Lake City's Kortus named Gatorade Idaho Girls Soccer Player of the Year

CHICAGO — Elliotte Kortus of Lake City High on Thursday was named 2021-22 Gatorade Idaho Girls Soccer Player of the Year.

Kortus, who will be a senior for the Timberwolves this fall, is the first Gatorade Idaho Girls Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen from Lake City.

The forward led the Timberwolves to a 17-2 record and the state 5A championship this past season. Kortus totaled 27 goals and 22 assists, including the lone goal in both the state semifinals and state final.

A first-team all-state selection, and the co-MVP of the Inland Empire League, Kortus moved to Coeur d’Alene from western Washington just before the fall season commenced. She led Seattle Academy to the 2019 Washington 1A state title as a freshman.

The award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field.

Kortus has volunteered locally at a homeless shelter and as a youth soccer coach. “Elliotte is a great player,” Coeur d’Alene High coach Andy Vredenberg said in a news release. “She is fast and physical with sound technical skills. She knows the game very well. She knows when and how to make dynamic runs and find dangerous scoring spaces.”

Kortus, who has verbally committed to Washington State, maintained a weighted 3.97 GPA.

Kortus joins recent Gatorade Idaho Girls Soccer Players of the Year Kelsey Oyler (2020-21 & 2019-20, Rocky Mountain High), Lauren Elwer (2018-19, Bishop Kelly) and Makayla Christensen (2017-18, Centennial).