Northwest Notes, Jan. 23, 2014

| January 23, 2014 8:00 PM

IHSAA names new

executive director

Ty Jones, the Superintendent of the Hagerman School District, will become the Executive Director of the Idaho High School Activities Association, effective July 1, the association announced.

Jones succeeds current director and former Post Falls High principal John Billetz, who is retiring after leading the association for eight years.

"John Billetz is to be commended for effectively leading the Idaho High School Activities Association for the past eight years," board president Rich Bauscher said. "Ty will find that the IHSAA is a dynamic, well run organization, and the Board is confident that he has the necessary skills to keep the momentum going."

A native of Idaho, Jones graduated from Boise State University in 1989. He received both a Masters of Education and an Education Specialist degree from the University of Idaho. Jones began his educational career as a teacher and coach in 1989 at Twin Falls High.

The Board of Directors' interviewed three finalists for the position on Jan. 21. Bauscher announced his appointment.

North Idaho College teams

back in action tonight

The top-ranked NJCAA North Idaho College wrestling team returns home tonight at 7 p.m. against NAIA Simon Fraser in the school's final regular season match at Christianson Gym.

NIC will also travel to Salt Lake tonight to face the Bruins in men's and women's Scenic West Athletic Conference play.

In the Jan. 4 men's game, Salt Lake (18-3, 5-1 SWAC) - now ranked 13th in the nation - defeated NIC (17-5, 4-3) by a 66-64 score in Coeur d'Alene.

The Salt Lake women (17-4, 6-0) - which entered the Jan. 4 meeting unranked - are seventh in the latest poll, and face NIC (17-5, 3-4) after a 68-63 overtime victory.

All events are available via webcast at www.nicathletics.com.

Pocatello coach

reinstated

The Pocatello/Chubbuck School District Board of Trustees announced that Laraine Cook has been reinstated as girls basketball coach at Pocatello High, starting with the 2014-15 season, according to the Idaho State Journal.

Cook was dismissed in October after a photograph posted on her Facebook page last summer surfaced. In the photo, which was online 48 hours before being removed, Cook's fiancee, Tom Harrison, a football coach at Pocatello, had his hand on her covered breast. The district was made aware of the photo on Oct. 21 and Cook was terminated two days later.

She was also reinstated as a substitute teacher for the district.