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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Kirk Expects Nothing But The Best For Nic Former CV Standout Guard Adds Depth To Women’s Team

A few years ago, an NFL coach was asked if he expected his team to win Sunday’s game. He replied yes, then took serious flak when his team lost.

Afterward, the coach reasoned in so many words, “What’d you expect me to say, that I expected to lose.”

North Idaho College basketball player Tanya Kirk can relate.

She expects the best of herself and her team and she’s not shy about saying so. And she’s not used to losing.

A sampling of Kirk’s words: “I expect us (NIC) to win it (Region 18).” And, “I would like to be the top player in our league.”

Before casting those words aside as so much athletic swagger, remember that Kirk has been on winning teams for as long as she’s played organized basketball. She estimates having suffered only about a dozen losses since seventh grade. At Spokane’s Central Valley High, the Bears went 29-0 and won State in her junior year.

“That’s not a conceited statement or an arrogant statement (of the desire to be Region 18’s best player),” said Kirk, a 6-foot-1 freshman forward. “I just feel that’s confidence. I have to think that. If I think anything less, I’m going to get less.”

In many ways, Kirk and the Cardinals both are in rebounding modes.

NIC was bounced in the first round of last year’s Region 18 Tournament. But Greg Crimp, in the second year of his second coaching stint at NIC, has made unquestionable improvements in talent with his new recruits.

For Kirk, it’s coming back from a dreadful experience at Northern Arizona University last year. Kirk quit the team before its exhibition opener because her relationship soured with coach Charli Turner-Thorne.

“I didn’t like her,” Kirk said. “She wasn’t straight with me. I’m an honest person and I expect to be told the truth and treated with respect.

“For the first time in my life, I didn’t want to be around basketball.”

Kirk returned home to take some classes at Spokane Falls and then accepted a scholarship to NIC. For that, credit former Lake City High star guard Jennifer Kerns with an assist.

Kerns, a freshman on the Washington State basketball team and a former AAU teammate of Kirk’s, told Kirk to attend NIC. “I love it here,” Kirk said. “It’s a good spot for me.”

Kirk has uncommon skills for a 6-1 player. She can dribble, has shooting range and jumps well, many of those skills developed because she was a guard before a five-inch growth spurt prior to her junior year at Central Valley.

“She’s got the best vertical on the team and she’s capable of playing even bigger than she is,” Crimp said. “I like her inside skills better than her outside skills. She’s better around the basket.”

Crimp sees Kirk’s considerable potential and hopes she can achieve consistency, which begins in practice.

“Her athletic ability alone will not get her there,” Crimp said. “She needs to work on her mental approach to the game if she’s going to gain the consistency you strive for in athletics.”

Though Kirk’s a freshman, it’s a given she’ll only be at NIC one season. She’s drawing Division I attention and she intends to return to that level after this season.

To do so, she’ll have to continue making academic strides. Kirk said her collegiate choices upon leaving Central Valley were limited because of her grades. She said her classwork is progressing well at NIC and that she knows her future relies on academic performance.

“I’m on good ground,” she said of her school work.

She feels she’s part of a good team.

“I think we’re very talented. We have excellent guards,” said Kirk, who hopes to be a college coach someday. “We have players here that were No. 1 in their state.”

And personally? “I haven’t played for a year, sitting out, so it’s going to take me a while to get back in the flow.

“I have a lot of confidence in myself. I do put a lot of pressure on myself to excel, but I think that’s good sometimes. I love being out here.”

One wouldn’t expect her to say anything else.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: NORTH IDAHO COLLEGE The roster and schedule of the North Idaho College women’s basketball team, 11-17 overall last season, 7-11 in Region 18.

Rosters

Name Ht Position Year Hometown Ann Radmall 5-3 Guard Freshman Twin Falls, Idaho Julie Grohs 5-10 Forward Freshman Salmon, Idaho Aundria Howerton 5-4 Guard Sophomore Kendrick, Idaho Mandy Jacques 5-6 Guard Freshman Sumner, Wash. Jaime Richards 5-7 Guard Freshman Polson, Mont. Angie Dickson 5-5 Guard Sophomore Federal Way, Wash. Teresa Viebrock 5-7 Guard Freshman Rathdrum, Idaho Amy Barrier 5-7 Guard Freshman Missoula Jana Nearing 5-9 Forward Freshman Bonners Ferry, Idaho Becky Phillips 5-11 Forward Sophomore Cranbrook, B.C. Christi Burgess 5-10 Forward Freshman Sheridan, Wyo. Shawna Rainer 6-0 Forward Freshman Spokane Sid Schraufnagel 6-0 Center Sophomore Lewiston Jody Harris 6-0 Center Sophomore Emmett, Idaho Tanya Kirk 6-1 Forward Freshman Spokane Jelena Zrnic 6-5 Center Sophomore Zagreb, Croatia

Schedule (Times PDT)

Nov. 24-26 at Wenatchee Tournament TBA Nov. 28 at Spokane 5:30 p.m. Nov. 29 at Big Bend 5 p.m. Dec. 2 vs. Big Bend 3 p.m. Dec. 5 vs. Columbia Basin 5:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at Utah Valley 4:30 p.m. Dec. 9 at Salt Lake 4:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at Columbia Basin 5:30 p.m. Dec. 14 vs. Snow 5:30 p.m. Dec. 16 vs. Dixie 5:30 p.m. Jan. 12 at Southern Idaho 5 p.m. Jan. 13 at Treasure Valley 4:30 p.m. Jan. 18 vs. Colorado Northwestern 5:30 p.m. Jan. 20 vs. Eastern Utah 5:30 p.m. Jan. 23 vs. Spokane 5:30 p.m. Jan. 27 vs. Ricks 5:30 p.m. Feb. 2 at Dixie 4:30 p.m. Feb. 3 at Snow 4:30 p.m. Feb. 8 vs. Treasure Valley 5:30 p.m. Feb. 10 vs. Southern Idaho 5:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at Eastern Utah 4:30 p.m. Feb. 17 at Colorado Northwestern 4:30 p.m. Feb. 24 at Ricks 4:30 p.m. Feb. 29 vs. Salt Lake 5:30 p.m. March 2 vs. Utah Valley 5:30 p.m. March 6-9 Region 18 Tournament TBA March 19-23 National Tournament TBA

This sidebar appeared with the story: NORTH IDAHO COLLEGE The roster and schedule of the North Idaho College women’s basketball team, 11-17 overall last season, 7-11 in Region 18.

Rosters

Name Ht Position Year Hometown Ann Radmall 5-3 Guard Freshman Twin Falls, Idaho Julie Grohs 5-10 Forward Freshman Salmon, Idaho Aundria Howerton 5-4 Guard Sophomore Kendrick, Idaho Mandy Jacques 5-6 Guard Freshman Sumner, Wash. Jaime Richards 5-7 Guard Freshman Polson, Mont. Angie Dickson 5-5 Guard Sophomore Federal Way, Wash. Teresa Viebrock 5-7 Guard Freshman Rathdrum, Idaho Amy Barrier 5-7 Guard Freshman Missoula Jana Nearing 5-9 Forward Freshman Bonners Ferry, Idaho Becky Phillips 5-11 Forward Sophomore Cranbrook, B.C. Christi Burgess 5-10 Forward Freshman Sheridan, Wyo. Shawna Rainer 6-0 Forward Freshman Spokane Sid Schraufnagel 6-0 Center Sophomore Lewiston Jody Harris 6-0 Center Sophomore Emmett, Idaho Tanya Kirk 6-1 Forward Freshman Spokane Jelena Zrnic 6-5 Center Sophomore Zagreb, Croatia

Schedule (Times PDT)

Nov. 24-26 at Wenatchee Tournament TBA Nov. 28 at Spokane 5:30 p.m. Nov. 29 at Big Bend 5 p.m. Dec. 2 vs. Big Bend 3 p.m. Dec. 5 vs. Columbia Basin 5:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at Utah Valley 4:30 p.m. Dec. 9 at Salt Lake 4:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at Columbia Basin 5:30 p.m. Dec. 14 vs. Snow 5:30 p.m. Dec. 16 vs. Dixie 5:30 p.m. Jan. 12 at Southern Idaho 5 p.m. Jan. 13 at Treasure Valley 4:30 p.m. Jan. 18 vs. Colorado Northwestern 5:30 p.m. Jan. 20 vs. Eastern Utah 5:30 p.m. Jan. 23 vs. Spokane 5:30 p.m. Jan. 27 vs. Ricks 5:30 p.m. Feb. 2 at Dixie 4:30 p.m. Feb. 3 at Snow 4:30 p.m. Feb. 8 vs. Treasure Valley 5:30 p.m. Feb. 10 vs. Southern Idaho 5:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at Eastern Utah 4:30 p.m. Feb. 17 at Colorado Northwestern 4:30 p.m. Feb. 24 at Ricks 4:30 p.m. Feb. 29 vs. Salt Lake 5:30 p.m. March 2 vs. Utah Valley 5:30 p.m. March 6-9 Region 18 Tournament TBA March 19-23 National Tournament TBA