Multifaceted finalists selected for 29th youth luncheon

The new Convention Center, Hall C, will be the site of the 29th Youth Awards Luncheon at noon Feb. 24.

The annual event, put on by the Spokane Regional Sports Commission (SRSC) under luncheon chair Jeff Colliton, is an afternoon set aside to recognize high school athletics. Some 1,200 people will be in attendance, primarily high school athletes whose luncheon cost is defrayed thanks to the generosity of major sponsors State Farm Insurance, Rockwood Clinic and Spokane Hoopfest.

In conjunction with the event, the Inland Northwest Sportswriters and Broadcasters (SWABS) will honor 40 Junior Awards finalists, announce the winners of male and female athlete, team and coach of the year.

Each category, as usual, is filled with a wide array of talent and successes in a variety of sports.

Special awards will also be given out, including Rockwood’s Trainer of the Year and a newly added sportsmanship award to be given by Spokane Hoopfest.

KXLY’s Dennis Patchin and Rick Lukens will return to oversee the ceremonies.

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

This year’s finalists are:

SWABS Youth Awards Finalists

JUNIOR MALE

Eric Beal – AP All-State 3A basketball player at North Central and all-tournament selection averaged 15.1 points per game in guiding the Indians to their first state tournament in more than 50 years and a fifth-place finish.

Joel Dahmen – Clarkston golfer won the State 3A championship at Indian Canyon Golf Course with a two-day total score of 137 a week after establishing a course record there with a 61 that beat the old mark by a stroke.

Zach Gianukakis – The Republic basketball and baseball star was named AP Class B basketball player of the year after averaging 26.5 points per game for the state second-place finishers. He averaged 22.2 during the regular season and pitched the Tigers into the state baseball playoffs.

Adam Hall – The three-time Bonners Ferry wrestling champion ran his winning streak to 131 straight matches following a state finals loss as a freshman and also won the USA Wrestling junior national freestyle and Greco Roman titles last summer.

Byron Hout – Lake City junior lineman was named football Player of the Year in Idaho Class 5A, as voted by state coaches. A two-way All-State at offensive tackle and defensive end for the state champions, he totaled 83 tackles, 12 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, two fumbles recovered and an interception.

Tyler Jolley – Three-sport East Valley standout completed a 37-0 season while winning the 275-pound State 3A wrestling championship for the third-place finishers. He also placed second and fourth in the discus and shot put to help East Valley win the State 3A track championship.

Max Manix – Gonzaga Prep quarterback accounted for much of the offense in leading the Bullpups to the State 4A Washington football semifinals. Manix rushed for 1,142 yards and passed for 1,062 more and was GSL offensive MVP.

Cameron Quackenbush – Ferris High distance runner never won a varsity individual cross country race during his career until winning the State 4A race his senior season, timing 15:44. Ferris won the state team championship for the fourth time in a row. Quackenbush also placed fifth during the Nike Team Nationals.

John Roberts – Colville football star became the school’s all-time rushing leader and eclipsed the school’s single-season record with more than 1,700 yards as the Indians enjoyed one of the best seasons in school history. They reached the State 2A semifinals unbeaten and finished the year with a 12-1 record.

Shea Vucinich – Coeur d’Alene football and baseball standout was named Inland Empire League co-offensive player of the year at quarterback and also was an all-league shortstop. In football, he completed 56 percent of his passes for 2,275 yards and 25 touchdowns. In baseball, Vucinich batted .403 and tied a school season record with 12 doubles.

JUNIOR FEMALE

Angie Bjorklund – University junior was named a Parade Magazine second-team All-American in basketball, was Washington’s Gatorade Player of the Year, AP all-classification and 4A Player of the Year and all-tournament for third-place Titans. After three varsity seasons she had compiled 1,378 career points, fourth best in GSL history, averaging 19.9 last year during regular season and 21.8 in nine playoff games.

Heather Bowman – Lewis and Clark basketball player finished as the Greater Spokane League’s all-time career basketball scoring leader with 1,580 points in leading Tigers to the State 4A championship. Bowman, a 6-2 inside force, averaged 17.5 points per game during regular season and 19.2 in the playoffs to be named 4A tournament MVP and AP All-State.

Darci Collins – Kootenai track star won her fourth 300 hurdles and high jump state titles, her third 100 hurdles crown and finished second in the 200 to score 38 of the team’s state title-winning 75.5 points. She had bests of 46.91 in the long hurdles and 15.57 in the shorter race.

Jenna DeLong – Coeur d’Alene pitcher compiled a 13-3 record, 0.86 ERA with 144 strikeouts in 98 innings for the Idaho 5A champions and was Inland Empire League Player of the Year for the second year. She also was a basketball starter for the State 5A second-place finishers.

Ashlee Michelson – North Central three-sport athlete led the Indians to their first State 3A girls track title with championships in the shot put (41 feet, 3 inches) and discus (132-10). She also wound up her four-year basketball career with the Indians as the school’s all-time scoring leader with 996 points.

Lauren Mellor – Colfax athletic standout was member of State 1A championship basketball and volleyball teams. Mellor won the State 1A 100-meter hurdles title and placed fifth in the open 400. She was All-State and MVP in volleyball.

Lindsay Myron – Pullman star established a meet-record 37-5 state triple jump at the State 2A track meet, won two hurdles races, timing 15.3 and 45.29, and added a point in the long jump. The Greyhounds won the team championship for the second straight year.

Megan O’Reilly – Mt. Spokane multiple state championship distance runner was named Washington Gatorade female track and field athlete of the year. O’Reilly won both the 1,600- and 3,200-meter races in the State 4A track meet, timing 4:46.58 and 10:05.81, latter the fastest prep time in Washington history. She also ran the third-fastest 5,000 time by a national high school athlete, in 16:10.05, and set a national indoor 5,000 record in 16:26.37.

Samantha Skillingstad – Shadle Park sophomore pitched the Highlanders to second place in the State 4A softball tournament, just the third Greater Spokane League team to reach the finals. She pitched every inning last season, compiling a 27-3 record with 423 strikeouts and a 0.50 earned run average.

Kady Try – Senior volleyball outside hitter at Mead was named Greater Spokane League and State 4A MVP as the Panthers won their fourth straight state championship.

JUNIOR MALE TEAM

Ferris cross country – The Saxons continued their run of state cross country success, winning the title 51-72 over Mead for their fourth straight championship. The Saxons were ranked as high as No. 1 nationally with race triumphs in Oregon and at Stanford and they placed third at the Nike Team Nationals.

East Valley track - The Knights, second in their division of the Greater Spokane League, went on to win the league overall championship for the first time and capped that with the State 3A title, edging Shorecrest 46-42.

Lake City football – Unbeaten state big-school champions capped a 12-0 season with a the 5A State title in the Timberwolves’ 35-6 win over Pocatello. They averaged 403 yards of offense per game, outscored the opposition 494-170 and had wins over eight teams that would reach state playoffs.

St. John-Endicott football – Eagles won their first state football championship, beating Lummi 12-6 for the 1B title during a 13-1 season. The win was the lowest score in state 8-man football finals history and came a few weeks after the Eagles had won the highest-scoring event, 96-68 over Odessa.

Northwest Christian basketball – Bi-County League and District 7 champions compiled a 27-3 record and defeated Republic 54-48 in the State B title game.

JUNIOR FEMALE TEAM

Colfax basketball – Bulldogs won their third straight State 1A championship, beating Bellevue Christian for the title to complete a 24-4 year.

Colfax volleyball – The Bulldogs won their third straight State 1A championship and fifth in seven years by beating fellow Northeast A League power Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) for the state title.

Lewis and Clark basketball – The Tigers, second in the Greater Spokane League, district and regional playoffs, were at their best when it counted, sweeping the field to win their first State 4A state title. They beat Prairie 66-44 to complete a 26-4 season.

Mead volleyball – The Panthers have been the state’s premier team four years running after taking a new and young team to yet another State 4A title. Panthers beat fellow GSL team Lewis and Clark for the crown, evening their season series at 2-2.

North Central track – A year after finishing second in the State 3A meet, the Indians won it all, the school’s first state championship in the sport, 69-42 over Rainier Beach. They had individual wins in the shot put and discus and scored in a total of 10 events.

JUNIOR COACH

Karen Alsager – Sandpoint volleyball coach took a team that had gone 2-17 the year before to 22-5 in 2006 and championship of the Idaho State 4A tournament.

Sue Doering – The competition was stern, but Colfax was up to the task, beating fellow Northeast A League team Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) for their third straight State 1A volleyball title and fifth in seven years.

Mike Hadway – Ferris cross country coach guided Saxons to their fourth straight state championship, only the second coach to win as many successively. They were ranked among the top three teams nationally all year and as high as No. 1 and finished third in the Nike Team Nationals.

Mike Hinz – Pullman track coach won two State 2A titles last spring when his girls team and boys team came away victorious. It was the second straight title for the girls and third since 2001. Pullman’s boys have won twice and finished twice in state the past four years.

Judy Kight – Winning state titles is becoming old hat for Mead’s volleyball coach. She took a nearly new lineup and peaked it at the right time for an unprecedented fourth straight State 4A title. Of the team’s losses, two were to runner-up Lewis and Clark and one to State 2A runner-up Grandview.

Scott Jones – Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) wrestling coach picked up his second straight State 2A team title, third in the last four years and fifth overall. The Eagles have been first or second in state six times since 1998 in 2A and finished first and second as a 1A school.

Dave McCarty – Longtime East Valley boys track and cross country coach finally got his elusive State 3A championship in track last spring. The Knights had earlier won their first Greater Spokane League league title.

Darren Nelson – North Central girls track coach has developed a multifaceted team. Two years ago the Indians placed second in state and last spring, with scorers in 10 events, the Indians won their first State 3A title with ease.

Jim Redmon – Lewis and Clark’s longtime girls basketball coach has taken teams to state four successive years with three state trophies, while compiling a 97-18 record. Last year’s 26-4 team capped the journey beating Prairie 66-44 for the State 4A championship.

Van Troxel – The successful Lake City football coach may have had his best team during a run of 10 consecutive state playoffs. The Timberwolves were 12-0 for the school’s second Idaho state title. Troxel’s teams have gone 89-21 the last 10 seasons with six semifinalists, four of which reached the championship game.