A diverse trio

Three individuals with varied backgrounds in sports, Jim McLachlan, Pat Clark and Kevin Twohig, received special recognition on Wednesday during the 29th Inland Northwest Youth Sports Awards Luncheon.

The three received 25-Year Awards from the Inland Northwest Sportswriters and Broadcasters (SWABs).

McLachlan and Clark could have been honored years earlier. Both have been at their crafts since 1970.

McLachlan, who recently was inducted into the Washington State High School Track Coaches Hall of Fame, retired as West Valley head track coach last spring, but remains the school’s cross country coach. He noted after lunch that he relished the fact he has joined several coaching mentors.

Clark, visibly moved when he received the award, has been a behind-the-scenes contributor as an assistant coach at Greater Spokane League basketball programs a capacity he continues to hold today at Mead.

Twohig, Spokane Public Facilities District Executive Director, has worked in similar capacities for over a quarter century. He also was one of the early promoters of club volleyball in the area.

McLachlan was hired out of college to teach and coach at WV. He began as the Eagles cross country coach and added track three years later.

His boys and girls teams have won more than 40 league championships and numerous state individual and team titles. Included was the boys track championship in 2005, one of six top-four trophy winners. His Eagles won 14 individual state track titles.

In cross country, McLachlan’s girls teams won two state titles and finished second once with four individual champions. The boys have placed second in state five times.

Clark is one of the longest-tenured assistant coaches in the GSL. He began what became his career at Gonzaga University and wound up remaining an assistant coach at Gonzaga Prep, North Central and Mead. He told the luncheon audience that he had the great fortune to be on the respective staffs when John Stockton, Ryne Sandberg and Adam Morrison played.

Twice a finalist for the Panthers job, but not offered the job, he has continued as the Panthers assistant.

Twohig also graduated from GU and got into the public facilities business, spending 10 years as assistant director of the Entertainment Facilities Dept. for the City of Spokane which oversaw operations at the Opera House, Convention and Ag Trade Centers, the Spokane Coliseum and Albi Stadium.

He was named Executive Director of the Spokane Public Facilities District in 2003, which has been instrumental hosting numerous national sports competitions.

Twohig’s first exposure to volleyball came as a player in community college in Arizona. He began playing USA Volleyball (then the U.S. Volleyball Assoc.) here in 1979 and has played, coached or administered since. He directed the NCAA women’s tournament that was here in 1997.