59th North Idaho Sports Banquet: Area's top high school, college athletes, teams, coaches honored
COEUR d’ALENE — Gunner Giulio of Coeur d’Alene and Titus Yearout of Lapwai won Male High School Athlete of the Year honors, and Skylar Burke of Coeur d’Alene, Addie Kiefer of Lakeland, Camden Barger of Grangeville and Lindi Kessinger of Orofino won Female High School Athlete of the Year honors at the 59th North Idaho Sports Banquet on Saturday night at The Coeur d’Alene Resort.
Giulio, Burke and Kiefer won in the 5A-4A division, and Yearout, Barger and Kessinger were honored in the 3A-1A division.
High school boys Coach of the Year honors went to Ryan Knowles (Sandpoint football) and Jeff Moffat (Coeur d’Alene wrestling) in 5A-4A, and to Zach Eastman (Lapwai basketball and Zane Hobart (Kendrick football) in 3A-1A.
High school girls Coach of the Year honors went to Mike Deprez (Sandpoint golf) and Shelly Sobek (Lake City swimming) in 5A-4A, and to Ralph Lotspeich (Bonners Ferry golf) and Paula Casebolt (Logos cross country) in 3A-1A.
High school boys teams of the year went to Sandpoint football and Coeur d’Alene wrestling (5A-4A) and Lapwai basketball (3A-1A).
High school girls teams of the year went to Lake City soccer (5A-4A) and Troy volleyball and Lapwai basketball (3A-1A).
College awards returned after a year’s absence due to COVID-19 delaying their seasons last year.
Female Athlete of the Year honors went to Beyonce Bea (Idaho basketball).
Male Athlete of the Year honors went to Tre Walker (Idaho football), Ridge Lovett (Nebraska wrestling) and Kyle Manzardo (Washington State baseball).
Lewis-Clark State women’s basketball was the college Female Team of the Year, and LC State cross country and LC State outdoor track and field shared Male Team of the Year honors.
Kellsi Parson of North Idaho soccer was the Female Coach of the Year, and Mike Collins of Lewis-Clark State cross country and track and field was the Male Coach of the Year.
The North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame welcomed five new members Saturday night — Joel Thomas (Idaho football), Emily (Faurholt) Sann (Idaho women’s basketball), Don Newman (Idaho men’s basketball), Duane Ward (longtime Sandpoint High coach and administrator), and Jim Wilund (longtime teacher, coach and principal in North Idaho, and former basketball official and baseball umpire).
Thomas was the banquet’s featured speaker.
Also, the Hagadone High Character Award was given to a boy and girl from each high school in North Idaho, as nominated by their schools.
COLLEGE AWARD WINNERS
FEMALE TEAM OF THE YEAR — Lewis-Clark State women’s basketball (Despite having only one senior on the squad, the Warriors won the Cascade Conference title. It went 19-3 in league play and two of those losses were COVID forfeits when the team had a player on a road trip test positive that later turned out to be false positive. The Warriors were ranked in the NAIA Top 25 and finished the season at No. 19. The team finished the year 28-5 and lost in the second round of the national tournament).
Other finalists: North Idaho soccer, Idaho indoor track, Idaho soccer.
MALE TEAM OF THE YEAR — Lewis-Clark State cross country, Lewis-Clark State outdoor track and field (Both finished in the top 10 at their respective national meets. The cross country team placed sixth at the NAIA national meet after having one runner finish ninth overall. The eighth-place finish by the track team is its best finish ever at the meet. The track team had the individual winner in the javelin and a second-place finish in the 1,600).
Other finalists: North Idaho wrestling, North Idaho basketball, Idaho indoor track.
FEMALE COACH OF THE YEAR — Kellsi Parson, North Idaho soccer (led the Cardinals to the quarterfinals of the Northwest Athletic Conference tournament. Parson was named the conference’s East Division Coach of the Year after she led the Cardinals to a 12-8 record in just her second year as the coach of the program).
Other finalists: Jeremy Clevenger, Idaho soccer; Brian Orr, Lewis-Clark State basketball; Kyla Lien, Lewis-Clark State golf.
MALE COACH OF THE YEAR — Mike Collins, Lewis-Clark State cross country and track (Collins coaches both programs that finished in the top 10 at nationals. He is also the coach of the women’s cross country and track programs at the college. He has coached cross country for 24 years and track for 22 years at LC State).
Other finalists: Ken Thompson, North Idaho soccer; Corey Symons, North Idaho men’s basketball; Tim Cawley, Idaho cross country and track
FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR — Beyonce Bea, Idaho basketball (Bea was a first-team all-Big Sky Conference selection. She posted seven double-double games with double digits in both scoring and rebounding. She scored in double figures in 19 games during the season. Bea wound up averaging 15.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. She shot 44.6 percent from the field. She was awarded the Big Sky Conference’s Player of the Week award twice during the season).
Other finalists: Emily Stuart, North Idaho soccer; Janae Rayborn, North Idaho volleyball; Hannah Ringel, Idaho indoor track; Callie Stevens, Lewis-Clark State basketball.
MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR — Tre Walker, Idaho football; Ridge Lovett, Nebraska wrestling; and Kyle Manzardo, Washington State baseball (Walker led the Idaho football team with 105 tackles from his linebacker position. He also had three tackles for loss, deflected three pass and forced a fumble. He earned first-team all-Big Sky Conference honors as well as 2nd and 3rd team All American honors. Lovett prepped at Post Falls High and had a big sophomore year on the mat for the Cornhuskers as he finished second at the NCAA championship at 149 pounds. His finish was a surprise because a couple of weeks earlier he placed fourth in the weight class at the Big 10 championships. Lovett finished the season 24-4 overall, including a 10-1 record in dual meets. Manzardo has a big spring in 2021 for Washington State when he was named All-America first team by Collegiate Baseball, the first WSU player to earn that honor since Aaron Sele in 1990. He was a Rawlings All-West Region and All Pac-12 Conference first team selection. The Lake City High product hit .363 with 11 home runs and 60 RBI. He was selected by Tampa Bay in the second round of the Major League draft with the 63rd pick overall. This spring he did get an at bat in an exhibition game with the Rays and drew a walk on four pitches. He is currently with the team’s High A affiliate).
Other finalists: Grady Leonard, Idaho track; Logan Kendall, Idaho football; Brock Ephan, Lewis-Clark State baseball; Clayton VanDyke, Lewis-Clark State track; Andrew Ferreira, North Idaho soccer.
HIGH SCHOOL INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM AWARDS
BOYS GOLF — Stephen Paul, Kellogg (Paul helped Kellogg win the state 3A golf title by a mere two strokes by winning the individual title with a two-day 36-hole total of 147 at Twin Lakes Village. Paul also won the district title by five strokes by shooting a 1-over-par 73).
Other finalists: Parker Freeman, Coeur d;’Alene; Jack Seibly, Lewiston; Cole Jaworski, Coeur d’Alene; Bryden Brown, Moscow; Archie Rauenhorst, Kellogg; Cole Reuter, Clark Fork.
GIRLS GOLF — Braylyn Bayer, Bonners Ferry (Bayer helped the Badgers win the first state golf title in school history. And the Badgers did it in dominating fashion, winning state by 37 shots. Bayer finished second individually at the state tournament at Twin Lakes Village with a 166 total. She also tied for the district tournament title with a teammate, which helped the Badgers qualify for state).
Other finalists: Hattie Larson, Sandpoint; Avery Bayer, Bonners Ferry; Cali Iacolucci, Bonners Ferry; Izzy Hillard, Timberlake.
BOYS TENNIS — Austin Gomez, Lewiston (Gomez took fourth place in the state 5A singles competition and helped Lewiston finish seventh at state. Austin was undefeated during the regular season but was upset by is brother Dylan in the championship match of the district tournament. Austin is now playing tennis at Lewis-Clark State College).
Other finalists: Dylan Gomez, Lewiston; Marwan Warnick, Lakeland; Josh Francis, Clearwater Valley; Wesley Simko, Clark Fork; Blaine Williams, Clark Fork)
GIRLS TENNIS — Malika Warnick, Lakeland (Warnick finished third at the Idaho state 4A tournament where she went 3-2 overall. She was one of only two girls singles players from North Idaho to place in the top five individually at state. She also won the district 4A title as well. She and her brother Marwan are back playing at Moses Lake High this year).
Other finalists: Rylei Carper, Lewiston; Audrey Judson, Coeur d’Alene; Lauren Faulkner, Coeur d’Alene Charter.
GIRLS SOFTBALL
5A-4A — Taryn Barney, Lewiston (The catcher was voted the Most Valuable Player in the Inland Empire League last season by the league’s coaches. She helped Lewiston to a 21-7 record. In her three years on varsity, not counting this year, Barney has hit 21 home runs, driven in 85 runs, and has a batting average of .604).
Other finalists: Phoebe Schultze, Lake City; Sam Mader, Lewiston; Kahlea Dumas, Post Falls; Alyssa Krause, Post Falls; Haylee Smit, Lakeland.
3A-1A — Bernie Carhart, Timberlake; Peyton Lindley, Timberlake (The pair helped Timberlake to a fourth-place finish at the state tournament. The two put together solid seasons and were selected by the class 3A Intermountain League coaches as co-MVPs of the league as seniors last spring).
Other finalists: Taci Watkins, St. Maries; Camden Barger, Grangeville; Jenna Holder, St. Maries; Rebecca Butterfield, Potlatch.
BASEBALL
5A-4A — Cole Rutherford, Post Falls (The shortstop and right-handed pitcher was named Co-MVP of the 5A Inland Empire League. He hit .418 and had a .500 on-base percentage. Along with leading the team in average, he was the leader in runs, hits and stolen bases. On the mound, he made four appearances and went 1-0. He was a member of the Lassen Community College basketball team in Susanville, Calif., this past winter).
Other finalists: Marcus Manzardo, Lake City; Alex Karns, Coeur d’Alene; Christopher Ricard, Lewiston; Max Thielbahr, Sandpoint; Avery Bosch, Sandpoint; Barrett Abendroth, Moscow.
3A-1A — Jack Johnson, Genesee (Johnson helped the Bulldogs peak at the right time. After dropping five straight to end the regular season, Genesee wound up winning the state title. In the championship game, Johnson threw a one-hit gem with 10 strikeouts. He posted a 3.20 ERA with 50 strikeouts during the season and also hit better than .400 at the plate).
Other finalists: Bo Bateman, Bonners Ferry; Tommy Reynolds, Grangeville; Blake Schoo, Grangeville; Preston Boyer, Kendrick; Dalton Ross, Prairie; Bodie Norman , Kamiah
BOYS TRACK
5A-4A — Braden Kappen, Sandpoint (Kappen placed in four events at the state 4A track meet. He won the long jump at 23 feet, 1 inch and took third in the 100 meters in 10.91 seconds and fourth in the 200 meters in 22.6 seconds. He then ran the second leg of the Bulldogs’ 1,600-meter relay team, which placed sixth. He was the lone District 1-2 male athlete at the 5A-4A level to win an individual track title last spring).
Other finalists: Isaac Ballew, Post Falls; Rusty Lee, Sandpoint; Riley Siegford, Lakeland; Chase Berg, Post Falls.
3A-1A — Reid Thomas, Orofino; London Kirk, Deary (Both were double winners at state in their respective classifications. Thomas won the 2A shot put and discus titles, throwing 50 feet, 8 inches in the shot put and 138 feet, 4 inches in the discus. Kirk won the 100 and 200 meters in the 1A meet. His times were 11.22 seconds in the 100 and 22.70 seconds in the 200. Kirk also ran legs on two Mustang relay teams that placed at state — the 800 relay, which placed second, and the 400 relay, which placed fifth).
Other finalists: Preston Amerman, Clearwater Valley; Charles Henslee, Bonners Ferry; Brady Cox, Kamiah; Jace Sams, Kamiah.
GIRLS TRACK
5A-4A — Angelyca Chapman, Lake City (Chapman helped score 40 of Lake City’s total of 46 points at the meet with four first-place finishes. She won the 200 meters in a state record 24.61 seconds and then the 400 in 55.94 seconds. She then ran the anchor leg on both the winning 400 and 800 relay teams. She is now running at Weber State).
Other finalists: Madigan Kelly, Lewiston; Jennah Carpenter, Lewiston; Taylor Petz, Sandpoint; Lily Phenicie, Coeur d’Alene; Samantha Wood, Post Falls; Erika Edmundson, Sandpoint.
3A-1A — Lindi Kessinger, Orofino; Blayre Jeffs, Timberlake (Both were double winners at state. Kessinger won an odd combination of the 2A discus title with a throw of 112 feet, 2 inches, and then won the 300 hurdles in 47.11 seconds. She also was fourth in the 100 hurdles. In the 3A meet, Jeffs won both the discus and the shot put. She had winning throws of 125 feet, 10 inches in the discus and 42 feet, 4 3/4 inches in the shot put.
Other finalists: Jeana Craven, Timberlake; Sydnie Zywina, Orofino; Kiley Cutler, Coeur d’Alene Charter; Kaylynn Johnson, Orofino; Isabelle Raasch, Troy.
BOYS SOCCER — Walker Jump, Lake City (Jump helped the Timberwolves reach the third-place game at the state 5A tournament. He was named MVP of the Inland Empire League by the league coaches. The midfielder helped Lake City post a 17-0-1 record during the regular season).
Other finalists: Kael McGowan, Post Falls; Noah Janzen, Lake City; Teddy Kessler, Lewiston; Nolan Angell, Sandpoint; Nick Eastman, Bonners Ferry; Brandon Chavez, Coeur d'Alene Charter.
GIRLS SOCCER — Elliotte Kortus, Lake City (Kortus helped Lake City win the state 5A title despite being the No. 4 seed entering the tournament. The junior forward scored the only goal in the state championship game, a 1-0 win over Boise and that goal came in the final five minutes of the match. She has verbally committed to Washington State).
Other finalists: Georgia Whitehead, Lake City; Taytum Curtis, Lake City; Myah Rietze, Coeur d’Alene; Piper Frank, Sandpoint; Rebekah Hines, Coeur d'Alene Charter; Lucy Simpson, Timberlake; Morgan Burt, Bonners Ferry.
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY — Kobe Wessels, Lewiston (Wessels won the 5A district title by a little more than a second and then had the top time again among all northern Idaho runners at the state meet. He finished 19th in the 5A classification, crossing the line in 16 minutes, 26.5 seconds).
Other finalists: Jacob King, Coeur d’Alene; Max-Cervi-Skinner, Coeur d’Alene; Nathan Roche, Sandpoint; Zack Cervi-Skinner, Coeur d’Alene
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY — Annastasia Peters, Post Falls (Peters finished third at the state 5A meet. She crossed the line in 18 minutes even, some 15 seconds better than her district-winning time. Her finish helped the Trojans finish seventh at state as a team).
Other finalists: McKenna Kozeluh, Coeur d’Alene Charter; Samantha Wood, Post Falls; Clara Stephens, Lake City; Sara Casebolt, Logos.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
5A-4A — Hanah Stoddard, Lake City (Stoddard was a first-team all-Inland Empire League selection and helped Lake City to a fifth-place finish at the state meet. The 6-foot-1 outside hitter has signed a letter of intent to play volleyball at Gonzaga next season).
Other finalists: Kylie Munday, Post Falls; Morgan Moran, Lewiston; Addie Kiefer, Lakeland;; Morgan Claus, Moscow; Ellie Carlson, Lakeland.
3A-1A — Morgan Blazzard, Troy (Blazzard was the player of the year in the Whitepine League and led the Trojans to the 1A Division 1 state title. She was also named the MVP of the state tournament. The 5-foot-8 senior will play at Eastern Washington University next season. During her four-year career, she won three state titles and averaged more than 20 kills per match. This is the second straight year she has won this award).
Other finalists: Hailey Cheney, Kellogg; Riley Schwartz, Orofino; Riley Valley, Wallace; Kenadie Kirk, Deary; Paige Valliere, Clark Fork.
GIRLS SWIMMING — Gabrielle Garasky, Lake City (Garasky had two first- and two second–place finishes at state. She won the 100 freestyle and also swam a leg on the Timberwolves’ winning 400 free relay team. She also was second in the 200 freestyle and helped the 200 freestyle relay team to a second-place finish. Her efforts helped Lake City win the state team title)
Other finalists: Riley Taylor, Lake City; Pema Anain, Lake City; Ryleigh Bamer, Sandpoint; Emily Ballard, Sandpoint.
BOYS SWIMMING — Logan Robillard, Lake City (Robillard also was a double winner at the state meet, capturing titles in the 200 and 500 freestyle events. He also swam on the second-place 400 freestyle relay team and the fifth place 200-freestyle relay team. Lake City wound up third).
Other finalists: Reid Johnson, Moscow; Micha Wolbrecht, Moscow; Hayden Leavitt, Sandpoint; Caleb Norling, Sandpoint; Mason Groth, Coeur d’Alene; Ethan Baird, Moscow; Luke Mastroberardino, Lewiston.
FOOTBALL
5A-4A — Cameren Cope, Coeur d’Alene (Cope, a defensive lineman, had 80 tackles, including 20 for losses. He was a first-team all-state selection and the defensive MVP for the Inland Empire League. He has signed to play with Weber State next season).
Other finalists: Gunner Giulio, Coeur d’Alene; Zach Clark, Post Falls; Jace McKarcher, Lewiston; Gerrit Cox, Sandpoint; Parker Pettit, Sandpoint; Cruz Hepburn, Lewiston; Zach Johnson, Lake City; Jaxson Washington, Coeur d’Alene.
3A-1A — Caleb Frei, Grangeville (Frei was both the Player of the Year and the Offensive MVP in the Central Idaho League as a running back. He was also a first-team all-league selection at linebacker).
Other finalists: James Billingsley, Timberlake; Riply Luna, Kellogg; Kale Paslay, Timberlake; Luke Trogden, Mullan/St. Regis; Brody Hasselstrom, Prairie; Titus Yearout, Lapwai; Ty Hambly, Lewis County; Ty Koepp, Kendrick;Cy Wareham, Genesee.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
5A-4A — Skylar Burke, Coeur d’Alene (Burke was the Co-Player of the Year in the Inland Empire League. The 5-foot-8 senior guard scored a career-high 40 points in the Idaho high school all-star game last month. She averaged nearly 20 points per game this season and was a first-team all-state pick. She has signed to play basketball at UC Santa Barbara).
Other finalists: Capri Sims Post Falls; Madison Symons, Coeur d’Alene; Addie Kiefer, Lakeland; Kendall Pickford, Lake City; Katy Wessels, Lewiston.
3A-1A — Camden Barger, Grangeville; Erin Morgan, Kendrick (Barger was the MVP of the Central Idaho League. The 5-foot-6 senior guard averaged nearly 15 points per game, along with 3.6 steals and 3.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. She shot 50 percent from the field. Morgan was the MVP of the 1A Division 2 Whitepine League and also was an all-state first-team selection. The 5-foot-11 strong forward averaged 17 points per game. She helped Kendrick win the consolation title at the state tournament. In the semifinals, she had a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Carey. At state, she averaged 15 points and eight rebounds per game).
Other finalists: Hailey Cheney, Kellogg; Kristin Wemhoff, Prairie; Jordyn McCormack-Marks, Lapwai; Jaden House, Wallace; Katelyn Matteson, Clark Fork.
BOYS BASKETBALL — Blake Buchanan, Lake City; Jamari Simpson, Moscow (Buchanan was a first-team 5A All-Idaho selection and also a first-team all-Inland Empire League pick. At the state tournament, Blake averaged 13 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocked shots per game. Simpson helped Moscow qualify for the 4A state tournament where he averaged 16 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3 assists per game. Buchanan and Simpson were teammates two years ago at Moscow High).
Other finalists: Kolton Mitchell, Lake City; Jace McKarcher, Lewiston; Braydon Forsman, Lewiston; Steven Burgess, Coeur d’Alene; Bryden Brown, Moscow; Bryce Henry, Lakeland.
3A-1A — Titus Yearout, Lapwai; Kase Wynott, Lapwai (The pair led Lapwai to an undefeated season and the state title. Yearout is a senior and is headed to the University of Idaho next season to play basketball. He was selected the player of the year for 1A Division 1 in the state and was the Whitepine League player of the year. He was also Idaho’s Gatorade Player of the Year. He averaged 15.5 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and two steals per game. Wynott was a first-team all-state selection and also was a first-team all-league pick. In the three games at state, the 6-foot-5 sophomore averaged 26.3 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. He also shot 69 percent from the field).
Other finalists: Kolby Luna, Kellogg; Tristan Gentry-Nelson, St. Maries; Vander Brown, Lakeside; Ty Hambly, Highland; Luke Trogden, Mullan; Carter Sanroman, Clark Fork.
BOYS WRESTLING
5A-4A — Gunner Guilio, Coeur d’Alene; Rylan Rogers, Coeur d’Alene (Giulio posted a 26-1 record at 170 pounds. Gunner was the top seed at the state meet and won his first two matches by pins, including one just 19 seconds into the match. He then won his semifinal match with a 6-3 decision and his second straight state championship with a 9-5 decision over the No. 2 seed from Meridian. Gunner has signed to play football at Carroll College next season. Rogers also won his second straight state title and posted a 37-1 record. He was the top seed at 195 pounds and won all four of his matches at state with pins, including three in the first minute of the match. Rylan has committed to wrestle at the University of Michigan next year).
Other finalists: Rider Seguine, Post Falls; Zach Macdonald, Lake City; Hoyt Hvass, Lewiston; Tristan Bremer, Lewiston; Porter Craig, Coeur d’Alene.
3A-1A — Eli Richards, Bonners Ferry (Richards posted a 46-4 record in the class 3A 182-pound class. At the state meet in Pocatello, Eli was ranked as the No. 2 seed but proceeded to win all four of his matches with pins, including a second-round pin in the championship match for his second straight state title. Richards recently traveled to Virginia to participate in the high school senior nationals and placed in the top 12).
Other finalists: Wyatt Hei, Kellogg; Stryker Huston, Timberlake; Jackson Richter, Bonners Ferry; Daring Cross, Clearwater Valley.
GIRLS WRESTLING — Skyla Zimmerman, Moscow; Lindi Kessinger, Orofino; Alyssa Randles, Coeur d’Alene (In the first year that Idaho has sanctioned girls wrestling, Zimmerman posted a 33-1 record and won a state title at 113 pounds. She was the top seed in her weight class and won all three of her matches by fall, including one 10 seconds into the match. Kessinger won the 120 pound weight class. She was the No. 2 seed and won her first two matches by fall. She then won her championship match, also by fall, over the No. 1 seed. Randles was the top seed at 126 pounds and won all three of her matches at state by fall. She finished the season at 33-10).
GIRLS TEAM OF THE YEAR
5A-4A — Lake City soccer (The Timberwolves were the No. 4 seed at state, but beat Timberline 3-2, No. 1 seed Highland 1-0, and No. 3 seed Boise 1-0 to capture the state title. In the championship match, Lake City scored in the 76th minute to beat Boise. It is the third title in program history. Lake City went 17-2 and won 11 straight. Went 6-0 in league. Lost season opener 1-0 to Sandpoint and went 17-1 the rest of the way. Only gave up seven goals during the season and scored 96. Won 13 matches by shutout).
Other finalists: Sandpoint golf, Lake City swimming
3A-1A — Troy volleyball; Lapwai basketball (Troy won its fourth state volleyball title in six years. The Trojans posted a 24-3 record and won their final 22 matches. Troy finished the season with 38 consecutive set wins as it swept all of its district and state opponents in 3-0 sets. Its only losses were to 5A Post Falls and 4A Moscow and Lakeland, but later defeated Lakeland. Lapwai went 21-3 and won its three games at state by an average of 41 points. Average margin of victory was 41 points at state. Its three losses were to Post Falls, Richland, and rival Prairie, which finished second to Lapwai at state. Lapwai won its final 10 games, including by 26 points over Prairie in the state championship game).
Other finalists: Bonners Ferry golf, Logos cross country.
BOYS TEAM OF THE YEAR
5A-4A — Sandpoint football, Coeur d’Alene wrestling (Sandpoint was a cardiac football team as it won two games in overtime, including a 29-28 win over Blackfoot to advance to the state 4A championship game. It wound up second after losing to Skyline of Idaho Falls 20-6 in the Kibbie Dome. Sandpoint went 8-3 on the season with victories over 5A schools Lewiston, Lake City and Post Falls. And it only lost to Coeur d’Alene by two points. It was the top seed in the 4A state playoffs. Coeur d’Alene’s wrestling team used three individual state champions in its run to a second-place finish in the 5A meet in Pocatello. Porter Craig, Gunner Giulio and Rylan Rogers all won state titles for Coeur d’Alene. The Vikings also had three second-place finishes, a third, three fourths and three place sixth. Meridian held off the Vikings by 9.5 points for the team title).
Other finalists: Sandpoint soccer, Moscow swimming
3A-1A — Lapwai basketball (Perhaps the most entertaining team among any Idaho high school team in any sport, the Wildcats went undefeated at 27-0 and dominated their way to the state title. Lapwai’s average margin of victory during the regular season was 36.7 points per game, the best in the state. The Wildcats also averaged 83 points per game, also best in the state. The Wildcats beat seven teams above its classification, including Lewiston, Coeur d’Alene, Kellogg and St. Maries. The other three wins were over Washington schools).
Other finalists: Kellogg golf, Genesee baseball, Kendrick football.
GIRLS COACH OF THE YEAR
5A-4A — Mike Deprez, Sandpoint golf; Shelly Sobek, Lake City swimming (Deprez led the Bulldogs to their first state golf title in program history. Sandpoint won the 4A tournament by 10 strokes after beginning the second and final day tied with Bishop Kelly for the lead. The Lake City swim team also won its first tate title as the Timberwolves edged Boise for the state title by nine points. Lake City had 15 swimmers qualify for state and took three firsts and six seconds at the meet).
Other finalists: Matt Ruchti, Lake City soccer
3A-1A — Ralph Lotspeich, Bonners Ferry golf; Paula Casebolt, Logos cross country (Bonners Ferry dominated at the state tournament as the Badgers won the title by 37 shots and had three golfers place in the top 10 at the 3A meet. The Logos cross country team had three finishers in the top 11 and four in the top 22 to win the championship by two points over Raft River. Sophomore Sara Casebolt, the daughter of coach Paula Casebolt, was the team’s top finisher at state).
Other finalists: Deborah Blazzard, Troy volleyball; Ada Marks, Lapwai basketball.
BOYS COACH OF THE YEAR
5A-4A — Ryan Knowles, Sandpoint football; Jeff Moffat, Coeur d’Alene wrestling (Both coaches led their teams to second-place finishes at state. Knowles helped Sandpoint to an 8-3 record and a No. 1 seed in the state playoffs. During the season, Sandpoint beat three of the four 5A Inland Empire League schools and only lost by two points to Coeur d’Alene. Moffat led the Vikings to a great showing in Pocatello as Coeur d’Alene finished second to Meridian by 9.5 points at the 5A state meet. Coeur d’Alene had three state champs, three more who finished second, one third, three fourths and three sixth-place finishes.
Other finalists: Tanner French, Sandpoint soccer; Jody Rash, Moscow swimming.
3A-1A — Zach Eastman, Lapwai basketball; Zane Hobart, Kendrick football (Both Eastman and Hobart led their squads to state championships. Lapwai dominated play this season by going 27-0 and leading the state in both margin of victory at 36.7 points and points scored per game at 83. The Kendrick football team didn’t exactly start its season off on the right foot, losing 52-0 to defending state champion Oakley. But Hobart’s young Kendrick team outscored the opposition 418-98 the rest of the way, including a 30-24 win over Carey in the state title game. The Tigers had only one senior on the team).
Other finalists: Simon Miller, Kellogg golf; Kevin Maurer, Genesee baseball.
FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
5A-4A — Skylar Burke, Coeur d’Alene; Addie Kiefer, Lakeland (Burke was a standout in softball and basketball the past school year. She earned all-league honors in softball where she did a bit of everything and then was the Co-Player of the Year in the Inland Empire League in basketball. The 5-foot-8 senior guard averaged nearly 20 points per game this season and was a first-team all-state pick. She has signed to play basketball at UC Santa Barbara. Kiefer was a three-sport standout for the Hawks, Last spring in track she finished fourth in the discus and sixth in the 400 meters at the State 4A meet. Then she was the co-Most Valuable Player in the 4A Inland Empire League in volleyball and capped it off by being named Player of the Year for the league in basketball)/
Other finalists: Angela Lassen, Moscow;Katy Wessels, Lewiston; Madison Symons, Coeur d’Alene; Angelyca Chapman, Lake City.
3A-1A — Camden Barger, Grangeville; Lindi Kessinger, Orofino (Barger, a 5-foot-6 senior guard, was the Most Valuable Player in basketball in the Central Idaho League. She averaged 15 points, 3.6 steals, 3.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. In softball, she earned all-league honors while playing a variety of positions for the Bulldogs. Orofino’s Kessinger showed off her athleticism in a number of ways this year. In track, she won the 2A state title in the discus and then finished fourth in the 110 hurdles. She then showed off her speed and strength by winning the 120-pound weight class at the state wrestling meet. She posted a 33-8 wrestling record).
Other finalists: Taci Watkins, St. Maries; Maci Smith, Grangeville; Kadence Beck, Highland; Hailey Cheney, Kellogg.
MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
5A-4A — Gunner Guilio, Coeur d’Alene (Giulio was a standout in both football and wrestling and will take his talents to the next level and play football at Carroll College in Helena, Mont., next year. Giulio was co-MVP of the Inland Empire League in football, playing both running back and linebacker. He was a second-team all-state selection at running back. In wrestling, Gunner won the 5A state title at 170 pounds with a 26-1 record. He won his first two matches at state by pins and then the final two by decisions to claim his second straight state wrestling title).
Other finalists: Cameren Cope, Coeur d’Alene; Jace McKarcher, Lewiston; Cruz Hepburn, Lewiston; Zach Johnson, Lake City; Rusty Lee, Sandpoint.
3A-1A — Titus Yearout, Lapwai (Not only was he selected the 1A Basketball Player of the Year in a vote of coaches, but he was also the 1A Football Player of the Year. Yearout also was chosen the Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year for all classifications in the state. In basketball he averaged 15.5 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and two steals per game for the undefeated Wildcats. In football, he played both quarterback and defensive end and was a first-team all-league selection at both positions and was the Offensive MVP in the Whitepine League. He threw for more than 2,000 yards and 28 touchdowns and rushed for 1,130 yards and 18 touchdowns. On defense, he had 73 tackles, including 15.5 for loss and four sacks. He also had 13 pass deflections and one interception).
Other finalists: Bo Bateman, Bonners Ferry; Eli Richards, Bonners Ferry; Reid Thomas, Orofino; Ty Hambly, Highland; Ty Koepp, Kendrick; Luke Trogden, Mullan.
HAGADONE HIGH CHARACTER AWARDS
The Hagadone High Character Award, in its second year, goes to a female and male athlete from each high school. It is named after Duane Hagadone, who founded the North Idaho Hall of Fame 59 years ago. It recognizes 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 just an all- around good individual. Civic and community involvement is a plus. These are winners based on nominations the committee received.
FEMALE CHARACTER AWARD
Cara Anderson, Logos; Grace Allen, Moscow; Hannah Tweit, Kendrick; Katharine Duuck, Nezperce; Abigail Brown, Timberline; Hailee Bohman, Troy; Isabella Lucky, Coeur d’Alene Charter; Kendall Pickford, Lake City; Hanna Christensen, Post Falls; Arlene See, Lakeland; Samantha Wilfong, Timberlake; Emma Chambers, Potlatch; Camden Barger, Grangeville, Skylar Burke, Coeur d’Alene; Haylee Potts, Kellogg; Jaden House, Wallace; Riley Valley, Wallace; Savannah Weymouth, Clark Fork; Jessica Holmes, Genesee; Maddison Arlint, Lewiston; Abby Tiller, Kootenai; Hope Aasgard, St Maries; Asha Abubakari, Bonners Ferry.
MALE CHARACTER AWARD
Zack Atwood, Logos; Micah Harder, Moscow; Jagger Hewett, Kendrick; Tristan Currall, Nezperce; Micah Nelson, Timberline; Samuel Stoner, Troy; Owen Hughes, Coeur d’Alene Charter; Walker Jump, Lake City; Charles Daniel Sharples, Post Falls; Richie Thomas, Lakeland; James Bilingsley, Timberlake; Tyson Tucker, Potlatch; Caleb Frei, Grangeville; Gunner Giulio, Coeur d’Alene; Charles Bergem, Kellogg; Wyatt Mintkin, Clark Fork; Jacob Krick, Genesee; Braydon Forsman, Lewiston; Carter McGann, Kootenai; Sean Elliott, St Maries; Ethan Hubbard, Bonners Ferry; Luke Trogden, Mullan.
