Finalists announced for North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame awards

Five Badgers in contention for sports honors

COEUR d’ALENE — The good news — athletes, teams and coaches from 25 high schools and three colleges in North Idaho has been selected as finalists for the annual North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame awards, officials announced Saturday.

The bad news — because of the safety recommendations by the Center for Disease Control in dealing with the COVID-19 coronavirus, officials have canceled the 58th annual North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame banquet and induction ceremonies scheduled for April 25 at The Coeur d’Alene Resort.

Instead, the five individuals scheduled to be inducted will wait a year and be honored at the 2021 banquet. The previously announced five inductees are former University of Idaho women’s basketball player Emily Sann (nee Faurholt) and former Vandal football players Jason Shelt and Robert Young, former Coeur d’Alene High and University of Montana standout Ann Jaworski (nee Schwenke), and longtime high school teacher, coach, administrator and basketball official Jim Wilund.

The North Idaho Hall of Fame also honors District I-II high school athletes, coaches and teams for their outstanding play, along with the athletes, coaches and teams from the University of Idaho, North Idaho College and Lewis-Clark State College. The awards cover the 2019 academic spring season and the 2019-20 academic fall and winter seasons.

Nominations for each category are reviewed by the Hall of Fame committee, which selects finalists for each category. A winner is then selected. Winners are normally announced at the banquet, but this year will be released through the media to announce on Sunday, April 26.

Each finalist receives a certificate and the winners also receive a plaque. The athlete, coach and team of the year awards for both high school and college receive trophies.

Here are the Bonners Ferry finalists and their categories:

SPRING SPORTS:

GIRLS TRACK

3A-1A

Abigail Gorton, Bonners Ferry; Victoria Rae, Bonners Ferry; Cassidy Lustig, Kendrick; and Madison Sotin, St. Maries

BASEBALL

3A-1A

Seth Bateman, Bonners Ferry; Jack McDonald, Timberlake; Chase Adkison, Grangeville; Cade Truscott, St. Maries; Brayden Turcott, Orofino; and Kyle Lynas, Potlatch.

FALL SPORTS:

GIRLS SWIMMING

Mikayla Schoening, Sandpoint; Hailey Pierce, Lake City; Julia Cummings, Bonners Ferry; Kate Bokowy, Sandpoint; and Kayla Wright, Sandpoint.

WINTER SPORTS:

WRESTLING

3A-2A

Evan Barajas, Bonners Ferry; Judson Hall, Kellogg; Caleb Miller, Timberlake; Joey Follini, Timberlake; Kelton Saad, Potlatch.