It’s tough choosing winners

Every year, voters determining the SWABS award winners say the same things when they mark their ballots. It’s either “How do I choose?” or “Man, this is tough.”

Tell me about it. Having worked on the ballot selection committee forever, I agree that trying to choose is extremely tough.

There are so many good athletes and teams today that our preliminary list is filled almost exclusively with state champions and all-state selections. How do you pare that down to the 10 finalists per category who got to sit at the head table during Wednesday’s Youth Awards Luncheon, let alone decide who deserves to win?

It ultimately comes down to voter preference by some 30 Washington and Idaho media.

This year, two categories on the junior ballot proved exceptionally difficult to compare.

How was it, colleague Dave Trimmer and I discussed, that the voters favored Angie Bjorklund over Megan O’Reilly, or Mead volleyball over Lewis and Clark girls basketball?

In the case of Bjorklund and O’Reilly, it was impossible to decide between two of the most electrifying high school athletes in Spokane history. Both have been high-profile in their respective sports beginning as freshmen and were 2006 Washington Gatorade Athletes of the Year.

The Washington State High School Track and Field Annual put O’Reilly’s season in perspective. “Beginning with a national indoor record of 16:23.37 in the 5,000-meter run … and ending with a 2006 national high school leading, and Washington State prep record, 3,200-meter run of 10:05.81 at 4A StarTrack, Mt. Spokane’s O’Reilly put together a season seldom matched in Washington state prep annals.”

She also ran a 16:10.05 outdoor 5,000 that was the third-best effort in history among U.S. high school female distance runners. Her 4:46.59 state-winning 1,600 was sixth best in the state. And she had the nation’s fastest high school 2-mile.

And then there are Bjorklund’s basketball accomplishments.

She, too, has had an impact locally and nationally. Twice Bjorklund has twice been named to the Parade All-American team, was AP Player of the Year in Washington and has signed to play with University of Tennessee. She has steadily been erasing all local Greater Spokane League scoring records.

How do you vote against either?

The same was true in trying to choose between the Panthers in volleyball and Tigers in basketball. Mead won its fourth straight volleyball title, and LC won its first state title. It can be argued which was more valuable?

Personally, I leaned toward O’Reilly, reasoning that all things being equal, O’Reilly was a senior last year and Bjorklund, a current senior, will be eligible next year.

And my vote went to LC, because basketball titles don’t happen as often and I like to spread the wealth.

My suspicion is that because summer injury cost O’Reilly a chance at national acclaim she fell off the radar while Bjorklund has been adding to her legend this winter – during voting time – even though those current accomplishments count toward next year.

By the same token, Mead’s past successes may have swayed the outcome over LC’s first title.

Like any election, the voter has spoken. With this outcome, you couldn’t go wrong.