Swabs List
Amateur male athlete of the year
James Darling, WSU - Linebacker from Kettle Falls led the Pacific-10 Conference in tackles with 126 for a 5-6 team and was a Sporting News second-team All-American.
Nate Dunham, Whitworth - Senior basketball player was named second-team NAIA All-American and Northwest Conference Player of the Year after averaging 16.5 points on 63 percent shooting from the field for national runner-up Pirates.
Mark Hendrickson, WSU Despite struggling with injury part of the year, Hendrickson averaged 17 points and nine rebounds per game for Washington State’s NIT qualifiers and became a second-round draft choice of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers.
Scott Sanderson, WSU Senior lineman was named an All-America offensive tackle by The Sporting News, third team by The Associated Press and Football News.
Amateur female athlete of the year
Alli Nieman, Sandpoint - Named Idaho prep basketball player of year. She averaged 27.6 points and 11.1 points per game for state runner-up Bulldogs. Nieman set school records in numerous categories including 2,046 career points and set three scoring records at state tournament.
Jenni Ruff, WSU Cougars basketball player led Pac-10 with a 23.6 scoring average, finished third in rebounding at 8.8 per game and fifth in free-throw percentage at 77.8. Ruff made Kodak All-America finals.
Sarah Silvernail, WSU Senior volleyball standout ended career by becoming a first-team All-American and Pac-10 Conference player of year. She led the conference in attack percentage, averaging six kills per game, No. 1 in Pac-10 history. She was third in league in blocks.
Corissa Yasen, Purdue - Coeur d’Alene resident was NCAA heptathlon champion and finished eighth in high jump. She earned eight All-America honors at Purdue in indoor and outdoor track. She finished eighth in the heptathlon and ninth in the high jump at the Olympic Trials.
Coach of the year
Mike Babcock, Spokane Chiefs - Guided team to Western Division title with a 50-18-4 record and to the finals of Western Hockey League playoffs. Overall, Chiefs were 59-27-4.
Ed Cheff, Lewis-Clark State - Warriors baseball coach continued his amazing record of success with a record ninth NAIA national championship in 13 years. L-C State finished the year with a 53-11 record.
Cindy Fredrick, WSU Making their sixth consecutive postseason appearance, Fredrick’s Cougars reached the final eight of the NCAA national volleyball tournament, losing to eventual champion Stanford in the West Regional finals. The Cougars placed second in the Pac-10, handing Stanford its only conference loss, and finished the year with a 27-8 record.
Warren Friedrichs, Whitworth - - Pirates captured regular-season and league tournament titles, then won four straight games at NAIA national tournament, losing an overtime final to Albertson College in the championship game. Friedrichs was named national coach of the year. Team compiled a 26-5 record.
Team of the year
Lewis-Clark State baseball - Warriors won a record ninth NAIA national baseball championship in 13 years. Team compiled a 53-11 record.
Spokane Chiefs hockey - Won Western Division of Western Hockey League with a 50-18-4 record. Chiefs went to league playoff finals against Brandon before losing and finished with a 59-27-4 overall record.
Washington State University volleyball - Second in the Pac-10 and ranked ninth in the nation, the Cougars reached the NCAA tournament round of eight while compiling a 27-6 season record. Handed national champ Stanford its only Pac-10 loss.
Whitworth men’s basketball - Pirates went 26-5 to reach NAIA national finals, losing to Albertson College in overtime.
Professional athlete of the year
Drew Bledsoe - Walla Walla and WSU graduate quarterbacked New England into the Super Bowl after finishing fifth in passing, completing 373 of 623 attempts for 4,086 yards, 27 touchdowns and just 15 interceptions.
Darin Blood - Gonzaga University baseball product from Post Falls won pitching triple crown in Class A California League with San Jose Giants and was named Rookie of the Year. He shared the minor-league lead in wins and went 17-6 with a 2.65 ERA and 193 strikeouts in 170 innings.
Dan O’Brien - The decathlon world champion and record holder from Moscow, Idaho, won the one honor that had eluded him by taking the Summer Olympics gold medal for first time with 8,824 points.
John Stockton - Spokane’s Utah Jazz point guard became the all-time NBA leader in steals with a record 2,311, beating the mark of Maurice Cheeks in 151 fewer games. Last year, Stockton averaged 14.7 points and had 916 assists for playoff qualifying team. Stockton won gold medal with Olympics team.
, DataTimes