Youth awards luncheon to recognize achievements

Twenty standout high school athletes in various sports and a like number of coaches and teams will be recognized for their state, regional and national accomplishments during the annual Inland Northwest Youth Awards Luncheon, Feb. 15 in the Spokane Convention Center.

Major sponsors are Spokane Hoopfest and Rockwood Sports Medicine, who will also present sportsmanship and sports medicine students of the year awards. Numerous other businesses will help defray the luncheon cost for the approximately 1,000 young athletes in attendance.

The luncheon is hosted by the Inland Northwest Sportswriters and Broadcasters, whose 50 members in Eastern Washington and North Idaho select finalists and vote for the winners of junior male and female athlete, coaches and teams of the year.

They will also honor three people with long ties to youth sports with 25-year awards.

The Spokane Regional Sports Commission will co-host the event, chaired by Bill Maxey.

KHQ’s Sam Adams and Ed Sharman are this year’s masters of ceremonies. The event begins at 11:30 a.m.

For ticket information contact SRSC office manager Barb Anzivino at 893-5447 or by email at sportsawards@spokanesports.org or barba@spokanesports.org.

Jr. Awards Finalists

Female Athlete

Joellee Buckner – Colville volleyball player was MVP of the Northeast A League, and one of five all-league selections from the State 1A champion Indians.

Anande Egland – Lakeside athlete set the State 1A pole vault record at 11 feet, 6 inches and was a four-event qualifier to the State 3A gymnastics meet.

Devyn Galland – Lewis and Clark basketball player averaged 20 points per game during the regular season and was State 4A MVP for the champion Tigers.

Kinsey Gomez – Coeur d’Alene distance runner won Idaho State 5A titles at 1,600 meters (5:00.15) and 3,200 meters (10:56.97), and also ran a state-best 2:18 at 800 meters.

Katie Knight – North Central distance runner finished second twice in 3A track events, won the Washington State 4A cross country individual title in an all-classification, meet-best 17:10.6, and placed second in the Nike regionals and third at nationals.

Baylee Mires – Mead multistate track champion capped her career with the 4A 800-meter title in 2:10.28 and finished second with a 57.44 at 400 meters.

Tia Presley – Gonzaga Prep basketball senior set the Greater Spokane career scoring record with more than 1,300 points after averaging just less than 20 per game as a senior.

Carli Rosenthal – Four-year Coeur d’Alene basketball star was Idaho’s top high school post. The 6-foot-3 athlete averaged more than 13 points and 9 rebounds per game while reaching a fourth Idaho State 5A final.

Casey Stangel – Lake City softball pitcher compiled a 25-0 record for the State 5A champions with a 0.33 earned-run average, 283 strikeouts and .590 batting average.

Jamie Weisner – Clarkston basketball and volleyball standout averaged 21.4 points per game, including a 43-point outburst in one game, and was All-GNL in volleyball in the fall.

Male Athlete

Kenji Bierig – Lewis and Clark distance runner completed his career by sweeping the 3,200 (9:01.71) and the 1,600 (4:12.66) at the State 4A track meet last spring.

Chad Chalich – Idaho’s 5A Gatorade football player of the year, the Coeur d’Alene quarterback passed for 3,641 yards and 42 touchdowns, rushed for 471 yards and 14 TDs for the unbeaten Vikings.

Kole Heidinger – Ferris running back was named Greater Spokane League offensive player of the year. He led the GSL in rushing with 1,189 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Connor Hill – As a junior, Hill led Post Falls to the 2010 Idaho State 5A basketball championship, and last year the Trojans were third with Hill averaging more than 20 points per game.

Derek Isaak – Almira/Coulee-Hartline quarterback rushed and passed for a combined 2,585 yards and 47 touchdowns, with his 13-1 team reaching the State 1B finals. He scored 604 points for a 21.8 average in ACH’s (26-2) third-place basketball finish.

James Ost – Post Falls wrestler won his second straight Idaho State 5A title, leading a contingent of five state titlists for the Trojans.

Austin Pruitt – The 16-year-old wheelchair athlete and Central Valley student won bronze in the men’s 200 meters at the International Paralympics World Championships in New Zealand, and was a three-event placer in Washington State track.

Jordan Rogers – Mead wrestler nearly pinned every opponent during an unbeaten 171-pound State 4A season. He was a top-three finisher in both freestyle and Greco-Roman at the Cadet Junior National tournament in Fargo, N.D., and was voted most outstanding wrestler at the Fila Cadet Greco nationals in Akron, Ohio.

Chris Sarbaugh – Gonzaga Prep basketball player nearly doubled his regular season scoring average with 84 points in the postseason and was named MVP for the State 4A champion Bullpups.

Nathan Weitz – Shadle Park distance runner placed second twice in the State 3A track distances and finished runner-up in state cross country. He finished second and third, respectively, in the Foot Locker west regional and national meets.

Girls Coach

Missy Bennett – Longtime Colville volleyball coach, whose teams have often been state placers, guided Indians to the State 1A championship.

Brittney Kubik – Reardan volleyball coach guided the Indians to their second straight State 2B title and an unbeaten season.

Ashlee Nimri – Freeman basketball won its second straight State 1A basketball title under the guidance of the young coach.

Jim Redmon – In his 10th consecutive State 4A trip, Lewis and Clark basketball coach guided his team to a fourth championship in five years.

Clark Vining – Colton won its third straight State 1B basketball championship and fifth straight top-three finish under Vining.

Boys Coach

Shawn Amos – Coeur d’Alene football coach took the Vikings to their second straight Idaho 5A title during an unbeaten season.

Matt Jorgensen – Deer Park’s wrestling coach took the Stags to their fourth straight State 2A team championship.

Jon Knight – North Central cross country coach (and father of Katie Knight) was architect of NC’s fifth straight State 3A boys championship.

Matty McIntyre – Gonzaga Prep’s young basketball coach took the Bullpups to the school’s first State 4A championship.

Ray Ricks – Northwest Christian Crusaders won fifth boys basketball State 2B championship in six years under Ricks’ tutelage.

Female Team

Colville volleyball – The Indians breezed in State 1A tournament, winning the school’s first championship and 10th state trophy overall.

Freeman basketball – The Scotties completed a 27-1 season in capturing their second straight state title.

Lake City softball – The Timberwolves completed a 25-0 season while winning the Idaho State 5A championship.

Lewis and Clark basketball – The Tigers lost six games during the regular season, but had five postseason victories to secure the state title.

Reardan volleyball – The undefeated Indians swept through the season, beating perennial power and league rival Colfax for their second straight 2B title.

Male Team

Coeur d’Alene football – The Vikings compiled a 13-0 season to claim their second straight Idaho 5A state championship.

Coeur d’Alene wrestling – The Vikings didn’t have an individual champion, but depth led them to their second straight Idaho 5A title.

Deer Park wrestling – The Stags continued domination of State 2A competition, last year winning their fourth tournament title in a row.

Gonzaga Prep basketball – The Bullpups had placed – never higher than third – in state five times in school history until last season’s 23-3 state title season.

North Central track – Coached by Kelly Walters, the Indians captured their fourth straight State 3A championship.