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
Mueller commits to Oregon State
Brings total to eight Post Falls players who have signed or verballed to play soccer in college
Timmy Mueller, a junior forward who helped Post Falls High win its first state boys soccer state title last fall, has verbally committed to play soccer at Oregon State in 2014.
Chalich makes his case for No. 1
Former Coeur d'Alene High quarterback shines in Idaho spring football game
Chalich makes his case for No. 1
Former Coeur d'Alene High quarterback shines in Idaho spring football game
MOSCOW — Idaho football coach Paul Petrino said if he had to play a game today, former Coeur d'Alene High star Chad Chalich would be his starting quarterback.
No. 1 QB job still up for grabs
Idaho's Silver and Gold Scrimmage tonight will wrap up spring practice
Idaho's No. 1 quarterback - at least heading into the fall - should be decided tonight when the Vandals hold their annual Silver and Gold Scrimmage at the Kibbie Dome (6 p.m., SWX).
Vredenburg named Cd'A girls soccer coach
Ex-EWU volleyball coach named NIC's new coach
COEUR d'ALENE - The appeal of being able to compete for a national championship was one reason former Eastern Washington University coach Miles Kydd was interested in the vacant head volleyball coaching job at North Idaho College.
Here's the pitch ...
Local adult slowpitch teams getting ready to begin their seasons
COEUR d’ALENE — There will be a new/old field for rec softball this season, a little farther to run between the bases, and if you’re thinking about altering your bat to hit the ball a little farther — well, better think twice.
Leiss won't return as Cd'A coach
COEUR d'ALENE - Kent Leiss said Thursday he was "disappointed" to learn he will not be back as Coeur d'Alene High boys basketball coach next season.
NIC women receive at-large bid
Cardinal men fall short in bid for at-large berth to nationals
After wondering for a week whether their season was going to continue or not, the North Idaho College women's basketball team got the news it was waiting for Monday.
Leiss in limbo as Viking coach
After resigning, then rescinding resignation, Cd'A boys coach waits for update on job status
T-Wolves bow out of state tourney
NAMPA - That slow, heads-down walk off the Idaho Center court on a Friday afternoon was not the finish the Lake City Timberwolves envisioned when they headed confidently south for the state 5A boys basketball tournament.
Shooting woes catch up to Trojans in defeat
NAMPA - Post Falls' season-long shooting woes finally caught up with them, and the Trojans exited the state 5A boys basketball tournament with a 56-49 loss to Madison of Rexburg on Friday afternoon at the Idaho Center.
Lake City comes up dry
T-Wolves offense sputters in opening-round loss to Rocky Mountain
NAMPA - Whatever state title aspirations Lake City had quickly and stunningly disappeared Thursday afternoon in a sea of turnovers, missed shots and general lackluster play.
STATE BOYS BASKETBALL: Timberlake unable to sustain terrific start
• 3A
Strong showing on defense not enough for Post Falls
NAMPA - The Post Falls Trojans couldn't have played much better defense than they did in the first quarter Thursday night, holding the Mountain View Mavericks to two points.
Kootenai out to erase memory of last year's first-round loss
Warriors open vs. Carey for second straight year
Making their fourth straight trip to state, the Kootenai Warriors draw a familiar foe when they open vs. the Carey Panthers (15-9) in the first round of the state 1A Division II boys basketball tournament Thursday at 12:15 p.m. PST at Caldwell High.
Post Falls returns with many new faces
"No excuses,' Trojans say - they 'owned' who they were
A team that lost all five of its starters and most of its key bench players from last year's state runners-up, the Post Falls Trojans weren't expected to return to the state 5A boys basketball tournament by many people.
Lake City playing well at right time
Talented T-Wolves could contend for title
Lake City had high expectations to begin the season, and not even back-to-back losses to open the year were going to lower those expectations.
Hanna oversees breakthrough at Timberlake
Tigers at state for first time in school history
Boys teams at Timberlake High have enjoyed quite a bit of success since the school opened in 1998.
Hall's 3 wins it for Trojans
Post Falls boys oust Coeur d'Alene, advance to state play-in game
COEUR d'ALENE - As the final seconds ticked off, Nick Hall wound with the ball in his hands at the top of the key - and not a lot of options.
Worth shouting about
Timberlake captures district title, qualifies for state for first time in school history
RATHDRUM — The hugs began with 48.8 seconds left, with the outcome finally decided and the subs coming in to finish up.
Guice, Lake City on a roll
T-Wolves rout Coeur d’Alene, on to state 5A Region 1 boys basketball championship
Cd'A, Lake City to play for title
Hawks think outside the box
Lakeland pulls away from Sandpoint in second half
Leiss won't coach Vikings in postseason
Investigation into allegations of abuse to begin
Kent Leiss, who last week rescinded his resignation as Coeur d'Alene High boys basketball coach, will not coach the Vikings the rest of the season.
Can't have enough quarterbacks
Petrino brings in three more in first signing class; Vandals now have six on roster
The quarterback position at Idaho got a lot more crowded on Wednesday, the first day high school football players could sign letters of intent.
Vikings, after coach resigns, roll past Trojans
Daniels leads balanced attack as Coeur d'Alene snaps 3-game skid
Lake City boys clinch 5A IEL title
Timberwolves get back to basics, hold Post Falls to eight baskets
COEUR d'ALENE - Lake City High's boys basketball team won its first outright league title in 11 seasons Tuesday night, and the Timberwolves did it in a manner that made everybody happy:
All-around and outgoing
Post Falls seniors Failor, Litalien share a love for competition
Dani Failor is one of those rarities at a big high school anymore - a three-sport athlete at Post Falls High.
Lake City boys prevail over Post Falls in OT
Gennett's 30 points lead Post Falls girls
POST FALLS - For the first half Friday night, the Post Falls High boys basketball team looked like the leaders of the 5A Inland Empire League, and the Lake City Timberwolves looked like a team still searching for its first league win.
Lake City soars again
T-Wolf boys edge Coeur d'Alene for 2nd straight game; Viking girls fend off much-improved Lake City
COEUR d’ALENE — After their second hard-fought victory in 3 1/2 weeks over their city rivals, the Lake City Timberwolves are sitting pretty atop the 5A Inland Empire League boys basketball race at the midway point of their league schedule.
Trojans suffer 1st loss
No. 3 Coeur d'Alene girls knock off No. 1 Post Falls, which had started 15-0
COEUR d'ALENE - Junior guard Madison Sumner is known mostly for the lockdown defense she plays for the Coeur d'Alene High girls basketball team.
Viking boys trip Glacier in fast-paced tilt
Daniels' last-second basket wins it for Cd'A
COEUR d'ALENE - Many of the fans may have come to get a glimpse of the 7-footer who has signed with Gonzaga.
Petrino completes coaching staff
Idaho coach says he will sign one junior college QB, one high school QB
New Idaho football coach Paul Petrino announced the completion of his coaching staff on Wednesday, as well as the signing of four junior college transfers.
T-Wolves zone out Cd'A
Lake City boys open league play with big road victory; Viking girls win big
Earning a good grade
Wrestling newcomer Dippolito impresses in Cardinal victory
COEUR d'ALENE - Guiseppe Dippolito needed a P.E. credit at North Idaho College so he could transfer.
Deep, long NIC men romp to tourney title
COEUR d'ALENE - It only seems like the North Idaho College men's basketball team toys with its opposition in the first half, before blowing them out in the second.
Post Falls shows off its depth
COEUR d'ALENE - It's not exactly true that, in rolling to a 52-21 victory over Lake City on Thursday night, the Post Falls High girls basketball team didn't miss senior point guard Katie King, who missed the game due to illness.
Post Falls girls rout Lewiston
POST FALLS - Against the team that kept them from the state tournament last season, the Post Falls Trojans' game plan was simple:
Vandals seek happy ending to another troubling season
The visiting team limps into its season finale with five straight losses and an interim coach who has no idea if he'll even be employed by the university as early as next week.
Spotlight on seniors in Vandals' final home game
At the tender age of 33, interim Idaho football coach Jason Gesser is not too far removed from his senior day game, in 2002 as the quarterback at Washington State.
Couldn't quite catch 'em
Vikings come up short in bid for third straight state title
POCATELLO — When the last pass fell incomplete and the clock finally struck :00, marking the end of a Coeur d’Alene High comeback that seemingly lasted the entire game, several Viking players dropped to a knee, exhausted, spent … you name it.
Viks go for third straight title
Coeur d'Alene takes on unbeaten and pass-happy Madison in state 5A football championship game tonight
The list of large-school football teams in Idaho who have won three straight state championships is ... nonexistent.
Progress, though no victories yet
It's obviously not showing up on the scoreboard, as Idaho's record is 1-9.
Tough foes for 5A girls squads
Coeur d'Alene, which finished third in the state in 5A last year, opens its girls basketball season vs. three teams from the 4A Inland Empire League.
In 2nd half, 'the dam broke' on Tigers
SPIRIT LAKE - Fruitland is a hard enough team to stop over the years, with its bevy of running backs with equal parts speed and beef.
Viks get another shot at Highland
Lake City also in semis in Pocatello; Timberlake faces a familiar foe in visiting Fruitland
The last time the Coeur d'Alene Vikings saw the Highland Rams on a football field, they were coming off a 51-point loss to Skyline High of Sammamish, Wash., in the Idaho Football Classic at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow.
Lakeland, St. Maries, Kootenai get season started this weekend
Josie Coder was the newcomer of the year in 4A Inland Empire League girls basketball last year as a junior at Lakeland.
Bushnell to start again at QB for Vandals
Logan Bushnell will start at quarterback for the second straight week for Idaho on Saturday, when the Vandals (1-8) travel to BYU (5-4).
Bushnell to start again at QB for Vandals
Interim coach Gesser 'more comfortable' calling plays on the field
Logan Bushnell will start at quarterback for the second straight week for Idaho on Saturday, when the Vandals (1-8) travel to BYU (5-4).