2004-2005 Alberta Northern Lights Wheelchair Basketball Team
Wheelchair Baketball Team - Inducted 2008
The Alberta Northern Lights wheelchair basketball team became the first Canadian team in the fifty-seven year history of the United States-based league to win the National Wheelchair Basketball Association title. They captured the NWBA Division 11 Championship in 2005 in Phoenix, Arizona. They played all their games away from home and in winning the championship, lost only one game during league play and none during the playoff. The Alberta Northern Lights are the only Canadian team to make it to Division 2 of the Final Four.
The dedication, commitment and talent of the individuals involved with the Alberta Northern Lights Basketball Society has gotten the team to three consecutive championship games. A number of the players have been with the team dating back to the first final-four appearance in 1985. They guided the team through the Canadian Club National Championship in 2000 and to their ultimate goal, the NWBA Championship in 2005. Alberta Northern Lights team members have been on the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball teams that won Paralympic gold medals in 2000 and 2004.
The members of the Alberta Northern Lights continue to be outstanding ambassadors and represent Alberta and Canada in a most exemplary manner. They are world-class leaders in terms of wheelchair basketball development and participation at both the grassroots and elite levels of competition.
2004-05 Alberta Northern Lights
Dan Brinton, Terrance Cole, Paul Conrad (GM), Mike Evjen, John Farmer, Pat Griffin, Jordan McEachern, Brian McPherson, Ron Minor, Ross Norton Darrell Nordell (C), Earl Nordell* (TM), Danielle Peers
After Induction
Ross Norton - Ross won an Olympic silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games with the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball team. Ross started coaching the Alberta Northern Lights team in 2010. He was named head coach of the Canadian Women's U25 National Team in 2014. (Source: http://www.wheelchairbasketball.ca/team_staff/ross-norton/)
At the 2012 Wheelchair Basketball National Championships a number of players inducted in 2008 were a part of Team Alberta: Dan Brinton (assistant coach), and athletes Mike Evjen, John Farmer and Ross Norton. Team Alberta finished fourth.
National Championships 2012
The following players were selected to represent Alberta at the 2012 Wheelchair Basketball National Championships May 17 - 20, 2012 in Vancouver:
Coach - Darrell Nordell / Assistant Coach - Dan Brinton
Athletes: Mike Evjen / Greg Sadler / Chad Jassman / Dom Shaw / Ross Norton / Ben Moronchuck / John Farmer / Ranjit Sidhu / Curtiss Matsen / Joe Sask / Branden Doll
