North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame announces award finalists

COEUR d'ALENE — A total of 26 District 1 and 2 Idaho high schools are represented by athletes, coaches and teams that have been chosen as finalists for the 2021 North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame High School Awards, which will be announced at its annual banquet on April 17 at The Coeur d'Alene Resort.

This year's event will be held in person with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. and dinner starting at 6:30 p.m. Social distancing, local health guidelines and Coeur d'Alene Resort protocols will be followed.

Tickets are $29.43 apiece and can only be purchased online at online at www.nihof.org and clicking on “Purchase Tickets” brown button in the lower left area. Athletes and coaches who are nominated for awards receive one free ticket but must confirm they are attending with their school's athletic director. Tickets will not be sold at the door.

The banquet will have some modifications this year. Because the 2020 spring sports schedule was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only 2020 fall and 2020-21 winter sports will be honored. Also, because area colleges had to cancel their spring seasons and delay the start of fall seasons to winter, no college awards will take place this year.

However, new this year is the North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame Hagadone High Character Award, which will be presented to one male and female athlete from each high school. It is named after Duane Hagadone, who founded the North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame 58 years ago. The award honors a student-athlete who excelled in the classroom and as a teammate; has outstanding work ethic and integrity; displays sportsmanship and true character in all walks of life, and is an all-around good individual. Civic and community involvement is a plus.

All winners for the categories listed below as well as the Hagadone High Character Award will be announced at the banquet.

Nominations for each category are reviewed by the North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame committee, which selects the finalists and winners for each category below. Each finalist receives a certificate and the winners also receive a plaque. The athlete, coach and team of the year awards receive trophies.

Also during the event, four individuals will be inducted into the North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame. The previously announced inductees are former University of Idaho football players Jason Shelt and Rob Young, former Coeur d’Alene High and University of Montana standout Ann Jaworski (nee Schwenke), and former North Idaho College and Washington State athlete and high school coach Dick Schultz.

Here are the finalists for each award:

GIRLS SOCCER — Abbie Lyman, Coeur d'Alene; Ava Jakich-Kunze, Moscow; Hattie Larson, Sandpoint; Sarah Hines, Coeur d’Alene Charter; Riley Jo Anderson, Coeur d’Alene Charter.

BOYS SOCCER — Aidan O'Halloran, Post Falls; Chris Swider, Coeur d'Alene; Logan Koller, Post Falls; Dylan Parker, Lewiston; Zander Moore, Sandpoint; Chris Koch, Sandpoint; Daniel Walker, Bonners Ferry.

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY — Sammie Wood, Post Falls; Annastasia Peters, Post Falls; Alahna Lien, Post Falls; Kaley Bohl, Post Falls; Angelyca Chapman, Lake City; Anna Marie Dance, Coeur d’Alene.

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY — Nikolai Braedt, Sandpoint; Brycen Kempton, Post Falls; Alex Peters, Post Falls; Logan Davis, Coeur d’Alene Charter; Jett Lucas, Sandpoint; Carson Sellers, Timberline.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

5A-4A — Sarah Wilkey, Coeur d’Alene; Jaya Miller, Lake City; Tanai Jenkins, Lake City; Katy Ryan, Lakeland; Olivia Cooper, Lakeland; Gabby Hicks, Sandpoint.

3A-1A — Hailey Cheney, Kellogg; Brooke Jessen, Timberlake; Sydnie Zywina, Orofino; Morgan Blazzard, Troy; Rose Steward, Kendrick; Hannah Miller, Highland.

GIRLS SWIMMING — Helen Schumaker, Moscow; Kate Bokowy, Sandpoint; Kaya Wright, Sandpoint; Natasha Astrauskas, Post Falls; Ally Crossland, Moscow.

BOYS SWIMMING — Logan Robillard, Lake City; Lance Mielke, Lake City; Isaac Pimentel, Moscow; Caleb Norling, Sandpoint; Reid Johnson, Moscow; Hayden Leavitt, Sandpoint.

FOOTBALL

5A-4A — Jack Prka, Coeur d'Alene; Tommy Hauser, Post Falls; Kaden Cripps, Post Falls; Zach Johnson, Lake City; Cameren Cope, Coeur d'Alene; Gunner Giulio, Coeur d'Alene; Jackson Kohal, Coeur d'Alene; Jonah Ellis, Moscow; Parker Pettit, Sandpoint; Tag Benefield, Sandpoint; Wes Benefield, Sandpoint; Chad Redinger, Moscow.

3A-1A — Luke Fortin, sr., Timberlake; Caleb Frei, Grangeville; Eli Gibson, St. Maries; Dean Johnson, Prairie; Brody Hasselstrom, Prairie; Titus Yearout, Lapwai; Ty Koepp, Kendrick; Luke Trogden, Mullan/St. Regis; Adam Ball, Mullan/St. Regis.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

5A-4A — Skylar Burke, Coeur d’Alene; Madi Symons, Coeur d’Alene; Brooklyn Rewers, Lake City; Kaylee Banks, Sandpoint; Katy Ryan, Lakeland; Hattie Larson, Sandpoint.

3A-1A — Camden Barger, Grangeville; Claire Osborne, Genesee; Erin Morgan, Kendrick; Talowa Fallingwater, Mullan; Brooke Jessen, Timberlake; Taryn Soumas, Timberlake.

BOYS BASKETBALL

5A-4A — Caden McLean, Post Falls; Kolton Mitchell, Lake City; Jack Kiesbuy, Lake City; George Forsmann, Lewiston; Colin Roos, Sandpoint; Noah Haaland, Lakeland.

3A-1A — Brayden Stapleton, Deary; Kenyon Spotted Horse, Lakeside; Trentyn Kreager, Priest River; Logan Jerome, Kellogg; Eli Gibson, St. Maries; Titus Yearout, Lapwai.

WRESTLING

(All state champions)

5A-4A — Tyson Barnhart, Post Falls; Lane Reardon, Post Falls; Drew Roberts, Coeur d’Alene; Gunner Giulio, Coeur d’Alene; Matthew Whitcomb, Lake City; Rylan Rogers, Coeur d’Alene; Alyssa Randles, Coeur d’Alene; Riley Siegford, Lakeland.

3A-1A — Eli Richards, Bonners Ferry; Dylan Sotin, St. Maries; Gabe Prather, Potlach; Kadence Beck, Grangeville.

GIRLS TEAM OF THE YEAR — Coeur d’Alene Charter soccer; Lakeland volleyball; Timberlake basketball; Post Falls girls cross country; Sandpoint swimming; Prairie basketball; Kendrick basketball; Genesee volleyball.

BOYS TEAM OF THE YEAR — St. Maries basketball; Lapwai basketball; Lake City basketball; Sandpoint swimming; Logos cross country.

GIRLS COACH OF THE YEAR — Stacy Smith, Coeur d’Alene Charter soccer; Kelsie Badger, Lakeland volleyball; Matt Miller, Timberline basketball.

BOYS COACH OF THE YEAR — Bryan Chase, St. Maries basketball; Zachary Eastman, Lapwai basketball.

FEMALE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

5A-4A — Skylar Burke, Coeur d’Alene; Madi Symons, Coeur d’Alene; Katy Ryan, Lakeland; Angela Lassen, Moscow; Hattie Larson, Sandpoint; Addisen Kiefer, Lakeland; Abbey Neff, Lakeland.

3A-1A — Brooke Jessen, Timberlake; Hailey Cheney, Kellogg; Sydnie Zywina, Orofino; Claira Osborne, Genesee; Rose Steward, Kendrick; Paige Valliere, Clark Fork; Talowa Fallingwater, Mullan; Erin Morgan, Kendrick

MALE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

5A-4A — Matthew Whitcomb, Lake City; Riley Siegford, Lakeland; Zach Johnson, Lake City; Gunner Giulio, Coeur d’Alene; Cameren Cope, Coeur d’Alene; Kash Lang, Lewiston; Benny Kitchel, Moscow; Tyler Skinner, Moscow.

3A-1A — Eli Richards, Bonners Ferry; Eli Gibson, St. Maries; Brayden Stapleton, Deary; Ty Koepp, Kendrick; Jordan Nortz, Priest River; Luke Trogden, Mullan; Riley Trogden, Mullan