Northwest Notes: March 19, 2025
NIC guard Galindo named
Scenic West Player of the Year
North Idaho College freshman Esmeralda Galindo was named Scenic West Athletic Conference Player of the Year, the conference recently announced during the Region 18 women’s basketball tournament in Twin Falls.
Galindo, a 5-foot-8 guard from Davis High in Yakima, Wash., led the conference with 18.5 points per game for the Cardinals, who finished the season 17-13.
Sophomore Kylani Rookstool, a 5-8 guard from Glacier Peak High in Snohomish, Wash., was named to the first team after finishing second in scoring at 15.1 points per game.
NIC sophomore guard Iratxe Amorrortu was named to the all-Region 18 tournament team.
NIC sophomore Vaughn Weems, who is second in the NJCAA in scoring with 26.7 points per game, was named to the all-conference first team, along with sophomore Deng Diew.
Diew, a 6-7 forward, averaged 12.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for NIC.
Weems, a 6-5 guard from Federal Way, Wash., also grabbed 8.1 rebounds per game for NIC, which finished 18-13.
Freshman Ne’quan Brown was named to the all-tournament team for NIC.
ALL-REGION 18 TOURNAMENT TEAMS
MEN
MVP — Mark Brown, Jr., so., Snow.
All-tournament team
Isaac Finlinson, so., Snow; Isaac Garrett, so., Snow; Kharyi Dunn, fr., Southern Idaho; Xavier Edmonds, so., Salt Lake; Ne’quan Brown, fr., North Idaho.
WOMEN
MVP — Tahys Da Silva, fr., Salt Lake.
All-tournament team
Iratxe Amorrortu, so., North Idaho; Brooke Pennington, so., Snow; Iyana Beh, so., Snow; Ahnica Russell-Brown, fr., Salt Lake; Ines Babaya, fr., Salt Lake.
ALL-SCENIC WEST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
MEN
Player of the Year — Isaac Finlinson, so., Snow.
Coach of the Year — Andrew May, Snow.
First team
Vaughn Weems, so., North Idaho; Xavier Edmonds, so., Salt Lake; Kharyi Dunn, fr., Southern Idaho; Isaac Garrett, so., Snow; Amarco Doyle, fr., Southern Idaho; Deng Diew, so., North Idaho.
Second team
Ethan Copeland, so., Salt Lake; Tyler Christensen, so., Colorado Northwestern; Mark Brown Jr., so., Snow; Chance Trujillo, fr., Snow; Mason Bendinger, so., Salt Lake; Ike Palmer, fr., Utah State-Eastern; Jaxon Heiden, so., Utah State-Eastern.
WOMEN
Player of the Year — Esmeralda Galindo, fr., North Idaho.
Coach of the Year — Randy Rogers, Southern Idaho.
First team
Kennedy Gillette, so., Southern Idaho; Kylani Rookstool, so., North Idaho; Simran Williams, fr., Salt Lake; Jeanne Rodriguez, so., Salt Lake; Iyana Beh, so., Snow; Addasyn Scrivner, fr., Utah State-Eastern.
Second team
Savannah Stoker, fr., Southern Idaho; Samara Morrow, fr., Southern Idaho; Tayhs Da Silva, fr., Salt Lake; Brooke Pennington, so., Snow; Ellie Esplin, so., Utah State-Eastern; Makenzie Castille, fr., Colorado Northwestern.
Montana names interim coach
Harris women’s basketball coach
Nate Harris, who led the Lady Griz on a run to the Big Sky Conference championship game last week in Boise in an interim role, was named head coach of the Montana women’s basketball program, the school announced on Tuesday.
Harris agreed to a three-year contract, pending approval by the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education.
”Nate has done a tremendous job leading the Lady Griz over these past several weeks, and I am excited to watch where he takes this program,” Montana athletic director Kent Haslam said.
Former Lake City High star Avery Waddington is a freshman and Tyler McCliment-Call, who played her first two years at Post Falls High, before transferring, competed for the Griz in the 2024-25 season.
Harris was named interim coach after Brian Holsinger resigned after three seasons in February. Montana went 9-8 with Harris after Holsinger resigned in mid-January.
“During the interview process he articulated a clear vision and plan for recruiting high-quality student-athletes from Montana and beyond. His goal and our expectation is for the Lady Griz to win conference championships, compete with toughness and be great stewards and representatives of this treasured program.”
Harris joined the Lady Griz staff in the spring of 2021 as an assistant coach and was elevated to associate head coach after two seasons.
Last week in Boise, he led No. 6 Montana to victories over No. 3 Idaho in the quarterfinals and No. 2 Northern Arizona in the semifinals.
In the championship, Montana’s first appearance in the title game since 2015, Montana fell to No. 1 seed Montana State 58-57 on a last-second shot.