Northeast A League celebrates scholar-athlete of the year award winners

The Northeast A League celebrated its class of 2024 scholar-athletes of the year during a luncheon at Kalispel Golf and Country Club on Wednesday. Each of the member schools nominated a boys and girls athlete to be recognized for their athletic and academic achievement.

Colville

Morgan Palmer – 3.902 GPA. 11-time letter winner – three in volleyball, four in basketball, four in softball. First-team All-NEA volleyball senior year; named most inspirational as sophomore and junior, won coaches award as junior and senior. First-team All-NEA in softball senior and freshman seasons; second team as sophomore and junior, winning team MVP as a junior. Will attend Crown College for exercise science and softball.

Samuel Mitchell – 3.708 GPA. Four-time letter winner – two each in football and baseball. Second-team All-NEA outfielder as senior. Plans to attend community college to play baseball. Hopes to continue baseball career at a four-year university and study mechanical engineering.

Deer Park

Alayna Demir – 3.8 GPA, National Honor Society, ASB officer, won a world championship at International DECA competition. Four-time letter winner in soccer, team captain as senior. Three-time first-team All-NEA defense; three-time academic all-league. All-state honorable mention as a sophomore and junior; State 1A champion in 2021. Will attend Yakima Valley Community College for radiology.

Liam Bogle – 3.836 GPA, National Honor Society, DECA officer, three-time DECA international qualifier; International DECA Emerging Leader Honor Award as senior. 12-time letter winner – four each in football, wrestling and soccer. First-team All-NEA twice, as senior in football and as sophomore in wrestling; three second-team and four academic all-league awards. State 1A wrestling champion (165). Eight-time team captain. Will attend Washington State for business and physical education.

Freeman

Kate Schnieder – National Honor Society officer, FBLA officer and state and national qualifier, ASB class officer, 2024 Spokane Scholars Nominee in social studies. 11-time letter winner – four in volleyball, two in basketball, four in tennis. All-NEA volleyball once, twice in tennis and 10-time academic all-league. Two state volleyball trophies (fifth in 2021; second in 2023) and sixth in basketball (2022). Three-time captain. Will attend Lewis-Clark State College for nursing and volleyball.

Barrett Poulsen – 3.98 GPA, National Honor Society, four-time state qualifier in FBLA. Eight-time letter winner – four each in cross country and track and field. Eight-time state qualifier, three in cross country and five in track. Three-time first-team All-NEA in cross country. State placer as senior, junior. Four-time All-NEA in track and qualified for state in the 1,600, 3,200 and 4x400 relay. Will attend Western Washington for kinesiology, cross country and track.

Lakeside

Avery Haff – 3.9 GPA, National Honor Society, ASB. 10-time letter winner – three in volleyball, four in basketball, three in tennis. First-team All-NEA volleyball as senior, second team as junior, two-time team captain. Second-team all-league basketball as senior, junior. All-NEA tennis doubles MVP with different partners as senior, junior; qualified for state as senior. Will attend University of Arizona for nursing.

Sadahiro Patterson – 4.0 GPA. 11–time letter winner – four in football, three in basketball, four in baseball. Three-time first-team all-league football offense and defense, league and State 1A defensive MVP honors as senior. Two-time basketball defensive MVP. Three-time All-NEA in baseball, MVP as senior. Will study abroad in Japan before college for biology.

Medical Lake

Chardé Luat – 3.9 GPA, National Honor Society, honor roll, Student of the Month, Lions Club award recipient for citizenship. Seven-time letter winner – four in basketball, three in track and field. Three-time first-team All-NEA basketball, all-state 1A as junior and senior. Set school’s single-game scoring record as senior with 40 points. Will attend Washington State for architecture.

Andrew Roberts – 3.6 GPA. 10-time letter winner – four in football, two in wrestling, four in baseball. First-team All-NEA as senior, second team as sophomore, junior. First-team All-NEA baseball as senior, sophomore; second team as junior, freshman. All-state catcher as sophomore. Will attend Wenatchee Valley CC for fire science and baseball.

Newport

Sophia Stott – 3.90 GPA, National Honor Society, Adventure Club office, Link Crew. Six-time letter winner – two in volleyball, four in tennis. Was voted team captain for both sports as a senior and helped the tennis team to league championships in 2023 and ’24. Starts a two-year mission in January and plans to attend BYU Idaho to study fisheries management.

Colton Seeber – 3.883 GPA. Eight-time letter winner – four each in football and baseball. Second-team All-NEA baseball as sophomore, two-time football team captain. Prolific trapshooter with several regional championships, fourth in state high school clay target league. Will attend Montana State for fish and wildlife ecology and management, welding certification.

Riverside

Emma Oergel – 4.0 GPA, National Honor Society officer, honor roll each, ASB officer. Twelve-time letter winner – four each in volleyball, basketball and softball. Second-team All-NEA volleyball as junior. NEA softball offensive MVP as senior, first-team All-NEA as junior, second team first two seasons. Two-time league champ, fifth at state in 2023, third this season. Will attend Montana State for undecided major.

Jake Gaffaney – 4.0 GPA, FFA chapter scholar, Deer Park Rotary student of the month. Six-time letter winner – three in football, three in basketball. Second-team All-NEA quarterback, kicker as senior; first-team kicker, second-team returner as junior, sophomore. Second-team All-NEA as senior. Will attend Whitworth for undecided major and football.