Locally

Football group will honor 10 area seniors at Jan. 16 dinner

The Inland Northwest Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame will hold its 12th annual Scholar Athlete Awards Banquet Jan. 16 at the Davenport Hotel.

A social hour will begin at 6 p.m. with dinner at 7. Tickets are available for $50 each by calling Michelle Welch at 892-4304.

Ten area high school seniors, selected to represent their schools, will be honored. They are evaluated on their athletic ability, academic achievement and character, citizenship and community service.

Three will receive special awards from the Inland Northwest Chapter – Jim Barber Lineman of the Year Award, Tuffy Ellingsen Back of the Year Award and Ray Flaherty Outstanding Scholar Athlete Award.

The honored scholar athletes are: David Bobbitt, Lake City; Tyler Demars, Central Valley; Justin Griffith, Gonzaga Prep; Conner Hare, G-Prep; Derek Nelson, CV; Eric Stoll, Sandpoint; Austin Storhaug, Shadle Park; Cameron Stroyan, Jenkins (Chewelah); Nate Thompson, University; and Michael Vickhammer, Lake City.

Other nominees were Kevin Ah-Hi, Coeur d’ Alene; Jesse Butcher, St. John-Endicott; Mike Guske, Shadle Park; Nolan Hout, Lake City; Brent Leifer, St. John-Endicott; and Brooks Reynolds, Lewiston.

An award-winning banquet alum, Ty Gregorak, now an assistant football coach at the University of Montana, will be the featured speaker. As a senior at West Valley High School in 1996, Gregorak received the Tuffy Ellingsen Back of the Year Award.

College scene

Eric Fink, a sophomore from Mead on the Grays Harbor College men’s basketball team, was selected to the all-tournament team at the Talbitzer Homes Invitational at Clark College in Vancouver, Wash., last weekend for the second straight year.

Grays Harbor finished second in the tournament.

Fink leads the team in steals and is second in scoring with an 11.8 average.

“Weston Wood, a sophomore from Riverside on the Puget Sound men’s basketball team, is averaging 7.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in a reserve role. He also has 10 assists and 10 steals in 11 games.

“The Washington State women’s volleyball team will hold its postseason banquet brunch Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at the Cougar Fitness Café in Regents Hall across from the Bohler Athletic Complex.

It precedes the WSU women’s basketball game against UCLA at 1 p.m. at Beasley Coliseum.

Cost of the brunch is $15 for adults, $10 for children ages 6-12. Reservations can be made by calling Linda Rubenthaler at (509) 335-0277, before Tuesday.

“The University of Idaho’s annual banquet to honor fall sport student-athletes is Jan. 20 at the International Ballroom on the second floor of the Student Union Building.

A no-host social starts at 5:30 p.m. with a buffet dinner at 6:30. Cost is $20 a person. Contact Margaret Sayler at (208) 885-2692 or msayler@uidaho.edu for reservations.

Winter sports

Former Gonzaga University women’s rower Kristine Holzer has earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team in speed skating. Holzer, 31, is a graduate of Centennial HS in Meridian, Idaho. She was one of three Americans named to the team in the 3,000-meter event, which will be one of the first medals decided in Torino, Italy. It comes on Feb. 13.

Holzer earned the spot based on her current World Cup standing and by finishing second at the U.S. Long Track Championships on Dec. 28. She will also have a shot to compete in the 5,000 meters should she finish in the top 16 in the 3,000. That event is skated Feb. 25.

“Spokane skier Cody Smith was one of five athletes to earn a wild-card spot in today’s Jeep King of the Mountain Professional Skiing and Snowboarding World Championships with his performance in the National Open Qualifier on Saturday at Sunshine Village in Banff, Alberta. Smith will compete for a cash purse of $75,000.