Thomas, Skinner Clean Up At Banquet

Joel Thomas and Ryan Skinner didn’t mind sharing Saturday.

The University of Idaho football team, co-captains Thomas and Skinner, and coach Chris Tormey continue to reap awards from their season punctuated by a victory in the Humanitarian Bowl.

Appropriately, the Vandals were the toast of the 37th annual Idaho Sports Banquet at the Coeur d’Alene Inn.

Thomas and Skinner had their own plates of food, but they shared one of the top awards during the ceremonies. They were co-recipients of the Idaho male athlete of the year honor.

Thomas was the leader of the offense and Skinner was the leader of the defense on the Big West champion Vandals. Both were all-conference selections.

The Vandals ribbed each other about the award as they drove to CdA together.

“At least I don’t have to hear him on the way home,” quipped Skinner, anticipating Thomas would win the honor outright.

Both Vandals drew laughs from the packed house.

“Something like this just doesn’t happen during one season. It takes a few years - and in my case six,” Thomas said, alluding to the extra year the NCAA granted him after his season was cut short in 1997 by a knee injury.

Thomas, Skinner and defensive end Nick Alexakos were sporting their shiny Big West Conference championship rings that arrived this week.

Although anticlimactic, Tormey was named Idaho coach of the year. His Vandals pulled off a classic comeback to upset Southern Mississippi 42-35 in the Humanitarian Bowl in late December.

Going hand in hand with the honor for the Vandals was Idaho team of the year.

In other state categories, Olympic gold medal skier Picabo Street was named female athlete of the year and Denver Broncos guard and former Vandal Mark Schlereth was named pro athlete of the year as the Broncos captured what would be the first of back-to-back Super Bowl titles.

The balance of the other awards were given to North Idaho high school athletes and coaches.

Lindy Kirkland of Troy was named North Idaho female athlete of the year for leading the Trojans to the 1998 State A-4 basketball championship. She will continue her career at Montana State.

North Idaho male athlete of the year went to football and track standout Caleb Bowman of Sandpoint. Bowman, who redshirted this fall at Stanford, won individual titles in the 100- and 200-meter sprints and anchored the winning 400 relay at the State A-1 track meet last spring.

The Coeur d’Alene boys basketball team collected the North Idaho male team of the year honor. The Vikings captured their first State A-1 championship in 25 years last year.

The Lapwai girls basketball team was named North Idaho female team of the year for its State A-3 championship.

There were several solid finalists for North Idaho coach of the year. Receiving the honor was Moscow golf coach Ken Jordan, whose boys and girls teams captured State A-2 championships in their final year in the division.

Ron and Eveyln Smith of Bonners Ferry accepted the booster of the year award.

Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne was the featured speaker.

The Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame inducted five more members. They were:

Bret Hyde, a Wallace High graduate and outstanding distance runner who continued his running career while serving in various command positions for the Air Force; Don Matthews, the new Edmonton Eskimos head coach in the Canadian Football League and former University of Idaho player; John Yarno, a Ferris High grad and another former Vandal who played six years in the NFL and CFL; Ed Ranta, a longtime teacher and Vandal booster who passed away last year; and Randy Hall, the Mayor of Genesee and another former Vandal who became an Idaho assistant two years ago.