Army National Guard honors Post Falls, Mead girls basketball

The high school girls basketball season’s been over for more than a month in Washington and nearly two months in Idaho.

Washington State 4A champ Mead and Idaho 5A state champ Post Falls, though, continue to rack up postseason honors.

The Army National Guard, a presenting partner with MaxPreps Tour of Champions, awarded Mead a trophy during an assembly Tuesday and will do so at Post Falls today. The Army National Guard is in its sixth year of recognizing some of the best girls basketball teams throughout the nation.

Mead posted a 25-1 record, its lone loss a 44-43 defeat to University in mid-December. The Panthers reeled off 19 straight victories to capture the state title. It was the school’s first state title since 1995-96 and the fourth overall.

Mead and Post Falls are among 10 schools nationwide being honored.

Post Falls finished 24-1, opening the season with 15 straight victories before concluding with nine consecutive wins. The Trojans defeated league rival Coeur d’Alene 46-44 in overtime in the title game.

It was Post Falls’ first state title since winning back-to-back championships in 2002 and 2003. It’s the fourth overall.

CdA coach hired

Former Coeur d’Alene boys soccer standout Andy Vredenburg has been named the Vikings’ girls soccer coach.

A 1999 graduate, Vredenburg, 32, was a four-year letterman. His last two years he was an all-league selection at defender.

He has coached in the Coeur d’Alene Sting soccer club the last six years and was a varsity boys assistant for Jeff Lake the last three years. He replaces Tarragh Carr, who coached CdA to a state championship in 2006 in her nine-year career. She resigned to spend more time with her family.

“I am saddened to be losing Tarragh,” CdA athletic director Todd Gilkey said. “She brought a tremendous amount of energy and passion to the program. She deeply cared about her players.”

• Gilkey noted that applications will be accepted beginning Friday for the Vikings’ boys basketball coaching position. That job came open when Kent Leiss’ contract wasn’t renewed.

Gilkey said it’s uncertain if a teaching job will be packaged with the coaching position. He’s hopeful one will but won’t know probably until early May.

Viking signs

Coeur d’Alene girls basketball standout Caelyn Orlandi made it official after the Idaho All-Star game that she’s headed to Lewis-Clark State College.

Orlandi will join club teammate Brooke Litalien of Post Falls. Litalien signed the week before the state tournament.

“We are very excited to be able to add Caelyn’s name to next year’s roster,” LCSC coach Brian Orr said in a news release from the school. “As a team we needed to get more athletic and that’s the first thing you notice about her. She’s extremely fast and can really elevate off the dribble.”

Orlandi was a second-team All-Idaho selection this year.

“Offensively, Caelyn brings an array of skills to the floor,” Orr said. “She is a good ballhandler who can get to the rim and finish, her pull-up jump shot is nearly impossible to defend and she has become a very effective 3-point shooter. We like the fact that she can play several positions including point guard, but more importantly she can defend several positions. It’s her toughness and defensive ability that make her a special player. Caelyn has the full package. She has the ability to make big plays on both ends of the floor, and she is an outstanding student as well.”