“This is a great night of celebration,” said Wood River High School athletic and activities director John Rade about Thursday’s Bob Shay Most Inspirational awards banquet in the high school commons area in Hailey.
Top Wood River students in extracurricular activities accepted accolades and plaques before an audience of teachers, coaches, family and friends.
Here are Thursday’s awards:
Judged by a vote of coaches as the “Outstanding Senior Athletes,” for the 2012-13 school year were Tommy Bailey, Lily Richards and Kori Paradis. “Outstanding Seniors of Performing Arts” were Jason Black and Rachel Conover.
This was the 16th year WRHS honored three-activity letter winners who are backbones of extracurricular programs. Presenting the awards was J.C. Nemecek, a three-sport coach who completed his 102nd season of cumulative coaching with girls’ track this spring.
Honorees were Jared Anderson, Brittney Bradley, Haley Cutler, Zack Freeman, Alexis Gonzalez, Connor Hayes, Chase Hutchinson, Max Mauldin, Max Mihalic, Andrew Morse, Ciceley Peavey, Mary Petzke, Kenya Schott and Samantha Sutton.
Accepting the first Jim Boatwright Memorial Award were KJ Savaria and Madison Hendrix. Minico High School All-State basketball star Boatwright had a distinguished career in college and professional basketball and taught at Wood River for 10 years before passing away in February.
Allan Lee Patterson Memorial Awards were presented to two outstanding seniors. Selected by the coaching staff, Patterson honors were given for the 36th time in memory of Hailey’s Allan Patterson, a 1975 Wood River High graduate and alpine skier who died in 1977.
The winners were Alison Gasenica and Zack Freeman.
Recipients of Wood River High Scholar/Athlete honors were Shea Goitiandia and Chase England.
Brooke Lawrence earned the Rose Bergin Memorial Award. It was given for the 33rd time to the Wolverine girl who possesses the qualities of Bergin, a 1977 WRHS grad and runner who died of cancer.
Jimmy Holcomb received the eighth annual Monte Brothwell Unsung Hero Award honoring the Bellevue runner and 1972 state cross country champ for Wood River who has completed 46-plus marathons.
Given 2012-13 “Wolverine Awards” were Hannah Belloli, Nick Brunker, Corina Salinas and Chris Carnes for spirit; Lauren Lichtenberg, Tim Boyle and Maggie Williams for leadership; and Jared Anderson and Eron Bates for sportsmanship.
Chase Hutchinson earned the Tim Neville Award named after the dedicated Wood River speech arts teacher who enjoyed great success at winning state championships prior to his retirement.
Bob Shay “Most Inspirational” awards were presented to athletes in each of the school’s varsity sports and to participants in activities like drama, cheerleading and band. The awards, once called Rick Hawkes Memorial, were given for the 23rd time in honor of legendary coach Shay.
Shay award recipients were:
· Fall sports—KJ Savaria in football;Lily Richards for a second straight year in volleyball; Chase England and Janel Passey in cross country; Zack Freeman in boys’ soccer; Haley Montgomery and Maggie Williams in girls’ soccer.
· Winter sports—Eron Bates in boys’ basketball; Hannah Belloli in girls’ basketball; Tim Boyle and Tommy Bailey in wrestling.
· Spring sports—Alexis Gonzalez in boys’ track; Janel Passey in girls’ track; Stephen Pfeiffer and Lily Richards in tennis; Nick Brunker in baseball; Reilly Neel in boys’ golf; Mary Petzke in girls’ golf; and Kori Paradis for a second straight year in softball.
· Other activities—Max Mihalic and Lauren Busdon in debate and speech; Drake Arial for a second straight year and Traci Otto in drama; Dylan Black and Ryleigh Howard in band; Michael Moffett and Taylor Bernston in choir; Christian Brown and Jessica Lamprecht in orchestra; and Corina Salinas in cheerleading.
Shay Cup to Huntington
Presented for the 24th time was the “Bob Shay Cup” to Wood River coaches in the name of Shay, an educator and coach for 33 years in the Blaine County School District.
This year’s winner was wrestling coach and Silver Creek High School teacher Shawn Huntington, who completed his fourth year as Wolverine head mat coach.
Over those four years Huntington’s Wood River program has qualified 34 wrestlers for the State 4A Wrestling Championships including 11 in February.
Past “Bob Shay Cup” winners:
Football and girls’ basketball coach Kevin Stilling; girls’ basketball coach Mendy Benson; tennis coach Vicki Johnston; cheerleading and track coach Jeannie Bradshaw; cross country and track coach James Foster; football coaches John Blackman and Mike Glenn; baseball coach Lars Hovey; softball coach Chris Cey; softball coach Dale Martin (twice); tennis coach Nancy Williams; cross country coach Joel Zellers; boys’ soccer coach Brian Daluiso (twice); and band and choir teacher Bart Bailey;
Speech arts coach Tim Neville (three times); 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.
Offering tributes to two retiring coaches, Rade thanked outgoing baseball coach Matt Nelson and cheerleading coach Amanda Ornelas for their hard work and commitment to Wolverine athletics.