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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Eastern football dominates SWABs awards

J.C. Sherritt cradles the FCS championship trophy as he and his team rides on trailers during a parade down Main Ave. to River Park Square in downtown Spokane Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011 for the Eastern Washington University Eagles to celebrate their January 7 FCS football championship in Frisco, Texas. (Jesse Tinsley / The Spokesman-Review)
Mike Vlahovich Correspondent
Eastern Washington University’s national championship football team captured the imagination of the Spokane area community. Inland Northwest Sportswriters and Broadcasters rewarded its success. The SWABs nearly unanimously chose the Eagles winners in three of five categories of their 2010 Senior Awards balloting. EWU, which captured the Football Championship Subdivision title game in Frisco, Texas, was voted team of the Year and Beau Baldwin is Coach of the Year. Record-setting tackler and national Buck Buchanan Award winning linebacker J.C. Sherritt earned Amateur Male Athlete of the Year. They, along with Amateur Female athlete Courtney Vandersloot, from Gonzaga University, and Professional Athlete of the Year Kyle Rowley of the Spokane Shock, will be acknowledged Wednesday during the annual Spokane Regional Sports Commission Youth Awards Luncheon 11:30 a.m. in the Spokane Convention Center Ballroom. During the luncheon, Junior athlete, coach and team award winners will be announced and SWABs 25-Year Awards, Certificates of Excellence and Achievement, Spokane Hoopfest Sportsmanship of the Year and Rockwood High School Sports Medicine Student of the Year will be presented. Luncheon is hosted by the SRSC and SWABS. Major sponsors are Spokane Hoopfest, State Farm Insurance and Rockwood. SWX television is the media host. Randy Ryan is lunch chairman. Ed Sharman and Sam Adams are masters of ceremonies. A total of 33 businesses help underwrite cost of the luncheon for the award finalists and 1,000 area high school athletes in attendance. For ticket information contact Barb Anzivino, 893-5447 or email BarbA@spokanesports.org. The Eastern Eagles finished the season with 11 straight wins and 13-2 overall record rallying from a 19-0 deficit to win the FCS title 20-19 over Delaware. Baldwin, in his third season as head coach, improved to 27-11 overall and was a national coach of the year. Sherritt, who compiled a school record 432 tackles over his career, including 176 this season, was Buchanan defensive national player of the year. He is one of five EWU All American selections. Point guard Vandersloot guided the 29-5 Bulldogs to their first NCAA Women’s Basketball national Sweet 16. She had 321 assists and was second leading scorer with 478 points (14.1 ppg). Rowley quarterbacked the Shock to the championship in their first year of the Arena Football League. He obliterated the team touchdown record with 100 during the regular season and threw for 22 more in the playoffs, including a record nine in the 69-57 title win over Tampa Bay in Arena Bowl XXIII.