Hugh Watson, Collese Dornan headed for NIC Hall of Fame
Hugh Watson and Collese Dornan, the former a highly successful men’s basketball coach and the latter the first volleyball All-American in school history, will be the newest members of the North Idaho College Athletics Hall of Fame.
The seventh class will be inducted in conjunction with the school’s athletics awards banquet May 6 in the NIC Edminster Student Union Building.
Watson spent eight years as head coach of the Cardinals, from 1996 to 2004, after a stint as a University of Idaho assistant. His first NIC team in the 1996-97 season was one of the most successful in school history, compiling a 33-6 record and placing fourth at the National Junior College Athletics Association national tournament.
That was NIC’s highest national finish and it earned Watson the Scenic West Athletic Conference 1997 Coach of the Year award. Watson left NIC after the 2004 season to coach at NCAA Division II Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee, his home state. He was an inaugural inductee into the Hiwassee College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008, from where he graduated in 1962 and has twice coached.
Dornan, an opposite hitter/setter from Fife, Washington, arrived at NIC in 2004 and helped lead the resurgence of Cardinals volleyball. She became the school’s first NJCAA Volleyball All-American in 2005 after a season in which the Cardinals earned the highest ranking in school history, second during the regular season. They finished 29-4 with a No. 4 national ranking.
She was first team All-Region and NJCAA Region 18 All-Tournament as the Cardinals won their first SWAC volleyball title as co-champions with a 9-1 record. After leaving NIC, she continued her volleyball career at Tennessee State.
The event begins with a social at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 5:30, athletics awards at 6 and the hall of fame induction at 6:30. Tickets for $30 can be purchased at the athletics department office in Post Hall. The school asks that you pre-purchase or reserve a ticket.
Info: (208) 769-3348, or the athletics website, www.nic.edu/athletics.
Basketball
Four members of the North Idaho College men’s team have signed letters of commitment with NCAA Division I or Division II schools.
Team captain Sam Dowd, from Federal Way, Washington, who averaged 17 points and an NWAC-leading seven assists, committed to D-I Idaho State. Zaequan Satterthwaite, from Puyullap, Wash., who averaged 14 points and eight rebounds, signed with D-II Point Loma. They share the school record for wins with 56.
Markus Golder, from Clackamas, Oregon, who averaged 19 points and seven rebounds and was the NWAC East Region Freshman of the Year, signed with D-I Valparaiso. Freshman Niko Bevens, from Beaverton, Ore., who shot 50 percent on 3-pointers and made 111, signed with D-I Montana.
College scene
Otiona Gilden, an Oregon freshman from Gonzaga Prep, and her Ducks teammates finished second in the USA Basketball 3x3 National Tournament Women’s Open Division last weekend in Colorado Springs, Colorado, losing 20-17 to Washington in the championship game.
UW finished the tournament 6-1, Oregon 5-2.
Washington State finished 2-3 after losing 21-15 to the Huskies in the quarterfinals.
—- Whitworth’s Kayla Leland, a junior from Gonzaga Prep, collected her second Northwest Conference Women’s Track Student-Athlete of the Week of the season after an 800-1,500 double at the WAR meet last weekend.
She won the 1,500 with a three-second PR (4:33.73), tops in the NWC and third in NCAA Division III, and the 800 in 2:17.72, one second off her season’s best.
—- Kris Jackson, a Corban junior from Post Falls, was named the Cascade Collegiate Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week after he struck out 10 and allowed just an unearned run in a five-hit, 4-1, complete-game victory over College of Idaho. He walked just one.
—- Community Colleges of Spokane had both the men’s and women’s Northwest Athletic Conference tennis players of the week.
Blake Lynd, a sophomore from Mead who returned to the Sasquatch this year after a two-year church mission, earned men’s honors after running his singles and doubles season records to 3-0 with wins against Skagit Valley. That came a week after CCS freshman Kyle Smithgall from University claimed men’s honors for going 2-0 that week.
Women’s honors went to Miranda Jackson, a sophomore from Central Valley, who had a 2-0 week, including a 6-0, 6-2 win over Treasurer Valley’s No. 1 player who had defeated Jackson earlier in the season.
—- Madi Brown, a North Idaho College freshman from Novato, California, was named NWAC Women’s Golfer of the Week after she came from behind to win medalist honors in a playoff in a league match at Columbia Basin. She capped her 162 with a 78 on a course in which she didn’t play a practice round.
—- Five Washington State student-athletes from area schools have been named to Mountain Pacific Sports Federation 2017 Indoor Track & Field All-Academic teams.
The women’s team included: Kaitlin Krouse, sophomore, Chewelah, 3.39 GPA; Steffie Pavey, senior, Priest River (Oldtown, Idaho), 3.92; Katie Wardsworth, junior, Central Valley, 3.07; and Morgan Willson, junior, Colfax, 3.43.
On the men’s team was Paul Ryan, freshman, Moscow, Idaho, 3.57.
—- For a 29th straight quarter, the Eastern Washington athletic department posted a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, the 3.44 winter quarter the second highest during that span.
Women’s cross country had the highest GPA of 12 sports, a 3.88. Forty-seven percent of EWU’s student-athletes had a GPA of 3.5 or higher and 18 had perfect 4.0s.
High school scene
The Greater Spokane League handed out its highest awards last week to one female and one male athlete from each school during a luncheon at the Spokane Club.
Recipients of 2016-17 GSL Scholar/Athlete Awards, which recognize students who excel in the classroom, community and athletics, by school:
Central Valley – Kearan Nelson, 4.0 grade-point average, eight varsity letters (four in cross country, four in track), will attend BYU on athletic and academic scholarships and run cross country and track; Ryan Rehkow, 3.96, seven varsity letters (four in football, three in basketball), will attend BYU on an athletic scholarship and will play football following a two-year church mission.
Ferris – Brook Goodwin, 3.9, 10 varsity letters (three in basketball, three in tennis, one in softball, three as football manager), will attend Gonzaga University on a Dean’s Academic cholarship; Braden Brock, 3.9, nine varsity letters (three in football, three in basketball, one in golf, two in soccer), will attend Cal Poly on a National Green and Gold Scholarship.
Gonzaga Prep – Mia Padon, 3.99, eight varsity letters (four in soccer, one in basketball, three in track), will attend U.S. Military Academy and play soccer; Max Johnson, 3.98, seven varsity letters (four in track, three in football), undecided on a college.
Lewis and Clark – Emily Phillips, 3.88, seven varsity letters (four in cross country, three in track), will attend Central Washington; Cameron Duncan, 3.94, seven varsity letters (three in football, three in basketball, one in tennis), will attend Washington State and walk on for football.
Mead – Katie Green, 4.0, six varsity letters (four in soccer, two in golf), will attend Concordia on athletic and academic scholarships and play soccer; Collin Grosse, 3.98, 10 varsity letters (four in football, four in track, two in wrestling), has appointments to both the U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Military Academy.
Mt. Spokane – Megan Billeter, 3.95, six varsity letters (two in volleyball, four in golf), will attend Western Washington on athletic and academic scholarships and play golf; Hayden Dressel, 3.1, eight varsity letters (four in cross country, four in track), undecided on a college.
North Central – Sierra Everman, 3.93, nine varsity letters (three in soccer, two in basketball, four in track), will attend University of Washington; Hank Knight, 4.0, eight varsity letters (four in cross country, four in track), undecided on a college.
Rogers – Jessica Gennett, 3.456, seven varsity letters (two in slowpitch softball, two in basketball, two in fastpitch softball), will attend Washington State; Markus Robinson, 3.49, seven varsity letters (four in wrestling, three in football), will attend University of Washington.
Shadle Park – Melina Mendoza, 3.712, seven varsity letters (three in slowpitch softball, four in fastpitch softball), undecided on a college; Tanner Groves, 3.8, four varsity letters (one in football, three in basketball), will attend Eastern Washington on an athletic scholarship and play basketball.
University – Julia Adair, 3.86, six varsity letters (two in tennis, four in soccer), will attend Central Washington on an athletic scholarship and play soccer; Ethan Jones, 3.96, six varsity letters (four in football, two in baseball), undecided on a college.
Letters of intent
Boise State wrestling – Trevor Senn, Mead; 2017 State 4A 182-pound champion, 3-time All-GSL.
Whitworth football – Cody Cantrell, C, Post Falls.
Rocky Mountain football - Matt Mills, WR/DB, Post Falls.
Washington State volleyball - Charity Bradley, OH, St. George, Utah.
Idaho men’s track & field – Michael McCausland, distances, Central Catholic of Portland.
Shooting
Taylor Christian, 15, Spokane Valley Tech, finished 21st in a field of 70 in the Precision individual three-position air rifle competition at the Civilian Marksmanship Program West Region Championships in Layton, Utah, last weekend.
Her Spokane Junior Rifle Club teammate, Zachary Pearsall, 15, Oasis High School, placed 78th in the Sporter category. They qualified for regionals by winning state championships in the fall.