U18 Women - Elinor McKenzie Shield
Background
The inaugural tournament for 18s and under was introduced as an equivalent national event in 1974, to fill the gap identified between the U16 and Open Women’s Australian Championships. The tournament was hosted by Victoria in Melbourne and won by New South Wales. The 18 and under age group officially became the U19 Australian Championship in 1976. In 2020, the age group changed to U18, reflecting the change made by the World Baseball Softball Confederation with the age group of the Junior Women’s World Cup.
Points of Interest
The trophy was donated in honor of Elinor McKenzie. Elinor had a long and proud history in Softball playing in excess 25 times for Australia in an international career that spanned 12 years. She was a member of the Australian team that won the gold medal at the first Women’s World Softball Championships held in Melbourne, Australia. Elinor was a respected 1st base player held in high regard throughout the Softball world. Sadly, Elinor passed away on the eve of its first presentation on 19 May 1974 before she had the opportunity to present the shield.
Today
This event is a showcase of our future stars, and a major part of the high performance pathway. Many college scouts from the US have identified this event as a recruitment opportunity with many Australian girls being offered scholarships to a number of the top schools in America.
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Partners
