Union-Bulletin

WALLA WALLA - Awards will be handed out Wednesday at the Walla Walla Elks Lodge during the presentation of trophies at the 35th annual Blue Mountain Sports Awards.

Blue Mountain Youth Recognition Evening, co-sponsored by the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin and Baker Boyer Bank, begins at 7 p.m., is free of charge and open to the public.

In addition to the five sports awards, outstanding students from high schools throughout the U-B circulation area will be recognized for their achievements in the classroom and throughout their communities.

A selection panel that includes representatives from the 14 high schools and the three colleges in the area votes twice during the selection process, initially to determine finalists in each of the five sports awards categories and a second time to decide the winners. The five sports awards categories are Male Athlete of the Year, Female Athlete of the Year, Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Coach of the Year and Team of the Year.

This year's finalists for Male Athlete of the Year are Oscar Flores, a soccer standout at Mac-Hi; Garrett Gerling, a state competitor on Wa-Hi's track team; Andrew Glaeser, Wa-Hi's boys soccer goalkeeper; and Pomeroy's Tory Knebel, a state wrestling champion and track state finisher.

In the Female Athlete of the Year category, finalists include Weston-McEwen volleyball leader Renee Baumann; Belen Betancourt of Mac-Hi's girls soccer squad; Mac-Hi soccer player and state track champion Emily Childers; and Wa-Hi softball pitcher Hope Klicker.

Scholar-Athlete of the Year finalists are Baumann of Weston-McEwen, Childers of Mac-Hi, Christoph Fuchs of Whitman College, Wa-Hi's Glaeser, and Walla Walla Valley Academy's Chinonso Opara.

Jeff Bartlow, Waitsburg-Prescott's football coach; Chad Bodnar, the men's and women's soccer coach at Walla Walla Community College; Eric Bridgeland, Whitman men's basketball head coach; WWCC women's basketball coach Bobbi Hazeltine; and Wa-Hi softball coach Jerry Humphreys are contending for Coach of the Year honors.

The Team of the Year finalists are Wa-Hi's state tournament softball team; W-M's state champion volleyball squad; Whitman's men's basketball team, which played for the Northwest Conference title; and WWCC's NWAACC champion women's soccer team.

The list of additional high school students who will be recognized for their classroom/community accomplishments during the last year are DeSales' Peter vander Griend, Mac-Hi's Belen Betancourt, Pomeroy's Jay Breithaupt, Prescott's David Brock, Touchet's James Paul (J.P.) Riggs, Waitsburg's Megan Withers, Wa-Hi's Nicholas Bushman, WWVA's Herbert Sweezey, and W-M's Danielle Hinchliff.

These students were nominated for recognition by their schools.

This year's co-masters of ceremonies are Randy Grant and J.R. Loe of the YMCA.

Blue Mountain Sports Awards Winners

Male Athlete of the Year

2010 - Gary Winston, Wa-Hi

2009 - Tye Knebel, Pomeroy

2008 - Kevin Baffney, DeSales

2007 - Carl Jones, Wa-Hi

2006 - Carl Jones, Wa-Hi

2005 - Cesar Lopez, DeSales

2004 - T.J. Conley, DeSales

2003 - (tie) Casey Waddell, Wa-Hi, and Zac Widmer, Wa-Hi

2002 - (tie) David Thompson, Wa-Hi, and Brian Hall, DeSales

2001 - Thomas Kelati, Wa-Hi

2000 - Casey Richard, DeSales

1999 - Brian Lindgren, DeSales

1998 - Jared Jones, Wa-Hi

1997 - Joe Levens, DeSales

1996 - Craig Douglas, Mac-Hi

1995 - Peter Sirmon, Wa-Hi

1994 - Jason Richard, DeSales

1993 - Chad Averill, DeSales

1992 - Pat Graham, DeSales

1991 - Lance Sappington, Wa-Hi

1990 - Drew Bledsoe, Wa-Hi

1989 - (tie) David Bingham, Wa-Hi, and Ricky Wilson, Wa-Hi

1988 - David Bingham, Wa-Hi

1987 - Chris Cockburn, Mac-Hi

1986 - Darin Harvey, Wa-Hi

1985 - Scott Rahn, DeSales

1984 - Josh Baldi, Wa-Hi

1983 - Toby Long, Wa-Hi

1982 - Brian Richard, DeSales

1981 - Chris Thiessen, Wa-Hi

1980 - Jeff Reinland, Pomeroy

1979 - Todd Richard, DeSales

1978 - Pat Barker, Prescott

1977 - Don Burt, Wa-Hi

Female Athlete of the Year

2010 - Kati Isham, Walla Walla Community College

2009 - Kelsey Warren, Dayton

2008 - Jennifer Keyes, Wa-Hi

2007 - Laura Valaas, Whitman College

2005 - Kayla Johnson, Weston-McEwen

2004 - Denise Kirstein, Whitman College

2003 - Jamie Eggers, Wa-Hi

2002 - Terran Legard, Burbank

2001 - Lindsay Morgan, Wa-Hi

2000 - Melanie Simmons, Dayton

1999 - Anne Bickelhaupt, Waitsburg

1998 - Amber Weatherspoon, Weston-McEwen

1997 - Amber Weatherspoon, Weston-McEwen

1996 - Jessica Bissonnette, Whitman College

1995 - Seville Broussard, Wa-Hi

1994 - Seville Broussard, Wa-Hi

1993 - Amy Wilkins, Walla Walla Community College

1992 - Colby Cummings, Weston-McEwen

1991 - Amy Wilkins, Wa-Hi

1990 - Katie Rubenser, Wa-Hi

1989 - Angie Zagelow, Wa-Hi

1988 - Darcy Wahl, Whitman College

1987 - Libby Tyson, Wa-Hi

1986 - Karen Weitz, Mac-Hi

1985 - Randi Taruscio, Wa-Hi

1984 - Shelly Ray, Wa-Hi

1983 - Emily Picerne, DeSales (WW YMCA Swim Team)

1082 - Annette Bergevin, Wa-Hi

1981 - Emily Picerne, DeSales (WW YMCA Swim Team)

1980 - (tie) Debbie Reser, Wa-Hi, and Emily Picerne, DeSales (WW YMCA Swim Team)

1979 - Sheri Bates, Wa-Hi

1978 - Jeanne Eggart, Wa-Hi

1977 - Jeanne Eggart, Wa-Hi

Scholar-Athlete of the Year

2010 - Christoph Fuchs, Whitman College

2009 - Noel Griggs, Weston-McEwen

2008 - Noel Griggs, Weston-McEwen

2007 - Shanie Bushman, Wa-Hi

2006 - Jeremy Claridge, Walla Walla College

2005 - Nick Conley, DeSales

2004 - Bryce Bye, Pomeroy

2003 - Vinnie Graves, DeSales

2002 - Brenda Deal, Pomeroy

2001 - Jeremy Claridge, Walla Walla Valley Academy

2000 - Adam Hayner, Wa-Hi

1999 - Brian Lindgren, DeSales

1998 - Kris Wolfram, DeSales

1997 - Clay Hutchens, Dayton

1996 - Craig Douglas, Mac-Hi

1995 - Will Hutchens, Dayton

1994 - John Smelcer, Wa-Hi

1993 - Jennie Close, DeSales

1992 - Jennie Close, DeSales

1991 - Brenda Baumgart, DeSales

1990 - Fiona Lloyd, Whitman College

1989 - Todd Miller, DeSales

1988 - Judy Hall, Walla Walla Community College

1987 - Brian Martin, Dayton

1986 - Reid Nelson, Wa-Hi

1985 - Don Abbey, Waitsburg

1984 - Don Abbey, Waitsburg

Coach of the Year

2010 - Bobbi Hazeltine, Walla Walla Community College women's basketball

2009 - Chad Bodnar, WWCC men's and women's soccer

2008 - Mike Spiess, DeSales football

2007 - Jose Garcia, Mac-Hi boys soccer

2006 - Jose Garcia, Mac-Hi boys soccer

2005 - Jeff Griggs, Weston-McEwen girls basketball

2004 - Michelle Ferenz, Whitman College women's basketball

2003 - Marc Yonts, Wa-Hi football

2002 - Darrell Loney, Touchet softball

2001 - Bobbi Hazeltine, Walla Walla Community College women's basketball

2000 - Wayne Dickey, Touchet football and baseball

1999 - Jim Thacker, Wa-Hi boys basketball

1998 - Kim Cox, DeSales baseball and football

1997 - Kim Cox, DeSales baseball and football

1996 - (tie) Gary Mires, Wa-Hi football, and Kim Cox, DeSales baseball and football

1995 - Jay Webber, Dayton boys basketball

1994 - Kim Cox, DeSales baseball and football

1993 - Kim Cox, DeSales baseball and football

1992 - Kim Cox, DeSales baseball and football

1991 - Jim Thacker, Wa-Hi boys basketball

1990 - Kim Cox, DeSales baseball and football

1989 - Scott Tibbling, Wa-Hi baseball

1988 - Art Wilmore, Walla Walla Community College men's basketball

1987 - John Volek, Walla Walla Community College football

1986 - Jerry Ewing, Mac-Hi wrestling

1985 - Dave Curtis, DeSales football

1984 - Al Sievertsen, Wa-Hi wrestling

1983 - Jim Thacker, Wa-Hi boys basketball

1982 - Gary Knecht, Walla Walla Community College football

1981 - Jim Mastin, Whitman College men's basketball

1980 - Wayne Dickey, Touchet football

1979 - Marda McClenny, Wa-Hi girls basketball

1978 - Charlotte Wirth, Wa-Hi girls basketball

1977 - Max Seachris, Prescott football

Team of the Year

2010 - Walla Walla Community College women's basketball

2009 - Walla Walla Community College men's soccer

2008 - DeSales football

2007 - Mac-Hi boys soccer

2006 - Mac-Hi boys soccer

2005 - Weston-McEwen girls basketball

2004 - Whitman College women's basketball

2003 - Touchet softball

2002 - Touchet softball

2001 - Walla Walla Community College women's basketball

2000 - (tie) Touchet football and Dayton girls basketball

1999 - Wa-Hi boys basketball

1998 - (tie) DeSales football and Pomeroy volleyball

1997 - DeSales baseball

1996 - DeSales baseball

1995 - Dayton boys basketball

1994 - DeSales baseball

1993 - Walla Walla Community College women's rodeo

1992 - DeSales football

1991 - Walla Walla Community College football

1990 - DeSales baseball

1989 - Wa-Hi baseball

1988 - Whitman College women's alpine skiing

1987 - Walla Walla Community College football

1986 - Mac-Hi wrestling

1985 - Waitsburg boys basketball

1984 - Wa-Hi girls basketball

1083 - Wa-Hi boys basketball

1982 - Walla Walla Community College football

1981 - Whitman College men's basketball

1980 - Touchet football

1979 - Wa-Hi girls basketball

1978 - Walla Walla Community College men's basketball

1977 - Wa-Hi girls basketball