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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

State Champions, Stars Dot List Of Junior Finalists

REPLAY, Sports, December 29, 1997: National high school racquetball champion Erin Brannigan of Sandpoint is a junior male athlete of the year finalist. He was mistakenly listed with the female finalists in Sunday’s report.

State championship athletes, teams and coaches dominate the list of finalists for the Inland Empire Sportswriters and Broadcasters’ junior awards for 1997.

The finalists, including 20 athletes, 10 teams and five coaches, were announced Saturday by SWABs secretary Mike Vlahovich of The Spokesman-Review. All will be honored Wednesday, Feb. 11 at the Greater Spokane Sports Association’s Youth Awards Luncheon in the Spokane Ag-Trade Center.

Former San Francisco 49ers coach Bill Walsh will be among the guest speakers. Walsh is the headliner for the Sports Awards Banquet later that evening in the AgTrade Center.

There is no public sale of luncheon tickets. Local businesses underwrite the luncheon allowing students to attend at a reduced cost.

Banquet tickets are available through the GSSA at 926 W. Sprague or by phone at 456-5812.

1997 SWABS Junior finalists

Male Athlete of the Year

Wil Beck, CV - Two-way 6-foot-1, 300-pound lineman was named All-State and 4A Player of the Year for state football champion Bears.

Tom Becker, Mt. Spokane - Wildcats junior became new school’s first state champion and latest Spokane winner in first State 4A cross country championships.

Caleb Bowman, Sandpoint - Wide receiver led Bulldogs to State A-1 football championship. Also was state 200-meter champion last spring.

Tyree Clowe, CV - Junior All-State back rushed for 2,234 yards and scored 35 touchdowns for state champions.

Isaac Hawkins, Ferris - State champion twice in track, ran fastest prep 3,200 meters in nation at 8:56.57 and ran 4:04.43 at 1,600 meters.

Jared Lawrence, Sandpoint - Improved his career record to 93-0 and captured his third straight Idaho state wrestling title at 119 pounds.

Adam Miller, Moscow - Idaho Player of the Year for state basketball champions averaged 18.4 points and 4 assists per game for team that won its last 20 games.

Vinnie Pecht, WV - State AA discus champion had a season-best of 203 feet that was second in the nation. Consistently threw between 185-195 during year.

Mark Rickard, Republic - Three-sport star averaged 18.4 points per game and finished with more than 1,500 points in his career for state championship basketball team. He compiled a 4-0 record pitching for playoff baseball team.

Andy Roberts, University - Became first Greater Spokane League wrestler to win three state wrestling championships. He compiled a four-year career record of 118-11 for the Titans.

Female Athlete of the Year

Missy Blackshire, Ferris - Was named Most Valuable Player of the state volleyball championship Saxons last fall. The previous spring, she won the State AAA 800-meter championship in 2:10.15.

Erin Brannigan, Sandpoint - Won U.S. High School Racquetball Championships in St. Louis.

Emily Hawkins, Ferris - Saxons senior athlete won State 4A cross country championship in 18:34.

Lindsay Herbert, Lake City - Threesport athlete led Timberwolves to second place in state last year in basketball and was named Player of the Year in Idaho as well as an all-state selection. An all-league softball player, she was named Inland Empire League player of the year in volleyball.

Britney Holt, Mead - Two-time winner of the State AAA golf tournament. She had rounds of 77 and 79 to win last year’s title.

Tricia Lamb, SJE — Was named State B player of the year and Seattle PostIntelligencer Female Basketball Player of the Year. Lamb averaged 23.4 points per game this year, finished with more than 2,100 during her career and was second all-time in State B tournament history.

Brianne Jolley, Lakeside - Three-year starter was the leading scorer, averaging 19-plus points per game, and rebounder as a junior for state semifinalists.

Crystal Lee, CV - Set single season and career girls basketball scoring records in GSL with 335 and 818, respectively while averaging 20.8 per game for state’s secondplace finishers. All-State and Washington AAA Player of Year as well as league MVP.

Gabby McClintock, WV - Three-year athlete has been a three-sport Frontier League all-star in soccer, basketball and softball. Was leading player on WV state championship basketball team and shortstop on state-placing softball team.

Jennifer Smith, Ferris - Won 1,600 and 3,200 in 4:50.78 and 10:39.17, respectively, at State AAA meet. Winner of mile at national scholastic race in Raleigh, N.C., in meet-record 4:45.33.

Male Team of the Year

Central Valley football - Bears completed 13-1 season by pummeling South Kitsap 49-13 for first State 4A championship.

East Valley wrestling - Knights placed eight wrestlers to win first State AA championship.

Republic basketball - Team won a series of five straight harrowing games, including four at the State B tournament to finish 27-4 overall for school’s first boys championship.

Sandpoint football - Completed a 9-3 season by winning Idaho’s State A-1 championships.

University cross country - Ended a run of nine straight Mead state titles with the Titans’ first boys state title in the new 4A classification.

Female Team of the year East Valley cross country - Knights won an unprecedented fourth straight state championship while moving into the new 3A category.

Ferris volleyball - Saxons compiled a 40-1 season record en route to their first state volleyball championship.

Ferris golf - Winners of the State AAA championship. Quartet of Bridget Johnson, second, Hillary Prugh, fifth, Laura Hicks, seventh, and Jaime Seefried, 28th, totaled 128 points for the school’s second title in three years.

Ritzville basketball - State B champions despite being very young; compiled an overall 26-4 season record.

West Valley basketball - After winning the Frontier League championship, the Eagles had an improbable four-day run to win State AA basketball title, finishing year with a 22-4 record.

Coach of the Year

Rick Giampietri, CV - In his fifth year as head coach, after nearly 20 years as an assistant, Giampietri realized a dream by coaching State 4A football champs.

Scott Jones, Lakeside - Washington wrestling coach of the year guided Eagles to their first state wrestling championship.

Mark Kuipers, WV - In four years as head coach, his teams never had a winning record until last year, when the Eagles surprised everyone by winning the State AA girls basketball championship.

Satini Puailoa, Sandpoint - Revitalized Bulldogs football program in four years, culminating in this season’s State A-1 Idaho championship.

Stacey Ward, Ferris - Guided the Saxons to a 40-1 record and their first-ever state volleyball championship.

, DataTimes