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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

SWABs honor Akey, Iupati

Repeater Tokarski, Vandersloot, Shock also collect annual awards

Robb Akey, who took Idaho to Humanitarian Bowl victory, is Inland NW coach of the year.  (Associated Press)
Correspondent

Idaho’s rise in football prominence was rewarded when Inland Northwest Sportswriters and Broadcasters voted for their annual athletes, team and coach of the year.

Robb Akey is SWABs Coach of the Year and much-honored lineman Mike Iupati is Amateur Male Athlete of the year.

Also, Courtney Vandersloot from NCAA basketball tournament qualifier Gonzaga University is the Amateur Female Athlete of the Year; former Spokane Chiefs goaltender Dustin Tokarski repeats as a winner, this time as Professional Athlete of the Year; and Team of the Year is the Spokane Shock.

Akey will be a part of Wednesday’s 32nd Inland Northwest Youth Awards Luncheon in the Spokane Convention Center, when the SWABs junior male and female athletes, coaches and teams of the year will be revealed.

Doors open at 11 a.m. and the program begins at 11:30.

Spotlight of the revamped youth-friendly event will be on 40 standout athletes, coaches and teams nominees who will be part of an audience along with more than 1,000 of their peers.

The annual luncheon recognizes high school athletics and is put on by the Spokane Regional Sports Commission. Major sponsors are Hoopfest, State Farm Insurance and Rockwood Clinic, along with numerous other area businesses.

Special awards include Spokane Hoopfest Sportsmanship and Rockwood High School Sports Medicine Student of the Year winners.

Ticket information for Wednesday’s lunch can be found at www.spokanesports.org or by calling Deana McClenny at 742-9379.

Akey orchestrated a Vandals turnaround that led to an 8-5 season and 43-42 last-second rally over Bowling Green in the Humanitarian Bowl. Iupati was named to multiple All America teams, including first team AP All-American, and he was a finalist for the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top lineman.

Vandersloot was WCC player of the year for the Bulldogs, who reached the NCAA round of 32. She averaged 16.4 points, had 239 assists and 69 steals.

Tokarski, amateur winner last year, became the Spokane Chiefs winningest goalie, allowing fewer than two goals per game, and was the outstanding player of the title game for five-time World Junior Hockey champion Canada.

The Shock compiled a 19-1 record and won the af2 indoor football national championship for the second time in three years, beating Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 72-27.