MARK NELKE
Mark Nelke covers high school and North Idaho College sports, University of Idaho football and other local/regional sports as a writer, photographer, paginator and editor at the Coeur d’Alene Press. He has been at The Press since 1998 and sports editor since 2002. Before that, Mark was the one-man sports staff for 16 years at the Bonner County Daily Bee in Sandpoint. Earlier, he was sports editor for student newspapers at Spokane Falls Community College and Eastern Washington University. Mark enjoys the NCAA men's basketball tournament and wiener dogs — and not necessarily in that order.
Recent Stories
STATE 1A DIVISION II BOYS CHAMPIONSHIP: Third year’s the charm ... High-scoring Lakeside breaks through, captures first state title since 1997 in convincing fashion
High-scoring Lakeside breaks through, captures first state title since 1997 in convincing fashion
STATE 5A BOYS SEMIFINALS: Post Falls tops Rocky again ... Trojans beat highly-touted Grizzlies for second straight year, advance to first state title game since 2015
Trojans beat highly-touted Grizzlies for second straight year, advance to first state title game since 2015
STATE 1A DIVISION II BOYS SEMIFINALS: Lakeside runs away from Dietrich in second half and into first state title game since 1997
CALDWELL — When the Lakeside Knights are at their running best, junior point guard Kenyon Spotted Horse is usually the one leading the mad dash.
STATE 5A BOYS: Bruising lesson ... Young Lake City squad worked over by Bolt, Borah in first state appearance since 2014
Young Lake City squad worked over by Bolt, Borah in first state appearance since 2014
STATE 1A DIVISION II BOYS: Lakeside races past Garden Valley, sets single-game classification scoring record
CALDWELL — They started slow, missing six of their first eight shots, which was somewhat to be expected of a program making its first state appearance since 2015.
STATE 2A BOYS: Still the same St. Maries ... Lumberjacks, with new roster, advance to state semifinals
Lumberjacks, with new roster, advance to state 2A semis
STATE 5A BOYS: Fortunately ... Post Falls does just enough to knock off Timberline in state opener
NAMPA — Colby Gennett kept Post Falls afloat just long enough for his Trojan teammates to eventually start heating up.
STATE HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS: Learning curve ... Tough schedule, road trips prepare Post Falls for state
Tough schedule, road trips prepare Post Falls for state
STATE HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL: Past success, tragedy drives Lakeside
If anyone in the Plummer-Worley community needs proof that the Lakeside High Knights can indeed win a state championship in boys basketball, all James Twoteeth has to do is reach into his pocket.
1A DIVISION II DISTRICT 1 CHAMPIONSHIP: Lakeside’s time ... Knights topple Genesis Prep, advance to state for first time since 2015
COEUR d’ALENE — The Lakeside Knights broke out smiles Thursday night that were three seasons in the making.
5A REGION 1 BOYS BASKETBALL: Post Falls tops Lewiston for third straight regional title
POST FALLS — Early on, it was apparent this was not going to be the free-flowing game that unfolded the last time the Post Falls Trojans and Lewiston Bengals played.
Lakeland beats Sandpoint to advance in 4A regional
RATHDRUM — Senior point guard Ben Zubaly plays many roles on the Lakeland Hawks high school boys basketball team.
STATE HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS: The (un)luck of the draw
Timberlake, Sugar-Salem — two of top teams in 3A — to face off first tonight; Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Lakeside also back after brief absences
The (un)luck of the draw
3A
Post Falls heats up late
COEUR d’ALENE — On a night when baskets were hard to come by throughout the 5A Inland Empire League, Post Falls got hot — relatively speaking — when it counted to wrap up another outright league title.
PREP BOYS BASKETBALL: McLean, Trojans adapt ... In a matchup of 5A IEL teams missing key players, Post Falls routs Lake City
In matchup of 5A IEL teams missing key players, Post Falls routs Lake City
Prime picks? Not for us unfortunately
Mercifully, it’s over.
A not-so-sweet Vegas sendoff for Petersen
Is that any way to treat someone who improved both programs at which he coached over the last decade and a half?
Big bowl dreams still remain for someone out west
So much for this finally being the year the Cougars finally beat the Huskies in the Apple Cup.
Friday night lights, on a Saturday, for state 5A title
After fourth-down stops by the Coeur d’Alene Vikings each of the last two weeks to preserve victories, we have one more high school football game to guess ... er, predict this week.
Area schools look to avenge setbacks in semifinals
Coeur d’Alene and Timberlake both have a bit of payback on their minds this week.
First things first, more home playoff games
A few weeks ago, an assistant coach looked at the bracket mentioned to Coeur d’Alene High football coach Shawn Amos that if the Vikings could win the 5A Inland Empire League, they could play all three state playoff games in North Idaho.
Finally ready to take flight
4A
Playoff time, and a rare Wednesday showdown
Lake City returns to the state playoffs on the very same field in which it played its last playoff game, five seasons ago.
Settling some playoff seeds in these parts
Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene are both headed to the state 5A football playoffs.
Rising Lake City to host savvy Cd'A
Lake City is a program on the rise, with talented upperclassmen and youngsters eager to make their mark in coming years.
These games are a big deal this week
Two, and maybe three, of the four teams in the 5A Inland Empire League will advance to the state football playoffs.
Turning things over to our four-legged friends
We’ve reached the dog days of Gridiron Guesses this year — literally.
A friendly, but far, far away from here
This is southeast Idaho’s year to enjoy this friendly-as-can-be-expected statewide rivalry.
IEL takes care of business against GSL foes
The 5A Inland Empire League carried the banner for North Idaho last week, going 2-1 vs. Greater Spokane League foes.
Three more border battles, and some regional ones
The Greater Spokane League got the better of its North Idaho counterparts on the football field this week.
Border battles aplenty this week in prep football
It’s the first of a few weeks of Inland Empire League vs. Greater Spokane League matchups.
Here we guess once again
Five of the area’s eight — whoops, make that seven — high school football teams kick off their seasons this week.
Timberlake eyes first state title
Counting this season, Timberlake High has qualified for state in softball each of the 21 years the school has been in existence.
Slow starts, but Lakeland, Timberlake still standing
With just one win in their first 10 games, the Lakeland Hawks didn’t appear a likely candidate to eventually win a regional title and advance to state.
Different, but same expectations
Last year’s Genesis Prep boys basketball team was experienced and deep.
Four could be magic number for Post Falls in Pocatello
To Post Falls wrestling coach Pete Reardon, this group is already pretty special.
New kids on the block
Hillman, Manzi lead young Genesis Prep squad to first state title
It grew on him
It has been said that the four (or five) years a person spends in college will shape that person for the rest of their life.
PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL: Lake City pulls an inside job
Timberwolves defeat second-ranked Boise
COEUR d’ALENE — What kind of team is Lake City, Timberwolf girls basketball coach Bryan Kelly wondered heading into Friday night’s game.
Ex-Vandal returns as visiting coach
After starring at Gonzaga Prep in Spokane, Tim Lappano went on to play running back at Idaho, graduating in 1983, returned as an assistant coach in 1984 and ’85, and went on to make several stops as an assistant coach in college and in the NFL.
VANDAL NOTES: A first recruiting class to remember
Of the 20 players listed on Paul Petrino’s first recruiting class at Idaho in February 2013, four are seniors who didn’t redshirt, and who will play their final game in the Kibbie Dome on Saturday when the Vandals (7-4, 5-2 Sun Belt) play host to Georgia State (3-8, 2-5) in Idaho’s regular-season finale.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Vandals play at home for first time in 6 weeks
They probably won’t be spinning any John Denver music prior to this afternoon’s football game at the Kibbie Dome.
The Vandals' road to a potential bowl
The Idaho Vandals celebrated becoming bowl eligible for the first time since 2009 by ... taking the week off.
A look at area teams as season begins
Prep girls basketball
Several area high school girls basketball teams begin their seasons tonight.
VANDAL FOOTBALL: Slow the QB, and perhaps a bowl awaits
Senior quarterback Tyler Jones has completed 64.5 percent of his passes this season for Texas State, throwing for 1,894 yards and 10 touchdowns, with 10 interceptions.
VANDAL NOTES: Listening to someone who's been there
Idaho players were pleasantly surprised last Thursday when former Vandal great Mike Iupati stopped by, during his bye week with the Arizona Cardinals, to speak to the team.
Vandals in good shape after bye
In his fourth season as Idaho coach, Paul Petrino talks about the “private victories” the Vandal program has achieved under his watch.
