Karen Snelgrove

Karen Snelgrove began her career at age seven playing T-Ball. From 1976 to 1984, she moved up through the Kitchener Minor Girl’s Softball League, culminating in the Kitchener CHYM Belles (Bantam). During this period she won numerous honours as best pitcher, MVP and all star awards. She excelled at several sports while attending Grand River Collegiate and was selected Female Athlete of the Year in 1988. From 1985 to 1990, while still of Bantam age, Snelgrove jumped to the Kitchener Waterloo Civitans and helped them win three National Championships.

From 1994 to 1996, Snelgrove played Senior Women’s Ball for the Dorchester Jesters, with time permitting while she was in the National Training Program. Selected to Canada’s National Junior Women’s Team in 1987, she competed in the World Junior Championships held in Oklahoma.

She was awarded a softball scholarship to the University of Columbia, Missouri from 1988 to 1992 and helped Missouri win a berth in the College World Series in Oklahoma. In 1990 she led the National Division with an ERA of .180. In 1991 Snelgrove pitched back-to-back perfect games, was Academic All-American, and in 1992 was Missouri Female College Athlete of the Year and Athletic All-American. From 1988 to 1992, she set five University softball records, most notably ERA for a season of .180, ERA for a career .380, and tossed four perfect games. She held a career record of 78-29, including 25-6, and was named to the Big-Eight all tournament team four times. In 1998 she was inducted into the Missouri’s Athletic Hall of Fame, only the second softball player to receive this honour in the history of the University.

In 1990, Snelgrove was selected to Canada’s National Senior Women’s Softball Team. The following year they won the silver medal at the Pan Am Games in Santiago, Cuba. In 1994 the Team attended the South Pacific Softball Classic in Sydney, Australia and the World Championships in St. John’s, Newfoundland. In 1995 they attended the Pan Am Games in Argentina.

Named to Canada’s Olympic Team in 1995, Snelgrove played in the Olympic Games in Atlanta and was considered by many to be Canada’s top pitcher at those games, especially given her performance against the USA. The American team went on to win the gold medal while Canada finished fifth.