Several SV athletes receive award nominations
COEUR d’ALENE — Shoshone County (and even a little bit of Western Montana) will be well represented later this month at the 2021 North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame High School Awards.
Six local athletes received eight nominations for awards including two athlete of the year nominations.
Kellogg High School’s Hailey Cheney, a junior standout for both the volleyball and basketball program was nominated for 3A-1A Volleyball Player of the Year, as well as the 3A-1A Female Athlete of the Year.
Finishing as the Intermountain League MVP, Cheney has been a part of three state tournament runs in her three years at KHS.
“Hailey is a humble, strong, but quiet leader,” said KHS Volleyball Coach Steph Batchelder. “She is a very well-rounded player and is very dedicated to her athletics and training.”
Also joining Cheney with two nominations is Mullan High School junior Luke Trogden.
Trogden was nominated 3A-1A Football Player of the Year, as well as Male Athlete of the Year.
Along with his teammate Adam Ball, were honored as Idaho All-State players and as the co-MVPs of the Northstar League, they wreaked havoc upon every team who lined up across from them.
“A lot of eight-man schools have solid players who are talented, but Adam and Luke are the legs we stand on,” said Mullan High School Football Coach and school AD Stetson Spooner. “They are the total package. The size, the strength, the speed, the coachability, the buy-in and leadership, it’s all there with these two.”
Ball, who hails from St. Regis, Mont., and is part of the Tigers via the co-op between the St. Regis and Mullan High Schools was also nominated for 3A-1A Football Player of the Year.
MHS senior Riley Trogden was also nominated for Male Athlete of the Year.
Riley was a second team All-State selection in football and one of the pillars of the Tiger basketball team.
“Riley is just that kid that you want to coach,” Spooner said. “He is the one that shows up, works, and he is a great leader. He has such a competitive nature. He is so solid.”
Wrapping up the Mullan nominations is senior Talowa Fallingwater, who was nominated for the 3A-1A Female Basketball Player of the Year.
Fallingwater led the Tigers to their first state tournament berth in more than 30 years as the Northstar League MVP and led the team in almost every major statistical category.
“She has been such a blessing for our school,” Spooner said. “Talowa was so naturally tough and athletic and she works for days. She pushed it really hard for us and I really can’t say any more than she is just a blessing for us. She has carried a pretty heavy load for our girls’ programs. And her example has gotten some of the younger girls to come out and bolster our programs.”
The Silver Valley’s last, but certainly not least nominee is KHS senior Logan Jerome who was nominated for 3A-1A Basketball Player of the Year.
Jerome was a workhorse for the Wildcats and brought home the IML’s MVP award this past season leading a fairly green team to a winning record.
“There isn’t anyone I can think of more deserving of a nomination than Logan,” said Kellogg Head Coach Mike Martin. “He did everything for us on the floor this year, and also set a great example for everyone around him about how to get things done on the court and in the classroom.”
This year’s banquet will be held in-person at The Coeur d’Alene Resort on April 17, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. and dinner starting at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $29.43 apiece and can only be purchased online at www.nihof.org and clicking on “Purchase Tickets” brown button in the lower left area. Athletes and coaches who are nominated for awards receive one free ticket but must confirm they are attending with their school's athletic director. Tickets will not be sold at the door.
New this year is the North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame Hagadone High Character Award, which will be presented to one male and female athlete from each high school. It is named after Duane Hagadone, who founded the North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame 58 years ago.
The award honors a student-athlete who excelled in the classroom and as a teammate; has outstanding work ethic and integrity; displays sportsmanship and true character in all walks of life, and is an all-around good individual. Civic and community involvement is a plus.
All winners for the categories listed below, as well as the Hagadone High Character Award will be announced at the banquet.
Nominations for each category are reviewed by the North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame committee, which selects the finalists and winners for each category below. Each finalist receives a certificate and the winners also receive a plaque. The athlete, coach and team of the year awards receive trophies.
Also during the event, four individuals will be inducted into the North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame. The previously announced inductees are former University of Idaho football players Jason Shelt and Rob Young, former Coeur d’Alene High and University of Montana standout Ann Jaworski (nee Schwenke), and former North Idaho College and Washington State athlete and high school coach Dick Schultz.
Here are the finalists for each award:
GIRLS SOCCER — Abbie Lyman, Coeur d'Alene; Ava Jakich-Kunze, Moscow; Hattie Larson, Sandpoint; Sarah Hines, Coeur d’Alene Charter; Riley Jo Anderson, Coeur d’Alene Charter.
BOYS SOCCER — Aidan O'Halloran, Post Falls; Chris Swider, Coeur d'Alene; Logan Koller, Post Falls; Dylan Parker, Lewiston; Zander Moore, Sandpoint; Chris Koch, Sandpoint; Daniel Walker, Bonners Ferry.
GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY — Sammie Wood, Post Falls; Annastasia Peters, Post Falls; Alahna Lien, Post Falls; Kaley Bohl, Post Falls; Angelyca Chapman, Lake City; Anna Marie Dance, Coeur d’Alene.
BOYS CROSS COUNTRY — Nikolai Braedt, Sandpoint; Brycen Kempton, Post Falls; Alex Peters, Post Falls; Logan Davis, Coeur d’Alene Charter; Jett Lucas, Sandpoint; Carson Sellers, Timberline.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
5A-4A — Sarah Wilkey, Coeur d’Alene; Jaya Miller, Lake City; Tanai Jenkins, Lake City; Katy Ryan, Lakeland; Olivia Cooper, Lakeland; Gabby Hicks, Sandpoint.
3A-1A — Hailey Cheney, Kellogg; Brooke Jessen, Timberlake; Sydnie Zywina, Orofino; Morgan Blazzard, Troy; Rose Steward, Kendrick; Hannah Miller, Highland.
GIRLS SWIMMING — Helen Schumaker, Moscow; Kate Bokowy, Sandpoint; Kaya Wright, Sandpoint; Natasha Astrauskas, Post Falls; Ally Crossland, Moscow.
BOYS SWIMMING — Logan Robillard, Lake City; Lance Mielke, Lake City; Isaac Pimentel, Moscow; Caleb Norling, Sandpoint; Reid Johnson, Moscow; Hayden Leavitt, Sandpoint.
FOOTBALL
5A-4A — Jack Prka, Coeur d'Alene; Tommy Hauser, Post Falls; Kaden Cripps, Post Falls; Zach Johnson, Lake City; Cameren Cope, Coeur d'Alene; Gunner Giulio, Coeur d'Alene; Jackson Kohal, Coeur d'Alene; Jonah Ellis, Moscow; Parker Pettit, Sandpoint; Tag Benefield, Sandpoint; Wes Benefield, Sandpoint; Chad Redinger, Moscow.
3A-1A — Luke Fortin, sr., Timberlake; Caleb Frei, Grangeville; Eli Gibson, St. Maries; Dean Johnson, Prairie; Brody Hasselstrom, Prairie; Titus Yearout, Lapwai; Ty Koepp, Kendrick; Luke Trogden, Mullan/St. Regis; Adam Ball, Mullan/St. Regis.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
5A-4A — Skylar Burke, Coeur d’Alene; Madi Symons, Coeur d’Alene; Brooklyn Rewers, Lake City; Kaylee Banks, Sandpoint; Katy Ryan, Lakeland; Hattie Larson, Sandpoint.
3A-1A — Camden Barger, Grangeville; Claire Osborne, Genesee; Erin Morgan, Kendrick; Talowa Fallingwater, Mullan; Brooke Jessen, Timberlake; Taryn Soumas, Timberlake.
BOYS BASKETBALL
5A-4A — Caden McLean, Post Falls; Kolton Mitchell, Lake City; Jack Kiesbuy, Lake City; George Forsmann, Lewiston; Colin Roos, Sandpoint; Noah Haaland, Lakeland.
3A-1A — Brayden Stapleton, Deary; Kenyon Spotted Horse, Lakeside; Trentyn Kreager, Priest River; Logan Jerome, Kellogg; Eli Gibson, St. Maries; Titus Yearout, Lapwai.
WRESTLING
(All state champions)
5A-4A — Tyson Barnhart, Post Falls; Lane Reardon, Post Falls; Drew Roberts, Coeur d’Alene; Gunner Giulio, Coeur d’Alene; Matthew Whitcomb, Lake City; Rylan Rogers, Coeur d’Alene; Alyssa Randles, Coeur d’Alene; Riley Siegford, Lakeland.
3A-1A — Eli Richards, Bonners Ferry; Dylan Sotin, St. Maries; Gabe Prather, Potlach; Kadence Beck, Grangeville.
GIRLS TEAM OF THE YEAR — Coeur d’Alene Charter soccer; Lakeland volleyball; Timberlake basketball; Post Falls girls cross country; Sandpoint swimming; Prairie basketball; Kendrick basketball; Genesee volleyball.
BOYS TEAM OF THE YEAR — St. Maries basketball; Lapwai basketball; Lake City basketball; Sandpoint swimming; Logos cross country.
GIRLS COACH OF THE YEAR — Stacy Smith, Coeur d’Alene Charter soccer; Kelsie Badger, Lakeland volleyball; Matt Miller, Timberline basketball.
BOYS COACH OF THE YEAR — Bryan Chase, St. Maries basketball; Zachary Eastman, Lapwai basketball.
FEMALE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
5A-4A — Skylar Burke, Coeur d’Alene; Madi Symons, Coeur d’Alene; Katy Ryan, Lakeland; Angela Lassen, Moscow; Hattie Larson, Sandpoint; Addisen Kiefer, Lakeland; Abbey Neff, Lakeland.
3A-1A — Brooke Jessen, Timberlake; Hailey Cheney, Kellogg; Sydnie Zywina, Orofino; Claira Osborne, Genesee; Rose Steward, Kendrick; Paige Valliere, Clark Fork; Talowa Fallingwater, Mullan; Erin Morgan, Kendrick
MALE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
5A-4A — Matthew Whitcomb, Lake City; Riley Siegford, Lakeland; Zach Johnson, Lake City; Gunner Giulio, Coeur d’Alene; Cameren Cope, Coeur d’Alene; Kash Lang, Lewiston; Benny Kitchel, Moscow; Tyler Skinner, Moscow.
3A-1A — Eli Richards, Bonners Ferry; Eli Gibson, St. Maries; Brayden Stapleton, Deary; Ty Koepp, Kendrick; Jordan Nortz, Priest River; Luke Trogden, Mullan; Riley Trogden, Mullan
