Patterson awards given out

Selected by the Wood River coaching staff, the Patterson honors were given for the 21st time in memory of Hailey's Allan Patterson. Nicknamed "Tork" for his all-out attitude, Patterson was an outstanding football player and top-level alpine skier with Olympic aspirations.

Patterson was a 1975 Wood River High School graduate who met an untimely death in 1977.

Special guest at the Patterson ceremony was retired five-sport coach Bob Shay. Shay, a noted cross country, football, wrestling, track and baseball coach retired in 1988 after 33 years with the Blaine County School District. His motto of "Do your best," has become Wood River's own.

Blaine County Superintendent of Schools Phil Homer announced the 1998 Patterson recipients. They were Kali Goicoechea and Cameron Lloyd.

Goicoechea ran cross country and was a star on the state tournament softball team in addition to being one of the top alpine skiers in the western U.S. Lloyd was a three-sport letterman who played on the varsity football and basketball teams and starred as a baseball shortstop.

Previous Patterson recipients:

1997, Anna Kolash, Christy Rubel and Nate Adams. 1996, Andrea Palm, J.W. Umek and Trent Rushton. 1995, Rebecca Daniels and Benji Jex. 1994, Jamie Rubel, Sara Bradshaw, Bryan Burrell and Mike Mays. 1993, Brooke Lang and Kyle Rushton.

1992, Justin Parkinson, Tom Davies, Stephanie Gripne and Beth Scanlon. 1991, Ntala Skinner and Chad Rushton. 1990, Martha Pendl and Jimi Carpenter. 1989, Heidi Engelbert and Lazaro Lecumberry. 1988, Jennifer Terra and Brad Jaques. 1987, Kim Homer and Mike Bradshaw.

1986, Dianna Knight, Jackie Oldfather and Brian Daluiso. 1985, Kim Csizmazia and Dale Karst. 1984, Lisa Bernhagen and Mike Williams. 1983, Anise Morrow, Lee Ritzau and Don Davies. 1982, Lori Pascoe and John Montgomery. 1981, Laura Newcomb and Ty Loutzenheiser. 1980, Lisa Atkinson and Thayne Hendricks. 1979, Mary Beth Prodromides, Tom Bergin and Steve Morey. 1978, Lori Hazen and Bob Shay.

High school wrestling coach Tom Goicoechea expressed the tone of the evening when he said, "When the best of the best gather here, it just gives you goosebumps." Other awards announced last Tuesday at the well-attended banquet:

Erin Lyons, a cross country and track runner, earned the Rose Bergin Memorial Award for the second year. It was given for the 19th time to the senior girl who possesses the student-athlete-citizen qualities of Rose Bergin, a 1977 Wood River High School graduate who died of cancer.

Bob Shay "Most Inspirational" awards were presented to athletes in each of the school's 13 varsity sports and to participants in school activities like drama, debate, drill team and band. The awards, once called Rick Hawkes Memorial, were given for the ninth time in honor of coach Shay.

Shay "Inspirational" awards went to:

Whitney Hogue for a third straight year in volleyball; Holly Hobson and Jackson Esselman in cross country; Graham Watanabe in boys' soccer; Lynsey Dyer in girls' soccer; Boe Rushton in football; Elizabeth Daniels in girls' basketball; and Kenny Nelson in boys' basketball;

Ted Larsen for a second consecutive year in wrestling; Adam Neville and Boe Rushton in boys' track; Jenny Hobson in girls' track; Morgan Masner and Kristen Hanggi in tennis; T.J. Peterson in baseball; and Kali Goicoechea in softball.

Also, Dawn Bradshaw in cheerleading; Adam Neville in speech; Scott Banning in debate; Sarah Fisher, Nick Green and Brady Roark in drama; Miranda Domke and Nick Tabler in band; Amanda Archibald and Travis Gunderson in choir.

U.S. Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete awards were presented to Whitney Hogue and Cody Dieffenbach. Army Reserve Scholar/Athlete honors went to Adam Neville and Summer Williams. Army Sgt. Michael Miller also announced that Yvonne Paxton has received a $15,843 scholarship.

The school's "Outstanding Senior" winners were Autumn Wenglikowski and Boe Rushton.

Honored for the first time were three-sport lettermen at Wood River. There were 12 such athletes: Autumn Wenglikowski, Anna Steinbis, Sarah Kolash and Debbie Rubel; Boe Rushton, Cameron Lloyd, Justin Herald, Ted Larsen, Kenny Nelson, Matt Johnson, James Cordes and Todd Christiansen.

Athletic director Charley Miller announced the tenth winner of the "Shay Cup," which goes to a Wood River coach/advisor in the name of Bob Shay. The winner was band and choir teacher Bart Bailey.

Past "Shay Cup" winners: Speech arts teacher Tim Neville (twice); volleyball coach Dave Neumann; wrestling coach Tom Goicoechea; boys' basketball coach Norm Cook; girls' basketball/track coach J.C. Nemecek; girls' soccer coach Tizz Strachan; cross country/track coach Bill Martell; and boys' soccer coach Erik Larson.

Athletic director Miller expressed appreciation to all of the school's corporate sponsors and especially to Webb Landscaping, Sutton & Sons and Idaho Lumber. He saluted the efforts of the Wood River Booster Club spearheaded by Amy Federko and John Hollenbeck.