Mead volleyball, Noble stand out
Among an entire room of winners at the 28th Spokane Regional Sports Commission Youth Awards Luncheon, an individual and a team dominated the awards Wednesday afternoon at the Spokane Convention Center.
Former Rogers track star Becca Noble and Mead’s volleyball team took home two awards apiece, voted on by the Inland Northwest Sportswriters and Broadcasters.
Noble, now at the University of Oregon, won the junior female athlete of the year award and received her amateur female athlete of the year award for her exploits in the 400 and 800 meters.
She won the U.S. Junior Track and Field 800 championship in 2 minutes, 3.73 seconds, the fastest in state high school history.
Add that to her third 400 State 4A title and an 800 state title, both meet records, and you have the eighth double winner in the SWABs history.
Noble shared with the assembled high school athletes some lessons that she’s learned in the past. She also said that being away (at Oregon) had helped her realize all the people that helped her along the way.
Mead’s volleyball team, which won its third consecutive State 4A title, was honored as the best Junior Female Team and had coach Judy Kight honored as Junior Coach of the Year.
It was the second straight team of the year award for the Panthers, who went 95-4 during the three years, including 33-0 in 2005.
“This team, this year, took on the challenge of being expected to win it,” Kight said. “And they did it with style and grace.”
Nicole Solum, who accepted the team award on behalf of her teammates, said, “This team was very determined not to let anything get in the way.”
West Valley’s Rashad Toussaint received the Junior Male Athlete award, as he made the state’s record triple jump (52 feet, 1/2 inch) at the U.S. Junior Track and Field championships. Toussaint also won the State 3A long and triple jumps, and played for the Eagles’ fourth-place state basketball team.
The undefeated State 2A championship Pullman football team won the Junior Male Team award, with lineman Steve Ross accepting the trophy.
Longtime Cheney football coach Tom Oswald received the SWABs Certificate of Achievement (see story on page C5) and Maureen Miller of Lewis and Clark won the third Sports Trainer of the Year award.