A Year To Remember O’Brien’s Gold Medal Top Panhandle Story

Dan O’Brien’s golden moment finally arrived. John Friesz finally became No. 1 in Seattle.

Alli Nieman added to her legend. So did Corissa Yasen and Tracy Hanson.

Kermit Davis and Hugh Watson were coming; Joe Cravens and Rolly Williams were going.

Also nearly gone is another memorable year in North Idaho sports. As we saw ‘em, here were the 10 top stories:

Golden O’Brien

Four years after no-heighting in the pole vault at the U.S. Trials, former University of Idaho track star Dan O’Brien handled the pole vault and nine other disciplines to claim Olympic decathlon gold at the Summer Games in Atlanta. O’Brien, who lives and trains in Moscow, had one personal best (javelin) in totaling 8,824 points. His face adorned Wheaties cereal boxes, he was honored with Dan O’Brien Day in Moscow and a street in his hometown of Klamath Falls, Ore., was renamed Dan O’Brien Way.

Friesz-ing in Seattle

Coeur d’Alene’s John Friesz beat out Rick Mirer for Seattle’s starting quarterback job and was rewarded with a two-year, $4.5 million contract. Friesz helped Seattle turn around a 1-4 start, getting the Hawks to 5-5. A day after signing his new contract, he broke his leg against Detroit. Seattle lost and, with Friesz on the sidelines, slinked to a 7-9 record. Friesz enters ‘97 on top of the depth chart.

Mark Rypien, Post Falls resident and Washington State grad, hooked up with Philadelphia as a backup when Rodney Peete was injured about a month into the season.

Former Vandal Doug Nussmeier took his first NFL game snap and started in New Orleans’ late-season loss to Atlanta.

Mike Hollis, UI and Central Valley grad, kicked 30 field goals and helped Jacksonville make the postseason. His 45-yard field goal provided the winning points in Jacksonville’s 30-27 victory over Buffalo on Saturday.

Ex-Vandals Marvin Washington (New York Jets) and Mark Schlereth (Denver) held down starting jobs. Jeff Robinson remained Denver’s long snapper. Jim Mills (San Diego) and Sherriden May (Jets) also were on rosters.

Williams steps aside

North Idaho College men’s basketball coach Rolly Williams retired after 35 seasons and more than 700 victories. Williams’ last team went 25-6, losing to Snow in the first round of the Region 18 Tournament. The Cards drilled then-No. 5 Utah Valley 110-77 before a capacity crowd in Williams’ final home game. Former Idaho assistant Hugh Watson was selected in April to replace Williams. Despite a late start on recruiting, Watson’s team is off to a 10-1 start.

Davis replaces Cravens

Joe Cravens was fired after three seasons as Idaho men’s basketball coach and replaced by Kermit Davis, who led UI to a 50-12 record from 1988 through ‘90. Cravens had two consecutive losing seasons and went just 2-11 against in-state rivals Boise State and Idaho State. Within a week, UI hired Davis, an assistant at Utah State under ex-Vandal coach Larry Eustachy. Davis’ team was 5-4 early in the ‘96-97 campaign.

Three-peat for ‘Dogs

The margin of victory was tighter than the two previous titles, but the Sandpoint High wrestling team still dominated the State A-1 Tournament for a third consecutive year. Coach Dan Taylor’s Bulldogs won by 43.5 points, led by individual champions Brett Lawrence (125 pounds), Jared Lawrence (112) and Trevor Walkington (135). Brett Lawrence became just the second A-1 wrestler to win four state championships in the 37-year history of the tournament. He went 32-1 and finished his career with a 119-5 record. His brother remained undefeated through two seasons. In April, Jared captured titles at 112 in freestyle and Greco-Roman at the Cadet World Trials. He was the lone wrestler to win in both styles.

Sandpoint star tops, team runner-up

Alli Nieman and her Sandpoint High School basketball team came this close to capturing the State A-1 championship. The Bulldogs (20-4) fell to Centennial 52-48 in overtime. Sandpoint knocked off previously undefeated and topranked Borah 57-47 in the semifinals. Nieman rewrote the school record book in nearly every category, averaging 27.6 points and 11.1 rebounds per game her senior year. She finished with 2,046 career points, and she also set three state tournament scoring records. Now a freshman at the University of Idaho, Nieman was named the A-1 Player of the Year and the Gatorade Circle of Champions player of the year.

Lake City (14-9), which upset Sandpoint in the Region I title game, fell to Borah in the game for third place.

Moscow (23-1) captured a fourth State A-2 title in five years under coach Sally Greene, downing Preston 67-61. Greene resigned following the season.

Lakeside (18-6) finished third in the A-4 tourney.

Ex-preps endure ups and downs

Two of the all-time best North Idaho prep female athletes - Corissa Yasen of Coeur d’Alene and Tracy Hanson of Lakeland - were in the headlines in 1996. In her final track season at the University of Purdue, Yasen captured the NCAA heptathlon championship with 5,765 points and was eighth in the high jump. She finished eighth and ninth respectively in both at the Olympic trials. She’s presently playing basketball at Purdue. Hanson finished 37th on the money list with more than $177,000 in earnings. She was in contention in a handful of tournaments before fading in the final rounds.

Vandals just miss conference crown

Idaho finished its first football season in the Big West Conference at 6-5, with big wins over Nevada and rival Boise State tempered by losses to Utah State and North Texas State. The 35-28 loss to Utah State cost Idaho the Big West title and a berth in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Quarterback Ryan Fien transferred from UCLA to UI in January and was second in the nation in total offense. Defensive ends Ryan Phillips and Barry Mitchell, running back Joel Thomas, offensive lineman Steven Zenk and wide receiver Antonio Wilson made first-team all-conference.

Volleyball teams shut out

For the first time since volleyball became a sanctioned high school sport in Idaho, no Panhandle team came home with a trophy from the state tournaments. Even area powerhouse St. Maries left state empty handed. For the past 19 years, at least one Panhandle team - and in most years two - captured a trophy. For six consecutive years, two state crowns were won. All told, 22 state titles and six runner-up finishes were recorded in the past two decades.

Boys basketball teams earn trophies

Three of four North Idaho teams left the state tournaments with trophies to show for their efforts, one of the Panhandle’s best seasons in the last decade. Moscow (A-2) and Lakeside of Plummer (A-4) were state finalists. In state title games, Moscow (20-4) fell to Bear Lake 67-51 and Lakeside (21-5) was stopped by Nampa Christian 44-36.

Kellogg (21-5) took third behind A-2 Player of the Year Casey Fisher.

After cruising through league and regional, Lake City (19-6) won its State A-1 opener but lost two straight and fell short of a trophy.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Photos