Familiar names lead finalists for Youth Awards Luncheon
Finalists – 13 of them repeaters on the dais – will be honored during the 31st Youth Awards Luncheon, Feb. 11 at noon at the new Spokane Convention Center.
The event is hosted annually by the Spokane Regional Sports Commission and sponsored by area businesses. Major sponsors are State Farm Insurance, Rockwood Clinic and Spokane Hoopfest.
Longtime master of ceremonies Dennis Patchin, sports director at KXLY, will be joined by Robyn Nance to direct proceedings. This year’s banquet chairman is Randy Ryan.
Finalists for the event are selected and voted upon by members of the Inland Northwest Sportswriters and Broadcasters. Among repeat selections are North Central’s national champion cross country team and three-time State 3A winners.
Special awards will be presented, including the Rockwood Clinic Trainer of the Year and Spokane Sportsmanship Award.
For tickets, contact Deana McClenny at the SRSC, 742-9379.
SWABS Youth Awards Finalists
Junior Male
Nick Bellomy – East Valley all-state football player led Greater Spokane League rushing, finishing season with 250 carries for 1,870 yards for State 3A quarterfinalist.
David Butler – North Central hurdler won the State 3A high hurdles in 14.22 seconds, fastest of all classifications, and was second in the 300 hurdles for Indians’ state team titlists.
DeAngelo Casto – Ferris basketball player was Washington AP Player of the Year and MVP of the Northwest Shootout between Washington and Oregon athletes.
Ryan DesRoches – Riverside wrestler won 135 matches during a four-year career capped last spring by his third straight State 2A championship at 171 pounds.
Tyler Johnson – Spokane Chief from Liberty Lake is first U.S.-born player named MVP of Western Hockey League championship series and was on Junior National team.
Joey Nania – Central Valley student won 15-18 age division of Junior Bassmaster World Championships in Kansas after winning 11-state Western Division.
Brian Owen – University wrestler won his second State 4A championship, two national high school competitions and competed at the Junior Pan American Games.
Aaron Roberts – Member of Ferris football semifinalists caught 75 passes for 1,164 yards and was 4A all-state.
Rusty Shellhorn – Central Valley baseball pitcher was Washington Gatorade Player of the Year with a 7-3 record, 0.78 earned-run average and 125 strikeouts in 59 innings, with 21 in one game.
Chris Williams – Moscow golfer was ranked 15th in the nation among junior boys, won his third straight Idaho 4A title and finished third in the Callaway World Juniors.
Junior Female
Katie Baker – Lake City two-time Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year in basketball and was co-Inland Empire Player of the Year, averaging 18.3 points and 9.8 rebounds.
Oceana Bush – Lewis and Clark volleyball player was named State 4A MVP for her part in the Tigers’ sweep to the state tournament championship.
Amanda Furrer – Mead student just missed the Beijing Olympics, placing third in small bore rifle competition at the U.S. Trials. She won the Hopes Match in Czech Republic.
Kaprina Goodwin – Northport three-sport athlete averaged 23 points in basketball, also won State 1B track and field titles in triple jump, long jump and two meet-record hurdles.
Bailey Hewitt – Clark Fork and Sandpoint athlete won four state titles, the 100 and 300 hurdles, long and triple jumps for Wampus Cats and led Sandpoint soccer in scoring.
Melissa Mauro – West Valley scoring leader for state-tournament qualifier, won her second high jump title (5 feet, 71/4 inches) and the 300 hurdles, scoring 25 points at State 2A track.
Andrea Nelson – Shadle Park junior won her second straight state cross country championship, in 3A this time. Last spring she was second in the 4A 3,200 meters.
Alexis Olgard – Mead’s 6-foot-5 junior and University of Southern California volleyball recruit, was all-state and an alternate on the U.S. junior national team.
Samantha Skillingstad – Shadle Park softball pitcher was Washington Gatorade Player of the Year after going 28-1 with 389 strikeouts and a 0.30 earned run average for state runner-up.
Natalie Stewart – Coeur d’Alene volleyball and basketball player was league co-MVP as assist school-record setter on third-place state volleyball team. She played on basketball titlists.
Junior Male Team
Deer Park wrestling – The Stags placed nine wrestlers, two of them winning championships, to win the first State 2A team championship in school history
Ferris basketball – For the second straight year the veteran Saxons were 29-0 in capturing back-to-back State 4A championships.
Lakeside wrestling – Eagles recorded the second-highest score in state tournament history, 233 points, putting nine wrestlers into the State 1A finals, with five champions.
North Central cross country – Indians won their third straight State 3A title and capped the season by winning Spokane’s first Nike Cross National team title.
Northwest Christian basketball – The Crusaders completed a 29-1 season to win their third straight State 2B championship.
Junior Female Team
Coeur d’Alene basketball – The Vikings finished 22-3 and captured the 5A State championship, 61-47 over Vallivue, in their third straight finals appearance.
Colfax volleyball – Moving from 1A to 2B in classification didn’t matter for the Bulldogs, who won their sixth state title in seven years and ninth overall.
Lewis and Clark basketball – The Tigers completed a 29-0 season and for the third straight year captured the State 4A championship, beating Moses Lake in the final.
Lewis and Clark volleyball – The Tigers won league, district and regional titles then capped it with a dominant effort for capture their first 4A title in 15 years.
Sandpoint volleyball – The Bulldogs went 29-2 and won the State 4A championship. It was their sixth this decade.
Junior Male Coach
Jon Knight – North Central cross country coach guided Indians to their third straight State 3A championship and his charges captured the Nike Cross National team title in Portland.
Matt Jorgensen – Deer Park wrestling coach guided his program to its first state title in school history, placing nine athletes for the 2A title.
Jeff Nelson – LaCrosse-Washtucna-Kahlotus football coach picked up fifth State 1B championship in seven years, defeating Wishkah Valley 64-62 for the title.
Don Van Lierop – Ferris basketball coach guided the Saxons through a 58-0 run and dominated state to capture their second straight State 4A championship.
Randy Thoreson – Coach of the Sandpoint soccer team guided Bulldogs to the Idaho State 4A championship, their sixth title during this decade.
Junior Female Coach
Karen Alsager - Sandpoint volleyball coach guided team to a 29-2 record, also earning for program its sixth state championship this decade.
Sue Doering – Longtime Bulldogs volleyball coach continued the school’s dominance, winning her fifth straight state volleyball title, this one in Class 2B, and seventh in nine years.
Dale Poffenroth – Coeur d’Alene basketball coach added an Idaho state title to three he won in Washington, in the Vikings’ third straight 5A title appearance.
Jim Redmon – Lewis and Clark basketball coach guided Tigers to a 29-0 season and their third straight 4A championship with victory over Moses Lake.
Julie Yearout – Tigers volleyball team, in their third straight 4A state finals appearance, swept undefeated through tournament for her first championship.