Noble, Walker highlight sports awards finalists

Seven athletes, coaches or teams – including last year’s Amateur Female Athlete and Professional Athletes of the Year – return as Inland Northwest Sportswriters and Broadcasters sports awards finalists for 2006.

Winners will be announced and recognized Feb. 14, during the annual Spokane Regional Sports Commission Youth Awards Luncheon in the new Convention Center.

Last year’s top amateur female athlete, Rebekah Noble, was the NCAA women’s 800-meter champion as a freshman at the University of Oregon in 2006. She won the USATF national junior championship and finished third in the world junior meet.

Brad Walker, who became the 12th pole vaulter in history to surpass 6 meters, with a personal-record 19 feet, 8 1/2 inches, was last year’s top professional athlete. He’s joined by 2004 professional athlete winner Erik Coleman, the New York Jets defensive back, as a repeat finalist.

Returning amateur male finalist, former Sandpoint and Oklahoma State wrestler Jake Rosholt, who won his third NCAA championship, is in a field that includes Gonzaga University basketball standout Adam Morrison.

Post Falls discus thrower Ian Waltz, University of Idaho basketball player Emily Faurholt, Gonzaga basketball and its coach, Mark Few, also are repeat finalists.

The Youth Awards Luncheon, chaired by the SRCS’s Jeff Colliton, recognizes area athletes, including junior awards winners, and contributors to area sports. Numerous businesses help defray the cost of the luncheon, including major sponsors State Farm Insurance, Rockwood Clinic and Spokane Hoopfest.

For tickets, contact Deana McClenny at the SRSC, 456-5812.

Amateur male athlete

Michael Allan – Whitworth receiver was selected to the 2006 American Coaches Association Division III All-America team. He caught 53 passes for 1,100 yards and nine touchdowns for the Pirates NCAA qualifiers. Allan had 118 career receptions for 2,202 yards and records for touchdowns (29) and yards per catch (18.7).

Mkristo Bruce – Washington State All-Pac 10 defensive lineman was second for the Cougars in solo tackles with 41 and fourth overall with 67. He was a Walter Camp second-team All-American and a finalist for five different defensive Player of the Year awards nationally.

Adam Morrison – Gonzaga University junior was Associated Press All-America and led NCAA Division I in scoring with 28.4 points per-game average. Morrison was U.S. Basketball Writers Association co-Player of the Year, runner-up for AP Men’s College Player of the Year and CBS and Chevrolet Player of the Year.

Jake Rosholt – Sandpoint native and Oklahoma State University wrestler captured the NCAA 197-pound championship, his third title in four years. Rosholt had a 27-4 record and was 105-20 during his Cowboys career, becoming their 15th three-time NCAA champion and one of 10 four-time All-Americans.

Rodney Stuckey – Eastern Washington basketball player was first freshman to be named MVP of the Big Sky Conference after averaging 24.2 points per game for the Eagles. Stuckey also was named All-Big Sky first team and Freshman of the Year and College Insider.com National Freshman Player of the Year.

Amateur female athlete

Emily Faurholt – Idaho basketball player finished second in career scoring with 1,938 points and first with a 22.0 per-game average. She averaged 17.4 points to lead the Western Athletic Conference last year and was third in rebounding overall for Vandals last season.

Samantha Kephart – Whitworth College athlete won the NCAA Division III women’s national 100- and 200-yard butterfly championships and shattered her NCAA Division III record in the latter, winning in 2:00.15. She was also eighth in the 500 freestyle, scoring 51 points for the Pirates.

Rebekah Noble – University of Oregon freshman track athlete and former Rogers High School sensation won the NCAA 800 national championship in 2:02.7. Noble was also the USA Track and Field junior national champion last summer and finished third in the World Junior Games.

Megan O’Reilly – Mt. Spokane High distance star was named Washington Gatorade Female Track and Field Athlete of the Year. She won both the 1,600 and 3,200 in the State 4A meet. Her 10:05.81 in the latter was the fastest prep 3,200 in Washington history. She was the nation’s top high school 2-miler, timed the third-fastest 5,000 time by a prep runner and set a national indoor 5,000 record.

Emily Westerberg – Third-year starter at Arizona State University became first Wildcats player in 13 years to earn back-to-back first-team All-Pac 10 honors. She was second on the team in scoring (12.8 points per game), rebounds (5.1), assists (80) and blocked shots.

Professional athlete

Erik Coleman – New York Jets third-year defensive back from Spokane was second on the team in total tackles with 110, 74 unassisted, for the National Football League playoff team. The Jets finished 10-7 overall.

Charles Frederick – The Spokane Shock player caught 85 passes and scored 36 touchdowns for the arenafootball2 champions. He rushed for 10 TDs, caught passes for 22 more and also had TDs on two fumble recoveries, an interception and kickoff return. Frederick totaled 1,628 all-purpose yards.

Bobby Jenks – Now pitching for Chicago, the former Spirit Lake, Idaho, resident converted 41 of 45 save opportunities for the White Sox last year. He was 3-4 with a 4.00 ERA, and struck out 80 batters in 69 2/3 innings.

Brad Walker – The University High and University of Washington pole vaulter ranked No. 1 in USA Track and Field. Walker won several national and international meets, including the USATF national indoor meet. He became the 12th man in history to surpass 6 meters, clearing a personal-record 19-8 1/4 last summer.

Ian Waltz – The former Post Falls High and Washington State star won the USATF National outdoor discus title last summer with a throw of 211-8. He was ranked No. 6 internationally and finished fourth in the discus during the world games in Germany.

Team of the year

Gonzaga men’s basketball – The Bulldogs made their eighth straight NCAA tournament appearance, reaching the Sweet 16 before losing to eventual finalist UCLA. They finished 29-4 and went 14-0 to win the WCC Conference for the second time in three years and 10th overall.

Lewis-Clark State baseball – Ranked No. 1 all year, the Warriors followed a tournament-opening loss with five straight wins for their 14th NAIA national title. L-C State finished the season with a 47-8 overall record.

North Idaho volleyball – The Cardinals finished fourth during the NJCAA Division I national championships after winning the Scenic West Athletic Conference and the Region 18 tournament. They finished 36-8 and were ranked as high as second in the nation.

Spokane Shock – The fledgling arenafootball2 Shock won the ArenaCup 2006 championship in Puerto Rico, 57-34 over Green Bay. They were the first expansion team in league history to win the title and compiled a 17-2 inaugural season record.

Whitworth football – During their centennial season the Pirates reached the NCAA Division III second round. They finished 11-1 and ranked No. 9 in the country. It was the first 10-win season in Whitworth football history.

Coach of the year

Ed Cheff – Lewis-Clark State baseball coach won his 14th NAIA championship in 30 years with the Warriors of Lewiston. The team ranked first all year and finished with 47-8 record. Cheff has a 1,501-398 record during his tenure.

Mark Few – Gonzaga University basketball coach reached his seventh successive NCAA tournament. The Bulldogs reached the Sweet 16 before losing to eventual national runner-up UCLA. Few’s 188-41 record is best for any seventh-year coach.

Chris Siegfried – Spokane Shock coach guided expansion to the arenafootball2 championship. The expansion franchise compiled a 17-2 record and defeated Green Bay 57-34 in Puerto Rico for the ArenaBowl 2006 title.

Bret Taylor – Coached North Idaho College to a 36-8 record and fourth-place finish in the NJCAA Division I national championships. Taylor’s Cardinals won the Region 18 tournament, where he was named Coach of the Year, and Scenic West Athletic Conference.

John Tully – Whitworth College football coach guided the Pirates to a school-record 11 straight victories and into the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. Tully’s Pirates have gone 47-20 over the last six seasons.