first game went ten innings with Camrose winning 2 – 1. Camrose erupted for three runs in the 8 th inning in the second game to bring home the bragging rights 4 – 1.
