Signing day: Big day for area athletes at bigger schools

From news services

Area athletes wasted no time in making their Division I future known on Wednesday during the first day of the early signing period with Blake Buchanan (Virginia men's basketball), Kolton Mitchell (Idaho State men's basketball), Madi Symons (Wyoming women's basketball) and Olivia Liermann (Montana women's volleyball) among those committing for the 2023-24 season.

Lake City High seniors Elliotte Kortus and Georgia Whitehead also signed to continue their playing careers for the Washington State women's soccer program.

Buchanan, a 6-foot-10, 215-pound forward, averaged 13 points and eight rebounds during his junior season at Lake City High. He earned First Team All-State and All-League honors, and was the North Idaho Player of the Year after leading Lake City to a 23-3 record. Buchanan earned Defensive MVP honors at the 2022 state tournament. He was named First-Team all-state and first-team all-state tournament as a sophomore in 2020-21.

“We are excited to add these young men to our basketball program,” Virginia men's basketball coach Tony Bennett said. “Blake and Elijah are talented, competitive and high character individuals. They come from outstanding families and value a degree from the University of Virginia.”

“Blake became a highly sought-after player because of his mobility and versatility in the frontcourt,” Bennett said. “He is a competitive two-way forward who has a bright future at UVA.”

Symons, a 6-foot forward/guard, is a two-time 5A Inland Empire League Most Valuable Player and North Idaho Hall of Fame Female Basketball Player of the Year. She has also been a three-time First Team All-IEL honoree and helped lead Coeur d'Alene to two district titles and three league championships. Coeur d'Alene has also been to two state tournaments. Symons, who holds numerous school records, including single-season scoring and rebounding marks, is also a three-time all-state selection.

"Madison is a strong stretch four that can impact the game in many ways," Wyoming coach Heather Ezell said. "Her ability to score around the basket, as well as stretch the defense from the 3-point line, will translate very well to our style of play. She is also a great rebounder, that can get rebounds out of her area on both the offensive and defensive ends."

A three-year starter at Lake City, Mitchell averaged 17.5 points and 4.2 assists per game last year as a junior, and shot 37 percent (59 of 158) from 3-point range.

For his T-Wolf career, Mitchell has 1,160 points, has hit 155 of 394 3s (39.3 percent) and has totaled 276 assists.

Mitchell was first team all-Idaho as a junior, and second team as a sophomore. He was MVP of the 5A Inland Empire League last year, co-Player of the Year as a sophomore, and all-league as a freshman.

Liermann, a hitter, missed her senior season at Lake City with a torn ACL. A left-handed opposite hitter, Liermann also played club volleyball for the CPA Elite team in Spokane.

She has started for her high school since her sophomore season and has also been successful in track and field as a discus thrower. She has an impressive resume off the court as well with a nearly 4.0 GPA and a charitable personality. During the pandemic she volunteered with Meals on Wheels, her local food bank and the Kootenai Humane Society

"Olivia has such an incredible arm. Her arm stood out to me right away," Montana coach Allison Lawrence said. "She is someone as a lefty that has a really powerful, fluid arm swing with a lot of range. I think to get that kind of arm, and then have her personality combined with that, she is relentless in how she plays. I think she's a really exciting combination of athleticism and heart on the court."

Elliotte Kortus, a forward, and defender Georgia Whitehead from the Lake City girls soccer team signed in a class of eight to continue their playing career at Washington State, coach Todd Shulenberger announced.

A two-time 5A Inland Empire League co-MVP and the 2021 Idaho Girls Soccer Gatorade Player of the Year, Kortus joins the Cougs after a successful two years at Lake City High. Over two seasons with the Timberwolves, she tallied a team-leading 53 goals and 46 assists, alongside fellow Coug signee Georgia Whitehead. During her junior season, Kortus led the Timberwolves to the state 5A championship, scoring 27 goals, en route to earning state player-of-the-year honors. As a senior, Lake City finished third at state, falling to eventual runner-up Centennial. Prior to her junior season, Kortus moved from Seattle, where she helped Seattle Academy of the Arts and Sciences become 1A Washington State Champions during her freshman season. Kortus was also named the 2019 1A King County Rookie of the Year.

Whitehead, a two-time 5A Inland Empire League co-MVP, joins the Cougs after a successful two-sport career at Lake City High School in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. On the pitch, Whitehead led the Timberwolves 2021 5A Idaho State Championship, alongside Kortus. As a senior, Lake City finished third at the 5A State Championships, while Whitehead added a team-high 26 goals and 20 assists. She repeated as a three-time all-Inland Empire League selection, two-time league MVP, and picked up 5A all-state selection for a second consecutive season. Away from soccer, Whitehead also exceled on the track as a two-time state champion in the 4x100 meter and 4x200 meter relays. Whitehead is a member of the Lake City honor roll with a 4.0 GPA and intends to major in sport management. Whitehead is the granddaughter of former WSU football coach Jim Walden.

Washington State women's basketball coach Kamie Ethridge announced a trio of signees on the first day of the national signing period, with Jenna Villa, Alex Covill, and Candace Kpetikou joining the Cougars next season.

After back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, Ethridge has reigned in arguably one of her best signing classes at Washington State, as the Cougars are bringing in a trio of highly touted prospects to the Palouse. It is also one of the tallest signing classes in program history, as the average height of the three newest Cougs is 6-3.

Covill, the daughter of new North Idaho College women's basketball Nate Covill, comes to the Palouse from Missoula, Mont., where she is currently a senior at Hellgate High. The 6-foot-6 post player is a two-time first-time all-state recipient and has guided Hellgate to back-to-back state runner-up finishes during her sophomore and junior seasons. Covill was also named the 2021-22 Western AA Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 3.0 blocks per game.

During her junior season with the Knights, Covill ranked fifth in the state of Montana in scoring, averaging 13.2 points per game.

"Alex Covill is a tremendous talent," Ethridge said. "Her 6-6 frame will allow us to match up with many Pac-12 teams that have had a size advantage over us. Alex has become one of the best post players in our region of the country. Alex played summer ball for highly successful Steve Klees and the Northwest Blazers. She has a beautiful outside shot that we believe will stretch to 3-point range. Alex's best basketball years are ahead of her. She will be a force in the paint with her ability to score with both hands. Signing a 6-6 player that can score with her back to the basket, facing the basket, and affect the game defensively will add a new and exciting weapon to our post game. Our fans will enjoy watching Alex protect the rim and block shots throughout her career as a Coug."