SWABs release list of Junior Awards finalists

National and state champions, and record-setting athletes and teams highlight the 2014 Inland Northwest Sportswriters and Broadcasters Junior Awards field of finalists.

Nominees had to be a state champ or on a state-title team to make the 10-player cut – and in the case of North Central cross country runner Tanner Anderson, a regional and national champion; or in the instance of swimmer Emma Schanz, on the Olympics radar.

Record-setting quarterback Brett Rypien from Shadle Park was one of several state or Gatorade players of the year, including Vanessa Shippy and Sydney Williams from Lake City and Coeur d’Alene, respectively.

There are 16 state team champions and coaches, one doing double duty, as well on the SWABS list from which members are tasked with deciding the winners.

Junior Male Athlete

Tanner Anderson – North Central senior captured his second State 3A cross country championship, was Nike Regional and national champion; Derek Bayley – Lakeland golfer now at WSU won second Idaho 4A golf title and placed high in numerous summer invitational tourneys; Grant Marchant – Won four State 1B track championships, giving him 11 titles in four years at Valley Christian; Race Martin – Pullman basketball player was named State 2A co-player of the year after averaging 19.0 ppg; Brett Rypien – Shadle Park State 3A Player of Year set state career passing mark with 13,044 yards and 134 touchdowns; Jake Straughan – Colton all-around athlete averaged 27 ppg during the Wildcats’ first State 1B state basketball title win and was state baseball player of the year pitching for baseball champions; Izaec Quintanilla – North Central wrestler repeated as State 3A champion; Tate Orndorff – University wrestler was unbeaten state heavyweight champion, high placing national competitor and All-GSL football lineman; Jerry Louis-McGee – Lake City multipurpose football player was spectacular big-play guy as rusher, receiver and on special teams; Colton Vining – Colville running back gained 1,748 yards and scored 27 touchdowns with an additional five receiving TDs.

Junior Female Athlete

Elisha Allred – was two-event State 2A champion winning the discus and javelin, the latter in a personal best for East Valley; Mariah Cunningham – CV senior was All-GSL basketball player and four-event State 4A placer, including victory in the long jump; Ciera Foster – Post Falls wrestler became first female freestyle champion in Fargo, North Dakoka, with a 3-0 record; Otiona Gildon – All-State Gonzaga Prep junior was leading scorer averaging 15 points as Bullpups captured first State 4A championship; Jenna Moser – was 1A player-of-the-year averaging 22 points per game for six-time State 1B hoop champ Colton; Emma Schanz – She practices in a hotel swimming pool, but the Colville teen is on the USA Swimming National Junior Team and has achieved Olympic qualifying times; Vanessa Shippy – Lake City softball player was Gatorade Idaho player of the year; Kelsey Turnbow – Central Valley sophomore and U.S. national junior soccer team member scored 31 goals during Bears second straight 4A state title; Laura Stockton – G-Prep playmaker and scorer orchestrated Bullpups’ title run; Sydney Williams – Coeur d’Alene standout was Idaho 5A Player of the Year in Idaho.

Junior Male Coach

Craig Brantner – coached the Pullman Greyhounds to their second straight State 2A basketball championship; Gene Blankenship – Medical Lake’s double-duty coach, leading cross country to second straight State 1A title in fall and track and field in spring; Matt Jorgensen – Coached Deer Park wrestling team to its sixth State 2A title in seven years; Jon Knight – North Central cross country coach was architect of his and Indians’ record-tying ninth straight state championship; Luke Leifer – North Central wrestling program-builder took his six-man team to the Indians first State 3A wrestling championship; Seth Paine – Colton basketball coach brought home the Wildcats’ first boys 1B title in the school’s and his second state trip.

Junior Female Coach

Mike Arte – longtime Gonzaga Prep basketball coach guided Bullpups to school’s first State 4A title; Corey Baerlocher – Colfax won the State 2B basketball title under his watch; Cathy Compton – Coeur d’Alene cross country coach won her third straight 5A title and fourth overall; Andres Monrroy – took the Central Valley Bears to their second straight State 4A soccer title; Dale Poffenroth – Coeur d’Alene basketball coach won his fourth Idaho 5A state title; Clark Vining – The Colton basketball dynasty finished unbeaten winning sixth straight State 1B title; Sue Doering – Dominant Colfax volleyball program returned to the top winning the State 2B title.

Junior Female Team

Coeur d’Alene basketball went 23-2 to win its fourth Idaho 5A title in seven years; Central Valley soccer (20-2) became just the third Washington 4A team to win back-to-back titles; Coeur d’Alene cross country won 5A for the third straight year; Coeur d’Alene Charter soccer won its first 3A title; Colfax basketball was 2B champ, its first since 2010; perennial power Colfax volleyball returned to the 2B winner’s circle following a four-year absence; Colton basketball (26-0) won 1B for the sixth straight year; Gonzaga Prep basketball won its first 4A title with a 25-1 mark.

Junior Male Team

Colton basketball made a late-season run to win the school’s first boys state title; Colton baseball added another title in spring; Deer Park wrestling captured its sixth title in seven years winning the 2A classification; Medical Lake track and field was State 1A boys champion last spring and backed that up with Cardinals second straight cross country title in the fall; with victory in the 3A race, North Central cross country tied state record with its ninth successive title; a talented North Central wrestling core brought home the school’s first championship the previous winter; Pullman basketball made it back-to-back State 2A titles during 24-2 season.