Familiar faces, new places

Katelan Redmon has moved across town to play Greater Spokane League girls basketball. The journey to the GSL for a couple of newcomers was longer and more ambitious.

Redmon, first-team All-GSL for Mt. Spokane last year, has transferred to Lewis and Clark.

Like Arizona State guard Reagan Pariseau did in 2002, when she left Brewster, Wash., and moved to Central Valley, Nikki Nelson and Kami Clark have moved from smaller schools and are now Mead Panthers.

Nelson played at Chewelah and Clark at Almira/Coulee-Hartline on last year’s State 2A and B runners-up.

All three players are juniors and the most recent examples of a growing trend. Like it or hate it, movement by athletes between schools has become commonplace.

A minimum of eight girls are on GSL teams who, over the years, either transferred from another school or who lived in a different attendance area from the schools in which they enrolled.

This season, former CV player Nicole Jacobson is at East Valley and 2005 All-North Idaho and all-league selection Georgia Burke moved to Gonzaga Prep from Lake City.

There is nothing new about players heading to other schools, but the numbers seem to be up this season.

“It’s not something that’s recent, just something that’s more prevalent,” said Ferris coach Art Rojas. “It was one or two teams back in the day. Now it’s all over the place and there’s nothing you can do to stop it.”

Most coaches don’t begrudge a family’s decision to move their athlete and are adamant that it isn’t because of recruiting, but they do acknowledge the drawbacks.

“I think when those things happen a lot of people are hurt by it in both programs,” said Mt. Spokane coach Jeanne Helfer, “because of the investment coaches and teammates make.”

Helfer has been particularly hard-hit. Redmon is the third player in five years to leave for another GSL school, all of them among the school’s top eight career scorers.

The decision was family driven. Redmon’s uncle, Jim is LC’s coach.

“Ever since I was little I wanted to play for my uncle,” Katelan said. “It was time.”

Her father, Chuck, said they bought land and built a house in the River Run development to be in the LC attendance area.

“If you move (schools) you’ve got to do it the right way,” he said, “And we made sure we did it right.”

Katelan is a talent. An active 6-footer, she averaged nearly 14 points per game as a sophomore (and more than 16.0 in postseason) for the Wildcats who made their first regional tournament. In just two years she became the team’s second all-time scorer.

She said that in practice at LC she’s played all three guard positions and was a post last summer for the Spokane Stars. LC, which returns nearly everyone from last year’s state third-place finisher, will benefit.

“It’s working out real good,” Katelan said. “I’m looking forward to getting on the court and playing with them. I know we’re going to go far.”

Jim Redmon’s biggest concern was the appearances when coaching a relative.

“I coached my daughter a few years ago. It’s difficult because people might say you give them preferential treatment,” he said. “But I think Katy is such a solid athlete already and proved herself at Mt. Spokane, that she doesn’t need to prove herself here.”

The additions of Nelson and Clark at Mead can make the Panthers a team with which to reckon.

“They’re great kids,” said coach Reagan Freuen, “the kind you want in your program. We have more depth now and more threats on the floor. We’re excited to have them.”

Nelson, a 5-4 point guard, has been a fixture at local events, performing a remarkable two-basketball dribbling routine. It earned her a spot in the Nestle’s Crunch Hot Shot national competition and a film clip of her performance was featured on Jay Leno.

“I did it because I didn’t want to have a weak hand,” she said. “It helps me in game situations where you dribble low or around people.”

Last year at Chewelah, Nelson averaged a team-leading 13.6 points per game for the Cougars.

“We moved because we thought it was in my best interest,” she said. “I want to play Division I and am just trying to better prepare myself.”

The 5-8 Clark averaged 17.5 a game for State B second-place ACH. Like Nelson, she wanted a bigger challenge. She had played with Panthers scoring leader Kelli Valentine on summer teams.

“I knew she was a really good player and figured it would be a good team to go on,” Clark said, of her move. “Obviously, Mead’s a bigger school competition-wise.”

They’ll get plenty of competition in a league that features some of the nation’s top individuals and produced two State 4A placers last year, LC and University, which both finished 26-3.

G-Prep and Mt. Spokane were also among the state’s better teams and CV, Mead and Ferris weren’t far back.

Added Jim Redmon, “Watch out for Shadle, it could be a sleeper.”

Both Mead newcomers said they are up for the challenge.

“We’ve had fall ball so we’re used to it already,” said Clark. We’re there to compete.”